LEWISTON — Frustrated by rogue riders who damaged property and aggravated landowners with their noise, a local snowmobile club has partnered with the Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Warden Service to police the city’s snowmobile trails this winter and encourage riders to follow the rules. 

The Hillside Family Riders Snowmobile Club lost the use of two trails on private land in the past year because landowners were so upset by rogue riders.

The first landowner had a problem with noise from illegal snowmobiles outfitted with loud exhausts. He closed his property to snowmobilers last winter, then reopened it after a discussion with the club.

The second landowner had a problem with both noise and riders who tore down snow fences and went off the trail. One of those riders got caught in a section of barbed wire and threw the barbed wire into a field, where it got caught in the property owners’ hay equipment this summer. That landowner plans to close his property to all riders this winter.

Club representatives said the issues have come from nonmembers. They said they understand landowners’ frustrations and they want riders’ bad behavior to stop.

“We’re going to face those problems head on,” said club volunteer Tim Morin during a news conference Friday. “We’re going to basically try to take care of the problems through enforcement and cooperation.”

“And education,” added his brother, Greg Morin, also a volunteer. “That’s what we’re here for, to educate people that it’s causing a problem.”

The club will post signs along its trail system notifying violators that they aren’t welcome. It is also asking snowmobilers and landowners to note the registration numbers and snowmobile description of violators so the club can report them to law enforcement.

The club has partnered with police and wardens to increase law enforcement on the trails, including at least two trail-side checkpoints during the season.
“No snowmobiling” signs will be replaced with “no trespassing” signs.

“If they get caught off that trail, it is now criminal trespass and they are going to be charged and they are, after that, going to be prosecuted. It’s a new approach, it’s a drastic approach, but it’s something that has to be done because we don’t want to lose these trails,” Greg Morin said.

The Hillside Family Riders Snowmobile Club has 150 members, the majority from Lewiston. It maintains 40 miles of trails that cross hundreds of private properties.

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