The terse message from the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick is simple: stick to snowmobile trails and stay off private land.
The message follows several complaints about trespassing on farm fields across the province.
“It causes crops to freeze down. It dries the frost in, so it gives you frost damage to some of that crop,” says Michael Slocum, a Waterborough farmer and member of the board of directors for the agricultural alliance.
The warning comes on the heels of several complaints already lodged this season, which due to the weather has been on again, off again.
“They don’t understand that acreages of ground is private property in the rural areas,” Slocum says.
The Alliance and the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs joined forces three years ago to strengthen the message that trespassing won’t be tolerated.
“The bottom line is you just wouldn’t walk across somebody’s back yard or lawn or go up on their deck without permission. It’s baffling to us why people think they can just blast out across a field or out across a power-line without permission,” said executive director Ross Antworth.
Last year 17,000 trail permits were sold across the province. Snowmobiling is considered a multi-million dollar industry, raking in over $35 million a year, and the organization says trail users need to respect the rules that go along with using those permits.
“We really need people to stay on the trail system. That’s what the N.B. snowmobile clubs have already done — sought permission, and that keeps everybody safe and secure,” Antworth said.
When in doubt, it’s best to ask permission, according to both agencies. And as for farmers, if they don’t want sleds on their lands, it’s recommended they post no-trespassing signs.