Huron Expositor, 2006-12-20, Page 10News
The Huron Expositor • December 20, 2006 Page 9
Farm protest, mild weather cause
drop in snowmobile permits so far
Jeff Heuchert.
Both snowmobile clubs that oper-
ate trails in Huron East are report-
ing a drop in permit sales so far this
season.
Ken Hunsberger, of the BW
Trailblazers, attributes
the drop in permit
sales to a combination
of poor weather condi-
tions and the pre-
sumption that there
will be fewer trails to
ride this year due to
some farmers closing
their property as an
act of protest.
However, says
Hunsberger, even if
some landowners
choose to restrict
access to their land,
with the re-routing
that is being done,
snowmobilers will
have access to just as
many trails as in the past.
"People are apprehensive, but we
have trails. We've haven't had to re-
route that much," he says.
The BW Trailblazers operate near-
ly 150 km of trails - 80-85 km of
which is in Huron East.
While last season Hunsberger
says they had around 500 members,
this year he says they're sitting
around 375.
"If the winter ever sets in, we'll
have some after sales," he adds.
Hunsberger says the club was well
prepared for some landowners to
restrict access to their land - having
already scouted out ways to re-route
trails last season, when some
landowners protested as well.
"We pre -planned for this year," he
says, adding the club has sent out a
newsletter to each permit holder
from last season explaining the situ-
ation.
As far as staking the trails goes,
Hunsberger says the club is about
80 per cent complete, noting the
fields are much too wet right now to
get out to pre -groom the trails or
finish staking.
The money from permit sales
should be enough to operate the full
number of trails this season, says
Hunsberger.
However, if sales were to continue
to drop over the next couple of
years, he says the club would have
to close parts of their trails.
"If permit sales are down, we have
less money to work with. It affects
our budget and how much money
we have for groomers," he adds.
"It puts a lot of pressure on the
club to remain active in the area."
Director for the Pineridge
Snowmobile Club Ron Williamson
says his permit sales have also
dropped this year, but expects the
numbers to rise once enough snow
has fallen and stays on the fields.
He adds that while enough snow
fell a couple of weeks
ago, it didn't last long
enough for the club's
volunteers to get out
and begin grooming the
trails.
Williamson notes
,that not being able to
get out on the trails in
December however is
nothing new, noting
that it wasn't until
January last year that
they were abletoride
for any substantial
amount of time.
He says they have
also had to do some re-
routing of trails.
"There's been a bit of a problem
(with re-routing), but we're working
it out," he says, adding that staking
is taking a bit longer this year as
they're checking with each land
owner.
"We want to ask and make sure
it's OK with them this year," he
says.
"Everybody is wanting to support
the farmers and we're going to hon-
our their wish-
"
es.
Williamson
adds that as a
result of the
farmer's protest,
the club has lost
a small loop of
trail around
Seaforth, but
that there is
"still lots of room
for snowmobil-
ers."
While
Williamson
acknowledges.
permit sales are.
lower than last
year, he's not
quite sure on the
exact numbers.
Last season, he
says, the club
had 800 mem-
bers.
He adds that
once enough
snow is here to
stay, it could be
as quick as , two
days to get • the
trails groomed and
ready to ride.
•
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