Saskatchewan Trails

[SSA]

Open Letter to ATV Users and Organizers of ATV Events in Saskatchewan
Dear ATV Enthusiasts The Sask. Snowmobile Assoc. and our Member Clubs host 10,000 KM of snowmobile trail in the province. Over the past 15 years the Snowmobile Clubs and volunteers have invested time and resources to upgrade and provide the snowmobiler with a safe environment to operate snowmobiles. Over the past 5 years we have and continue to see pressure from ATV use on the snowmobile trail system. The operation of ATV’s on the snowmobile trails is causing damage to the surface in which the snowmobile trail is constructed. Larger, deeper and longer ruts in wet areas, damage to hill sides and valleys, damage to creeks and waterways are creating safety concerns and increased costs to the snowmobile clubs. Landowners that provide access have voiced concern with land & fence damage and this causing problems with cattle. Litter and damage at the trail side shelters is posing issues as well as added costs for the clubs.
On behalf of the snowmobile clubs and volunteers we ask that all ATV enthusiasts respect the environment, give consideration to wetlands, creeks and waterways. Use your ATV in a respectful manner and treat the environment like it’s your personal backyard.
We ask that you respect the snowmobile trail system and avoid operating your ATV on snowmobile trails.

A message from the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association and its Member Clubs

 

[Sledderglen]

Thanks Chris Use respect when riding your ATV on a snowmobile trail. ASA thinks the same as we also have ATV issues impact on our trails.

 

[Summiteer]

Open Letter to ATV Users and Organizers of ATV Events in Saskatchewan
Dear ATV Enthusiasts The Sask. Snowmobile Assoc. and our Member Clubs host 10,000 KM of snowmobile trail in the province. Over the past 15 years the Snowmobile Clubs and volunteers have invested time and resources to upgrade and provide the snowmobiler with a safe environment to operate snowmobiles. Over the past 5 years we have and continue to see pressure from ATV use on the snowmobile trail system. The operation of ATV’s on the snowmobile trails is causing damage to the surface in which the snowmobile trail is constructed. Larger, deeper and longer ruts in wet areas, damage to hill sides and valleys, damage to creeks and waterways are creating safety concerns and increased costs to the snowmobile clubs. Landowners that provide access have voiced concern with land & fence damage and this causing problems with cattle. Litter and damage at the trail side shelters is posing issues as well as added costs for the clubs.
On behalf of the snowmobile clubs and volunteers we ask that all ATV enthusiasts respect the environment, give consideration to wetlands, creeks and waterways. Use your ATV in a respectful manner and treat the environment like it’s your personal backyard.
We ask that you respect the snowmobile trail system and avoid operating your ATV on snowmobile trails.

A message from the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association and its Member Clubs

Amen brother!!!!!!!

 

[SLICKSTER]

Are you asking the ATV community to not use the old logging road trails in provincial owned forrest?

 

[imdoo'n]

Are you asking the ATV community to not use the old logging road trails in provincial owned forrest?

in a way yes, i wish them luck in there endeavor. quadders sure like wide open trails.

 

[SLICKSTER]

I still have a few buddies in sask, good luck with keeping them off the trails in the summer, considering the SSA doesn't own the land, the sask government does, and its in the agreement between the SSA, and the SK government that SSA won't restrict access to these trails to ANY member of the public.

 

[billybigrigs]

These are taken directly from the SSA agreement.

As stated in Snowmobile trail agreement on page 2: 2.2.2 in the agreement says public access will not be restricted in any manner.

And As stated in Trail Development Agreement on Page 4 – Access Restrictions, Under no circumstances will public access be restricted in any manner. Within the Provincial forest and Provincial Parks, all trails are free to be used by any member of the public.


