The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, Inc. (VAST) was founded in 1967 and is responsible for the organization of the sport of

snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...

, maintaining and grooming over 5,000 miles of trails in the state of

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. Based in

Berlin, Vermont Berlin ( ) is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States, founded in 1763. The population was 2,849 at the 2020 census. Being the town between Barre and Montpelier, the two largest cities in the region, much of the commercial business ...

, VAST is a private, non-profit organization with six full-time employees and one seasonal employee. Across the state, VAST includes more tha
120 clubs
with over 24,000 members combined. Over 80% of the trails are on private land, and the clubs obtain landowner permission for trails on private property. According to state law, all snowmobile riders in the state must belong to VAST and a local club in order to ride on trails or else face a fine. Use of VAST trails is permitted only in the winter, starting December 16th; other use is considered trespassing. The organization is also responsible for renovation and management of the 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which is open for recreational use year-round. Federal tax forms for 2017 show that VAST had revenues of $3.6 million (of which $2.1 million was membership dues) and expenses of $3.7 million. Over $3 million of that spending was on programs, with $625,811 dedicated to administration and $4,418 spent on fundraising.

References

External links

* Non-profit organizations based in Vermont Sports in Vermont Snowmobiles {{Vermont-stub