Island farmer tired of snowmobilers cutting through fields

A farmerin Green Bay has fresh snowmobile tracks on her field this week, which is something she's seen before.

Jackie Waddellsaidthis is a reoccurring problem, which has caused damage to her hay cropin the past.

Waddellsaidthe weight of the machines causes ice to form on top of tender plants which can affect next season's crop.

Small percentage of snowmobilers

Waddell saidshe believes it's a small percentage of snowmobilers who do cut through her field, but she worriesonce there is a track others might think it's anofficialtrail.

She's asking all snowmobilers to respect farm fields and not go through open gates.

"That's not an open invitation to access a property," Waddell said. "It's a farm field, you don't know what the crop is underneath the snow, you don't know if you're doing damage when you go across it with a machine, so stay out of farm fields unless they're a designated part of the approved trail."

Snowmobile association calls it 'discouraging'

DaleHickox, president of theP.E.I. Snowmobile Association, saidhearing aboutsnowmobilerson private land is discouraging.

"We promote organized snowmobiling and stay on the trail, respect landowner's properties, that's what we're all about."

Hickox said this year the association partnered with the provinceand the P.E.I. ATV Federation to put out a booklet for their members of the dos and don'ts of the sport.

He saidthere are maps of designated trails online, and trails are clearly marked.

'No trespassing'

Waddell says at this point she has put up rope and signs that say "no vehicles".

She saidthe next step is putting up "no trespassing" signs. She hopes she won't have to do that because she says she does wantsome other members of the public, like fisherman, to be able to crossthe fields.

"We don't want to do that, I don't think any private landowner wants to completely restrict access to their fields but in this case it's going to be a problem if we have a young hay crop in here next year and it happens again."