Read more: ​

 

[blackie205]

umm as a avid atv/sledder i disagree with this thread completly,how can u ask anyone to stay off the trails really,also why would u want atvs off trails, atvs help in keeping the trails clean of grass and willows and i know i have cleaned up many many many trees and garbage in spring/summer/fall and so have many others on this and other forums so really guys stop trying to start stuff and lets all ride and have fun and work together already

 

[Sledderglen]

We all have to share the trails. BUT when the ATVers come in the spring and rip up the trails in the mud ands leave huge deep holes and ruts who is responsible to repair the trail to be used by the snowmobilers? Just asking.. The problem is that they are left to the snowmobile club to repair just to have damaged the next spring again.
What would be great is a USE RESPECT program to be developed. If we use respect and try not to damage a trail things will be OK. If the damage continues we all will lose riding area and trails in the future. We as motorized users need to come together and work out a way to save trails not damage trails and riding areas. Comments??

 

[snoboy]

More people just need to realize that there's a group trying to restrict access for every group that wants access, trails/backcountry, motorized and non. The only way anybody is going to have a place for recreation is if everyone puts a little effort into minimizing their impact and compromising a bit. Can't be a pissing match between sledders-atvers-hikers-skiers-mtn bikers-equestrians-etc or it's way too easy for the look-don't-touch crowd to shut everything down. My thoughts anyway.

 

[Murminator]

We all have to share the trails. BUT when the ATVers come in the spring and rip up the trails in the mud ands leave huge deep holes and ruts who is responsible to repair the trail to be used by the snowmobilers? Just asking.. The problem is that they are left to the snowmobile club to repair just to have damaged the next spring again.
What would be great is a USE RESPECT program to be developed. If we use respect and try not to damage a trail things will be OK. If the damage continues we all will lose riding area and trails in the future. We as motorized users need to come together and work out a way to save trails not damage trails and riding areas. Comments??

I agree with Glen RESPECT the efforts by the clubs to keep the trails open whether snowmobile or ATV a lot of time the trails are there because of the efforts of the snowmobile clubs some of these trails cross private land and is usually accessed by crown land without that private sector they will be trails to nowhere.
I would almost guarantee most snowmobile riders from the clubs are ATV riders also why don't some of them step up to form and club? like the snowmobilers and share trails in there respective season? remap? retrail? around sensitive areas give a place for the people to ride. why isn't as many atv clubs? Is there to much effort for a ATV club compared to a snowmobile club?....just askin

 

[SLICKSTER]

We all have to share the trails. BUT when the ATVers come in the spring and rip up the trails in the mud ands leave huge deep holes and ruts who is responsible to repair the trail to be used by the snowmobilers? Just asking.. The problem is that they are left to the snowmobile club to repair just to have damaged the next spring again.
What would be great is a USE RESPECT program to be developed. If we use respect and try not to damage a trail things will be OK. If the damage continues we all will lose riding area and trails in the future. We as motorized users need to come together and work out a way to save trails not damage trails and riding areas. Comments??

If the ruts are noticable in the winter, then there probably isn't enough snow to sled or run a groomer, when there is enough snow, you, as a sledder, won't have any idea if there are ruts or not. I have sledded on trails where I know darn well that its rutted up pretty bad in the summer (groomed trail is smooth as heck on the sled), come spring those ruts are still there, and havn't been smoothed out or repaired, just snowed, and groomed over.

 

[kidder17]

Here is the problem that is occurring in Saskatchewan. Trail maintenance in the province is funded through funding from registered snowmobiles. In Saskatchewan currently there is no registration of any type for ATV's or UTV 's. There are also no organized ATV clubs that put anything back into maintaining the trails that ATV'ers use..........or damage. There are numerous ATV rallies held in the province and I have yet to see any of these rallies donate funds raised back into the snowmobile clubs that provide the trail maintenance.

You would be a foolish person if you think Sask Environment and Canadian Oceans and fisheries are not taking notice of the Environmental impact that ATV's are causing.


Tapatalk HD for IPAD

 

[Sledderglen]

If the ruts are noticable in the winter, then there probably isn't enough snow to sled or run a groomer, when there is enough snow, you, as a sledder, won't have any idea if there are ruts or not. I have sledded on trails where I know darn well that its rutted up pretty bad in the summer (groomed trail is smooth as heck on the sled), come spring those ruts are still there, and havn't been smoothed out or repaired, just snowed, and groomed over.

