GREENVILLE – As the snowmobile season ends, those in the industry are wondering just how to slow things down a bit next year.

This year, a record was reached when more than 100,000 snowmobiles were registered in the state, according to Bob Meyers, executive director of the Maine Snowmobile Association in Augusta.

“Every year, we say this has got to be the ceiling, and then every year it’s up again,” Meyers said Friday.

At some point, the snowmobile industry has to take a hard look and determine how the state can absorb the continued growth, he said.

Maine is a bargain for such things as gasoline, overnight lodging and other necessities for snowmobilers compared to other states and provinces. Top that with quality trails and outstanding scenic beauty, and the draw is understandable, according to Meyers.

The sport adds more than $300 million annually to the state’s economy and provides more than 3,100 jobs, according to industry officials.

Officials are finding that some snowmobilers are avoiding the crowded regions and trails and are frequenting trails and accommodations in smaller communities, such as Guilford, Milo and Lincoln.

When those trails, too, become crowded, there is reason to worry because the 13,000 miles of trails aren’t increasing, Meyers said.

And the increased use is causing stress on the paid and unpaid volunteers who groom and monitor trails and who are getting older and tired.

“Things do seem to be reaching a critical mass,” Meyers said. He said the thousands of out-of-state visitors who take to the trails expect them to be perfect, and the groomers take them to that standard. But it comes at a toll, he explained.

There is no hard and fast rule to trail grooming. Some communities provide it; in others, the local snowmobile clubs or businesses perform the service. The state handles a few trails, and still other towns hire contractors.

The majority of the trails, however, are groomed by snowmobile clubs, according to Scott Ramsay, director of the off-road vehicle division, Department of Conservation.

In some communities, such as Greenville, the question has been raised as to why the town is in the trail-grooming business.

For Greenville Town Manager John Simko, the answer is an easy one. He said good trails are vital to the local economy. A paid trail coordinator oversees the physical condition of the grooming machines and the volunteers who groom the 70 miles of trails in the Greenville region. That position and all other expenses are paid solely through a return on registration fees, state grants and business contributions, according to Simko. No local funds are used, he said.

The state budgeted $3.3 million for the snowmobile trail program in 2003-2004, of which about 80 percent is returned to the communities, such as Greenville, where the snowmobiles are registered.

“Certainly it’s an advantage to local communities to support this effort because of the opportunities it brings to them,” Meyers said.

While the basic structure of the snowmobile program is sound, he said it needs the support of the state, towns, businesses and riders. The question of how “do we slow things down a bit does need to be asked,” he said. The answer to that question will involve some in-depth planning.

“Snowmobiling is truly a victim of its own success,” Meyers said.