WINDHAM – Vandalism to registration booths at three entry points to the Sebago Lake Land Reserve in Lower Bay has resulted in the closure of part of ITS 89, the southernmost section of the snowmobile trail in Maine.

Because of the closure, which was imposed by the Portland Water District last weekend for an undetermined amount of time, area snowmobilers will be impacted until repairs to the kiosks can take place. However, the closure will not affect the local snowmobiling club’s plans to host a poker rally on the property this weekend.

The closure came after vandals ripped down signage at three wooden kiosks marking a few of the 11 access points to the 1,600-acre land reserve, which is owned by the Portland Water District. Kiosks were damaged at the railroad trestle to the west of Sebago Lake Village, at a crossing of Route 237 and near the YMCA camp pavilion at the Otter Ponds.

The public has been allowed to hike, bike, ski, snowshoe and snowmobile in the reserve since 2005. Last weekend’s closure marks the first large-scale act of vandalism and the first closure of the property, which rings the bottom of Sebago Lake.

The kiosks serve as an information and registration hub for those wishing to use the property. Users have to fill out a permit before entering the property. Members of the Standish Sno-Seekers Snowmobile Club, however, have been issued a windshield sticker allowing access to the property. The Sno-Seekers also groom many miles of trail in the reserve.

The land reserve’s security officer, Rod Beaulieu, discovered the vandalism last Saturday morning and issued the closure notice until new signage can be reinstalled.

“In general, we have been really pleased with public use of the Sebago Lake Land Reserve. It is unfortunate this has happened and respectful trail users are impacted. We hope to get the trails opened as soon as we can,” Beaulieu said. “It could take a while to fix the kiosks. We have to order materials, then rebuild the kiosks.”

The property is still accessible through the remaining eight kiosks, but access to the major snowmobiling trails, is limited since the Portland Water District has also locked gates at several key spots along ITS 89 and at the damaged kiosks. According to water district spokeswoman Michelle Clements, snowmobilers and other users are free to use the land reserve but lack of grooming could make recreational activity difficult.

“Certain trails are still open. People still have to fill out a permit,” Clements said.

Clements said the vandalism has been reported to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating but has no leads so far.

ITS 89 gated

While much of the land is still accessible by the remaining eight kiosks, the water district’s closure of gates near Sebago Lake Village affects ITS 89, a snowmobile trail that runs through the village along the Mountain Division Rail line and heads up the western side of the lake over the railroad trestle to Steep Falls.

This weekend proves to be a busy snowmobiling time for Sebago Lake Village due to the Standish Sno-Seekers’ WinterFest, a poker rally-style event that leads snowmobilers on a 40-mile treasure hunt of sorts to find poker cards at five spots around the region.

Most of the card locations can only be accessed by way of the land reserve and the water district has allowed the Sno-Seekers access through the gates this weekend only.

“We have a good rapport with the water district,” said Bob Walker, trailmaster of Standish Sno-Seekers. “They’ve given us the key to the gates and we have to man the three damaged kiosks ourselves and once we’re done we have to lock the gates.”

Walker agrees with the water district’s handling of the issue, and said he was furious when he discovered the vandalism.

“We were out there grooming on Friday night, so everything looked good Friday. It must have happened early Saturday morning,” Walker said.

The closing off of Sebago Lake Village also impacts local businesses in the village. T.J. Davis of T.J.’s Sandwich Shop at the intersection of routes 114 and 35, said, “I would definitely feel it on weekends, there would be a drop in business,” and is hopeful the trails reopen soon.

The vandalism to the kiosks isn’t the only recent damage related to local snowmobiling trails. In December, equipment was vandalized at the R.J. Grondin gravel pit in North Windham off Enterprise Drive.

Garnett Johnston, president of the Windham Drifters Snowmobile Club, said vandals cut wires and broke windshields on excavating equipment and that the property was closed to snowmobiling for several weeks but is back open.

“We were fortunately able to quell that situation to a degree and the pit owner reopened it at least for this winter,” Johnston said.

Johnston added that “it’s a constant battle” to maintain good relations with the 124 Windham landowners that allow the club to groom trails through their private property. And without those access privileges, the 1,100 registered snowmobilers in Windham, the largest of any town in Maine, would have few places to ride, he added.

“We make sure we do everything we can so everything is OK so we can maintain our trails,” Johnston said. “We clean up trash, fence off spots where the landowners don’t want us, and we’re all volunteers. None of us get paid for this.”

ITS 89 is the southernmost section of Maine’s snowmobile highway, the Interconnected Trail System. Johnston, who snowmobiled to Sebago Lake Village two weeks ago, said ITS 89 is the “primary access to run into southern Maine,” and that this year ITS 89 is more important since southern Maine has more snow than northern Maine.

“This is definitely turning into a banner year for snowmobiling, so anytime a trail is closed, especially ITS 89, it has great impact,” he said.

Permitting mailboxes, maps and other useful information for snowmobilers and other recreational users of the 1,600 Sebago Lake Land Reserve ringing Lower Bay were torn down last weekend in an act of vandalism. As a result, snowmobiling access to the property has been restricted until new signs can be installed. (Courtesy photo)