Slickster last year snow was minimal BUT you could still sled. Problem was that with low snow there wasn`t enough snow to fill those ruts and holes so the sleds had to run over them which was a major safety issue. When those ruts freeze they become hard and unforgiving and can kick you off to one side or another and can lead to a incident.If we do ever get so much snow that the groomer can work the trail over those holes and ruts he has to carry the snow along in his blade or drag. This take a large amount of snow to do leaving bare or thin sections along the trail. The uneven terrain in these holes is hard on the metal cross supports on the tracks of the grooming unit which increases the costs to the volunteer clubs to repair.
If our winters were loaded with snow the issue would be less BUT we dont get those winters often. What would be nice is to have the ATVers form clubs and develop their own trail systems like in some other provinces. We can share certain portion of trails and RESPECT the difference in the trails and keep to our own. Ontario and Quebec have these trails. Ask the AOHVA what they are doing for trail development?

 

[grizzlymud]

And where are you from Sledderglen? Doesn't sound like Sask as there was ONLY snow in a few places to even use a sled and there was lots in those places. Another thing that thinking is more behind this in Sask is that the ATVer's ARE trying to get plates and some of the funding for trails, taking away money from the sled trails, also seeing as atv's are OUTSELLING sleds this is going to be more and more now who should get more of the money groups using the trails for 3 months or groups using them for 9 months? Also the original poster has posted this on lots of other sites and has YET to come back and answer questions about it. ATVing is growing and we need to work together not just blame the atver's for everything. They were talking about cut fences, how many quaders have cutters in the quads? How3 many sledders? (most) And they post this up in the spring once the snow has melted and say the atver's are leaving garbage on the trails, when it could be from sledder's and just now being seen after the snow melts, never posts like this in the fall. After most rallies they go back and clean up all the trails. How many do this after sled rallies? The atver's will go out and remove trees etc from the trails all the time when come across them. Why should the Sledder's be the only ones to use the trails? Once ALL the ATV riders get better organized they will be pushing for more use of the trails and more funding and this is what I think the SSA is afraid of. Oh and by the way I ride a sled also.

 

[SLICKSTER]

Slickster last year snow was minimal BUT you could still sled. Problem was that with low snow there wasn`t enough snow to fill those ruts and holes so the sleds had to run over them which was a major safety issue. When those ruts freeze they become hard and unforgiving and can kick you off to one side or another and can lead to a incident.If we do ever get so much snow that the groomer can work the trail over those holes and ruts he has to carry the snow along in his blade or drag. This take a large amount of snow to do leaving bare or thin sections along the trail. The uneven terrain in these holes is hard on the metal cross supports on the tracks of the grooming unit which increases the costs to the volunteer clubs to repair.
If our winters were loaded with snow the issue would be less BUT we dont get those winters often. What would be nice is to have the ATVers form clubs and develop their own trail systems like in some other provinces. We can share certain portion of trails and RESPECT the difference in the trails and keep to our own. Ontario and Quebec have these trails. Ask the AOHVA what they are doing for trail development?

sledderglen, do you have any idea what your talking about?? I no longer live in SK, but I do still have close buddies there, and I keep in constant contact with them, last Feb. I went for a week sleddin in SK, it was weird, south of preeceville not enough snow to ride on, which is farm land so I can't see the ATV's being a issue in the summer, north of preeceville easily over a foot of snow, prolly closer to two feet in the forrest, which is where I've been told is the ATVing issue being raised as the trails are year yound in the forrest. My buddies went to a ATV derby at a place called Rocferd, and appearently there are some pictures taken of a mud hole from the derby, that is raising alot of stink with a local club, this area is very close to where I've sledded a few times, snow amounts have never been a issue there, even last year.

 

[kidder17]

Grizzlymud- do you sled? Have you ever put plates on your snowmobile? If you have, did you wonder what the extra $80 you paid was for? I'll help you out here, that money is used to directly fund local snowmobile clubs efforts for trail safety and maintenance....user pay if you will.

