Assembly Letter

Date

Honorable
NYS Assembly
Room (Capitol or LOB)
Albany, New York 12248
Re: Sweep of Snowmobile Trail 
Funds by the Governor

Dear Assemblyman or Assemblywoman (name):

As an avid snowmobiler and a member of (name of your club), I strongly oppose the Governor’s 
budget proposal to “sweep” $5 million from the snowmobile trail development and maintenance 
fund into the general fund over the next several years. What you may not be aware of is that the 
Governor proposes to sweep $1 million from the trail fund this current fiscal year!  This 
unprecedented sweep, coming less than two years after a previous attempt to take $1 million during 
the 2008-2009 budget process, must be rejected. 
As you know, this money comes from snowmobile registration fees and is desperately needed for 
maintaining and developing the statewide trail system.  Trail maintenance is an ongoing process for 
my club and all of the 239 snowmobile clubs that make up the NYS Snowmobile Association 
(NYSSA).  These clubs take on the responsibility and the financial obligation to maintain the trails 
throughout the year.  Snowmobilers who use the trail system are willing to pay for it but they are not 
willing to have their registration money taken by the Division of the Budget.
This sweep undermines the credibility of the fund, violates a public trust and will devastate our 
ability to adequately and safely maintain the state trail system and will jeopardize the impact of 
snowmobiling on the upstate winter economy.  Contrary to the Budget staff’s calculation, everyone 
involved in the trail fund program knows that there are not enough revenues in the trail fund now to 
meet current trail maintenance obligations.
NYSSA is further opposed to the language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709 that expands 
the allowable use of monies in the snowmobile trail fund to include “public safety activities,” and 
urge that this language be removed from the budget.  By allowing snowmobile registration fees to 
be taken from their intended use and transferred to the general fund under the guise of public 
safety, while removing any accountability regarding the use of these funds, the proposed budget 
would result in millions more swept from the snowmobile trail fund in coming years.
Snowmobiling is an important component of State tourism creating much-needed jobs and 
generating vital revenue to many Upstate and Western New York businesses and communities.  
Many small businesses rely on snowmobiling for their survival through the winter.  According to the 
New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, snowmobiling 
contributes over $1 billion to the state’s economy each year.
The snowmobile community looks to your continued commitment to snowmobiling, so vitally-
important to the economic wellbeing of many upstate communities, by seeking your help in 
rescinding this damaging budget sweep of the Snowmobile Trail Fund.

Sincerely,
(Your signature
And address)