NYSSA Presses Parks on RTP Grants: Five Clubs Awarded $’s for Groomers

March 15, 2011(Pine Bush, New York):  The New York State Snowmobile Association (NYSSA) announced today that five NYSSA member snowmobile clubs will be awarded $637,000 for equipment to maintain snowmobile trails throughout the state from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP).  In December of 2010, Dave Perkins Trail Coordinator for NYSSA informed NYSSA President Gary Broderick that the awards for Recreational Trail Grants appeared to be lacking the required percentage of motorized recreation trail projects that are required by this Federal Highway Administration program administered locally by the Office of Parks.

President Broderick ordered an investigation and follow-up and directed that the Office of Parks be contacted in this regard.  Dom Jacangelo, NYSSA’s new Executive Director contacted Mindy Scott, Chief of Grants at Parks to discuss the issue.  Scott admitted that there was a problem with the original release of the announced awards. 

Recently Parks announced that five snowmobile clubs, Lost Trail Snowmobile Club, Algonquin Sno-Blazers,  Northern Erie Sno-Seekers, Charlton Snowmobile Club and the Missing Link Snowmobile Club would each be receiving a grant award to support the acquisition of trail maintenance equipment including grooming equipment. 

President Broderick stated, “ I am glad that our diligence at NYSSA paid off with five grants that would have been lost if we had not pressed the Agency and pointed out what they were doing was incorrect.  We are pleased that the Office, once encouraged, recognized their error and were willing to make an expeditious correction.”

NYSSA is the official organization representing snowmobile interests in the state and is the largest in the country with 150,000 members and their families.  Snowmobiling contributes over $750 million to the NY state economy each year.

For additional information contact Dominic Jacangelo at 518-669-5831.