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By Jonah Raether
Kennebec Land Trust intern
Brad Barker has been driving snowmobiles since he was 8, though he started riding with his dad when he was even younger. Since then, snowmobiling has been a major part of his life, and for the past 30 years, he has been president of the Leeds Stumpthumpers Snowmobile Club. One of the most important lessons he’s learned over that time is how important it is to have connections throughout the town of Leeds, and across the state.
The club has built nearly 50 miles of trails in Leeds, and Barker, along with other volunteers, maintains them year after year. The network crosses a variety of natural areas and property types. When building a new trail or maintaining an old one, Barker works closely with the landowner — whether private, for instance, a conservation group like the Kennebec Land Trust, or public, maybe a utility provider like Central Maine Power — to make sure he’s respecting the owner’s wishes for the property. Ultimately, the owners have the final say in where the trail can go, how big it can be, and the type of maintenance that can occur.
Over time, Barker has worked with hundreds of property owners to make sure the trails don’t negatively affect wildlife habitat, soil resources, or water quality. He stays in communication with landowners to ensure that the club understands and follows their wishes and respects any decision they make regarding the use of their properties. That can be made difficult if riders – even a very small number of them – decide to go off trail. Barker strives to keep all the trails well-maintained and marked, so there’s no question of where riders should go.
Even with all his hard work, the trails can’t be used if there isn’t any snow cover. Barker told me that Leeds used to get 10 weeks of really good snow and cold weather – perfect conditions for snowmobiling. Recently, however, the effects of climate change are becoming evident. The riding season has become fragmented and the club has been forced to adapt to three to four weeks of riding before the weather warms and the trails become too wet or icy. Once that happens, it’s back to square one in terms of making sure the snowpack on the trails is durable enough to keep riders safe and happy, while protecting the ground beneath.
Like hunting, fishing, or other forms of outdoor recreation, snowmobiling is an important part of the local economy. There is research showing that snowmobiling in Maine brings in $50,000 for every mile of trail through gas sales, snowmobile maintenance, and other services. The fifty miles in Leeds equate to $2.5 million per year. If the weather becomes too unpredictable, or if riders don’t stick to developed trails, or if relationships with landowners aren’t sustained, Leeds, like other communities across Maine, may lose a significant recreational, cultural, and economic asset.
In 2019, Kennebec Land Trust intern Jonah Raether interviewed five Kennebec County community members about their relationships and connections to the land and natural spaces; this is one of his essays. The Kennebec Land Trust works with landowners and communities to conserve the forests, shorelands, fields, and wildlife that define central Maine. Visit www.tklt.org for more information.
PHOTO: Kennebec Land Trust Curtis Homestead in Leeds. The Stump Thumpers snowmobile club works with landowners, like the trust. (KLT photo)
