PORTAGE LAKE, Maine (AP) – The federal government is providing more than $400,000 to help five Maine snowmobile clubs maintain the trails snowmobilers use in the winter.

Snowmobiling is a popular activity in Maine, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development is awarding the funding to benefit clubs in Portage Lake, St. Agatha, Fort Kent, Roxbury and Dexter. Republican Sen. Susan Collins says the snowmobile industry is “a powerful economic engine for our state” that contributes more than $600 million to Maine’s economy.

There were nearly 60,000 snowmobiles registered in Maine by Maine residents during the 2018-19 snowmobiling season. More than 25,000 more were registered by non-residents.