A major goal of the Community Center near Lake Auburn is to integrate recreational agendas and get input from various user groups.

Recently, a Winterfest event occurred with hundreds of folks enjoying the peaceful beauty of the forests; snowshoeing, walking, skiing, skating and snowmobiling. A new use introduced was dog sledding rides.

These trails are groomed and maintained by the Perkins Ridge Snowmobile Club. They are funded to maintain and sign the trails for year-round recreation. Building bridges is done, not just for snowmobiles, but for the multitude of recreational users.

Unfortunately, not everyone is happy sharing the trails.

Juliette Kearns of Auburn (letter, Feb. 13) wants the “natural” experience just for non-motorized users. She is certainly entitled to that opinion and what appeared to be an objective to discredit snowmobiles.

Where does “natural” begin and end? The chemicals used to manufacture her skis and snowshoes and the vehicle she uses to get to trails are tolerable, but not the chainsaw that keeps the trail open after an ice storm, or the groomer that keeps the trail smooth and safe for multi-use?

The hard reality is the snowmobile clubs make the multi-use trails possible, at $7 worth of volunteer time for every $1 of tax money spent. Good luck getting that return from other trail managers.

At the Lake Auburn Community Center, people can enjoy the natural experience where some trails are dedicated pedestrian only, and the sharing of community assets creates an outdoor fun zone for people of varied interests.

Dan Bilodeau, Auburn

Trailmaster, Perkins Ridge Snowmobile Club and Lake Auburn Community Center

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