(1) "Commissioner" means Commissioner of Motor Vehicles unless otherwise stated.

(2) "Department" means Department of Motor Vehicles unless otherwise stated.

(3) "Operate" includes an attempt to operate and shall be construed to cover all matters and things connected with the presence and use of snowmobiles whether they be at motion or rest.

(4) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources.

(5) "Snowmobile" means a self-propelled vehicle intended for off-road travel primarily on snow, having a curb weight of not more than 793.783 kg (1,750 lbs.); driven by track or tracks in contact with the snow and steered by a ski or skis in contact with the snow. The maximum width of a snowmobile shall be no more than 48 inches. An all-terrain vehicle converted to operate with tracks shall not be considered to be a snowmobile.

(6) "VAST" means the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers.

(7) "Trails maintenance assessment" (TMA) means a permit issued by the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, Inc. granting use of Vermont snowmobile trails on public and private land. TMAs shall be issued in three different classifications: Vermont resident snowmobiles, nonresident snowmobiles, and commercial operation.

(8) "Public land" means all land that is either owned or controlled by a local, State, or federal governmental body.

(9) "Commercial operation" means the operation of a snowmobile on the SSTS by an individual participating in a guided tour or who has rented a snowmobile from an individual or corporate entity charging a fee for the tour or rental.

(10) "Direct supervision" means sufficiently close and able to control, by communicating visually or orally, the operation of a snowmobile by an operator under 16 years of age, taking into account the noise created by snowmobiles and protective headgear worn by the operator.

(11) "Tour" means a snowmobile ride led by a guide or leader over a defined route or routes lasting anywhere from one-half hour to less than a day, and participated in by one or more individuals that have paid a fee to an individual or corporate entity for the privilege of riding a snowmobile.

(12) "Closed season" shall be defined as the time from April 16 to December 15. (Added 1983, No. 212 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; amended 1987, No. 76, § 18; 1993, No. 234 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1994; 1995, No. 64 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1, 2, eff. Jan. 30, 1996; 1997, No. 3, § 1, eff. March 8, 1997; 1999, No. 20, §§ 2, 3; 2001, No. 126 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. June 12, 2002; 2003, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1, 2; 2005, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.), § 45.)