ATV Trails to be linked to Carrabassett Valley Submitted by Dave Cota Through the efforts of the Flagstaff Area ATV Club in Eustis and the Kingfield Quad runners Club in Kingfield, ATV trail systems in both Kingfield and Eustis will soon be linked through Carrabassett Valley. Both clubs have been granted permission to use designated trails on Penobscot Indian Nation land in Carrabassett Valley. For more information concerning trails in Eustis visit their website at: FlagstaffArea.net. For more information on the Kingfield trails contact Crystal Trenholm, cltrenholm@yahoo.com or write Kingfield Quad Runners, P.O. Box 198, Kingfield, ME 04947. The ATV trail from Eustis to Carrabassett has been completed and can be ridden (please use caution going through the built-up area in the Valley). It is anticipated that the ATV trail from Kingfield to Carrabassett Valley will be completed in spring/early summer of 2010 that will complete the link between Eustis and Kingfield. This link provides access to additional trail systems throughout Franklin County. Maps for the Eustis trail system are available in stores in Eustis. It is anticipated that maps for the Kingfield trails will be available in 2010. One or both of these maps will depict the ATV trail through Carrabassett Valley. State of Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife officials indicate that in Maine there are 100,000 registered snowmobiles and 65,000 registered ATV's. The State of Maine Department of Conservation (DOC) administers both snowmobile and ATV municipal and club trail grant programs. DOC officials told us that the goal is to provide managed designed trails with the expressed purpose of providing environmentally sound ATV trail networks, riding opportunities and generating local business. In the last seven years the number of ATV trails in Maine has tripled and the amount of grant funding spent on designed trails has increased tenfold. DOC officials estimate the state-wide economic impact from ATV use in Maine to be $200 million annually and growing.