Newport council unanimously backs resolution to keep snowmobiles off Beebe Spur Rail Trail

The Newport City Council on Monday unanimously approved a community‑drafted resolution asking state transportation officials and local legislators to preserve the Beebe Spur Rail Trail for nonmotorized recreation and to oppose reclassifying the corridor to allow snowmobile use.

Councilors and residents told the council that the trail — a roughly 6.5–7 mile extension of the waterfront recreation path groomed for skiing, walking and family recreation — is narrow in sections (about 8 feet wide), is used by the high‑school Nordic ski team and volunteers who groom the trail, and has been managed historically for nonmotorized uses. Several residents said snowmobile traffic would create safety and accessibility problems for families, older users and people with mobility limits and cited a petition circulated online that had collected more than 600 signatures.

Councilors said they had spoken with a VTrans manager, Jackie Casino, who told them VTrans’s reading of the statute suggests snowmobile use is allowed unless the legislature takes specific action. The chair said the council would send the passed resolution to VTrans and the city’s legislative delegation and requested staff follow up to ensure the council’s concerns are delivered promptly.

What’s next: The resolution does not change statutory classification; it asks state agencies and legislators to consider legislative or regulatory steps to preserve the trail’s current nonmotorized use and to consult with Derby Select Board stakeholders. Councilors asked staff to forward the resolution to VTrans and to local lawmakers.