It might look tempting. It may appear at first like harmless fun, or seem unlikely that you personally will get caught. But please don’t do it!
That’s the message about trespassing that the snowmobile manufacturers, media, brand ambassadors, snowmobile clubs and others are trying to deliver to snowmobilers across North America with the new Take The Pledge campaign. And, you can join in the fight.
Illegal trespassing has always been a scourge of the snowmobile world – where a small percentage of snowmobilers will leave the trails and go carve up powder on property owned by individual landowners. In the last few years, though – with many new people joining the sport – it is on the verge of becoming its own epidemic.
Many would argue that this sort of trespassing is the biggest threat that the sport faces, because an angry landowner or two who cuts off access to his/her land can sever an entire stretch of trail.
Below is a video created by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association encouraging snowmobilers to “Take The Pledge” to keep their riding in areas where it is legal. As you’ll see, we at Snow Goer were on the ground floor of the effort – and it’s a cause we definitely believe in. And we know for a fact that our friendly competition at most other snowmobile media brands are equally as dedicated to protecting our trails.
Below the video is the full press release from the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association. Please join us and all of the racing and backcountry riding heroes seen in this and other videos in taking the pledge to save our sport and preserve it for future generations.
Snowmobilers Taking The Pledge
HASLETT, MI, November 10, 2021: The members of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (Arctic Cat, BRP, Polaris, and Yamaha) are joining together with the snowmobile community in creating the Take The Pledge campaign. The Pledge is designed to ensure snowmobilers protect existing riding areas and trail systems for current and future generations and landowners who give us access to their property. Those that take the pledge agree to the following:
- I Pledge to ride off trail only where I know it’s legal and accepted.
- I Pledge to check before going off-trail if I don’t know.
- I Pledge to protect access for future generations by doing the right thing.
- I Pledge to protect access by encouraging those I ride with to take the Pledge also.
Snowmobilers enjoy over 120,000 miles of trails located on public and private land and have been built and maintained by snowmobile volunteers for over 40 years.
Snowmobilers are joined in this effort by snowmobile clubs, snowmobile dealers, lodges, local chambers of commerce – all of whom have a vested interest in maintaining responsible access. The campaign has been joined by snowmobile community leaders, ambassadors, and celebrities who have also taken the pledge.
The pledge was created to make snowmobilers aware of the importance of recognizing the ownership of the land we ride on, and the impact we have on the landowners, their pets, and their livestock. The record level of interest in enjoying the great winter outdoors demands our attention to the awareness of legal riding areas and making sure everyone with us knows the rules.
The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association members invite every snowmobiler to take the pledge at www.snowmobilerspledge.com and encourage those they ride with to also take the pledge.
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