JEFFERSON, Iowa, February 6, 2009 -- The Greene County Conservation Board, which owns and operates the Raccoon River Valley Trail, agreed this week to allow snowmobiles to use the RRVT in this county when there is sufficient snow depth to prevent damage to the trail surface.

Previously, snowmobilers have been allowed to use the RRVT in Guthrie County, but not in Greene County or more heavily-populated Dallas County.

“Wednesday at our conservation board meeting, Rod Scheuermann and several other snowmobilers requested we change our policy and allow snowmobiles on the trail in Greene County,” said conservation director Dan Towers. “We had no problem with that and voted to change the policy.”

Towers was preparing “just a few rules” that he would distribute to snowmobilers, including:

1) There must be 4 inches of snow.

 2) Snowmobilers must remain within the county-owned 100-foot right-of-way and respect “no trespassing” wishes of adjacent landowners.

 3) Snowmobilers must have in possession an annual RRVT trail permit, which costs $10.

 4) Snowmobilers are asked to be sensitive to noise concerns of trail neighbors when riding late at night through the towns of Jefferson and Cooper.

 Towers noted the winter weather seemed to be breaking late this week, and there would probably be long stretches of the RRVT that would lose snowcover, but there may be other areas where there is sufficient depth for snowmobiling. And more snow is expected this year, of course.

 Carla Offenburger, of Cooper, president of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association, said “this is a good decision.  It means there will be another group of people now who will be interested in using and promoting the trail. Obviously, there’s some concern that the snowmobilers be careful, so there’s no damage to the trail, but they ride on trails other places and it seems to work.  And the snowmobilers will be on the RRVT at a time of year when no bicyclists are on it, and very few cross-country skiers are out there.”

 She noted that having the snowmobiles opening a “path” in the snow on the trail might actually encourage more cross-country skiing.

 There are other differences in the RRVT rules in the three counties.  Greene County also allows hunting on the trail right-of-way during the normal hunting seasons, but neither Guthrie nor Dallas allows it.

Article Published: 02-06-2009