You have obviously never been involved with a snowmobile club because if you have been you would know how little funding was available to clubs before this money was collected at the time of plating your machine. Since then clubs finally have funding to do a proper job with most of the dollars coming from this added fee that snowmobilers pay.

So I welcome the day atv's are plated in this province. I also welcome the idea of a trail reclamation fee of $80 per plated ATV so that ATv'ers can begin to contribute their fair share to trail maintenance. With 3 to 1 ATV sales we should be riding paved trails in no time........but my guess will be as is with snowmobiles people will be cheap skates and not plate their ATV's because they think an extra $80 is crazy thinking for trail reclamation.

Slickster- you say you sledded around preeceville last winter? Being out of province did you make a donation to the local snowmobile club while you were there? Who did you pay it too if you did? When you head out to BC to sled do you pay the trail fee at the toll booths everyday?

 

[SLICKSTER]

Grizzlymud- do you sled? Have you ever put plates on your snowmobile? If you have, did you wonder what the extra $80 you paid was for? I'll help you out here, that money is used to directly fund local snowmobile clubs efforts for trail safety and maintenance....user pay if you will.

You have obviously never been involved with a snowmobile club because if you have been you would know how little funding was available to clubs before this money was collected at the time of plating your machine. Since then clubs finally have funding to do a proper job with most of the dollars coming from this added fee that snowmobilers pay.

So I welcome the day atv's are plated in this province. I also welcome the idea of a trail reclamation fee of $80 per plated ATV so that ATv'ers can begin to contribute their fair share to trail maintenance. With 3 to 1 ATV sales we should be riding paved trails in no time........but my guess will be as is with snowmobiles people will be cheap skates and not plate their ATV's because they think an extra $80 is crazy thinking for trail reclamation.

Slickster- you say you sledded around preeceville last winter? Being out of province did you make a donation to the local snowmobile club while you were there? Who did you pay it too if you did? When you head out to BC to sled do you pay the trail fee at the toll booths everyday?

Do you guys hate everyone, first your attacking the ATV communitee, within your own province, now it sounds like you have a beef with out of provincers comming into your province and spending money on SK local fuel stops, restraunts, hotels, grocery stores, lounges. No I did not make a donation to the local sled club, I was under the understanding the SK tourism gave a little for trail development, as well as the money spent on all the mom and pop shops while I was there, I guess almost $2000 spent in your province wasn't enough eh? Thanks for making a guy feel welcome in your backyard, I'll remember that next time I see SK plates on the trails in AB.

 

[eoo]

i ride both atv and sleds. i do not belong to a sled club by choice, but i do plate my sleds. last fall a lot of people including my self went out on our atvs to clean the dead fall off the trails. this was at our costs and our time. this was about half club members and half non members. i can't see why the sled groups are getting on the atv riders about the trails. a lot of the atv riders do help in keeping the trails clear all year round. if the sled groups want to talk about garbage, i see a lot more in the winter around the warm up shacks than in the summer. our policy ( the people i ride with ) is you pack it in, you pack it out. just my 2 cents.

 

[Griz-L-Bar]

Well this is all very interesting, but if anybody really gave a crap about "their" trails they wouldn't post a thread like this.

WHY? Because tree huggers are patrolling these sites looking for ammo and guess what if they see that ATV and Sleds are piss matching they will use it to help there cause in getting one of us outlawed. And the retaletion from the other one that gets shut down will certainly be enough to get the other shut down.

Now its bee vagualy mentioned on here already, BUT if there is a SLED group that has a problem with ATV's using "their" trails. Why not change the name of your group to Sled & Atv club of _______.

To me the problem is you have a growing number of Atv riders, who are mostly good hard working honest community involved members, as it is, they don't know or have never been involved with a club such as this, read don't have the knowledge.

So why don't the sled clubs use their knowledge, and get the ATv crowd involved, and then guess what year round maintence, agreed trail routes, HUGE volunteer Labor available, and the club membership fee.

And as stated on here once before, most of the time people ride BOTH.