Motorsports Summit Brings Region Together
More than 70 people gathered Saturday morning at the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club’s new clubhouse for a Motorsports Summit organized by the High Peaks Alliance. Attendees came from more than 15 clubs across the region — snowmobile and ATV riders, club officers, and trail volunteers — to work through the issues that matter most to Maine’s motorized recreation community.
The summit was part of the High Peaks Initiative, a collaborative of local, regional, and national organizations working to protect natural resources, secure public access, and support healthy communities in Maine’s High Peaks. HPA led the event as part of its ongoing effort to strengthen coordination across the region’s motorized and non-motorized recreation community.
The Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club also received recognition at the summit, being named the largest snowmobile club in Maine. HPA extends a special thank-you to Dana Bowman and the entire RLSC for hosting and for their continued partnership.
“I feel as president of NFSC and board member of RLSC, and former board member of High Peaks Alliance, we need to continue working with and supporting High Peaks Alliance. In the last three years, we have made great strides in bringing the motorized clubs in Franklin County together. Our recent motorized summit in Rangeley is a great example.” — Dana Bowman, President, NFSC / Board Member, RLSC
What Was Discussed
The morning opened with updates from the four organizations at the center of motorized recreation in Maine. The Maine Snowmobile Association, ATV Maine, the Maine ATV Coalition, and the State of Maine ORV Office each shared where things stand on trails, legislation, and club support heading into the next season.
Brent West presented on the Maine Trails Bond, walking clubs through how to identify projects that could qualify for funding — new trail loops, maintenance work, bridges and culverts, signage, and conservation projects like trail easements. Clubs were encouraged to think now about which landowners in their area might be open to long-term agreements or land donations, and to bring those conversations forward.
The ATV weight limit legislation generated significant discussion. The Maine ATV Coalition explained its decision to oppose proposed weight increases this session, a stance that put them at odds with some riders, clubs, and business sponsors, but one driven by direct pressure from major landowners who signaled they would close trail systems if the increases passed. The legislation was hard-fought, and the outcome was seen as a win for long-term access.
Representative Soboleski spoke to the importance of landowner communication, noting that in his experience, the single most effective tool for maintaining trail access has been sitting down face-to-face and having a direct conversation. That theme ran through much of the morning.
Four Maine legislators joined the summit: Senator Russell Black, Representative Michael Soboleski, Representative Liz Caruso, and Senator Joe Martin. Black’s recent registration fee bill passed this session. Caruso, who grew up guiding and running a whitewater outfitter in the West Forks and whose husband has groomed snowmobile trails for decades, is running for Black’s Senate seat. Martin, whose family runs the gas station in Andover and who was on the ground during the region’s flood recovery, spoke to the deep connection between the trail community and the towns that depend on it.
Regional Priorities: Action Before the Season
The final session brought the room together around a single question: What are the biggest regional needs we can actually move on right now? The group landed on three immediate priorities — specific trail projects where action is possible in the near term. In a sign of what this kind of coordination can produce, one of those three has already been resolved: the Stratton/Eustis trail connection to the JV Wing Club, which had been held up by landowner and contractor requirements, has been worked out.
The other two priorities identified are actively in motion. HPA and its club partners will be following up with the volunteers and leads who stepped up on Saturday to keep that momentum going.
Additional projects surfaced by the group, including bridge repairs, new trail corridors, landowner relations in Carrabassett Valley, and a Rt. 115 loop restoration targeted for the 2026/27 season, will inform HPA’s regional planning in the months ahead.
Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the conversation on Saturday. And a big thank-you to Dana Bowman and the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club for opening their new clubhouse and making the day possible.
Partners in this Work
The summit also included representatives from the Maine Snowmobile Association, ATV Maine, the Maine ATV Coalition, and the State of Maine ORV Office.
A big thank-you to Dana Bowman and the RLSC for hosting at their new clubhouse and making the day possible. Thank you to everyone who came out, contributed to the discussion, and continues to put in the hours to keep these trails open.
Congratulations also to the RLSC, which received an award at the summit recognizing it as the largest snowmobile club in Maine.
