Mulleyville Snowmobile Club

NYSSA: LAWSUIT THREATENS TRAIL SAFETY
January 15, 2009, Long Lake, NY – The New York State Snowmobile Association (NYSSA) is raising an alarm about the recent lawsuit brought by an environmental group against the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and two other state agencies over the adoption of state trail maintenance and safety standards for snowmobiling in the Adirondack Park.

NYSSA Executive Director Dave Perkins is urging the APA, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) to vigorously defend their actions to ensure that snowmobile trails are the safest they can be. “The new rules reflect the vast experience and knowledge of snowmobile trail maintenance that NYSSA shared with state decision makers throughout the multi-year development process,” Perkins said. “We have demonstrated that unsafe trail conditions can be mitigated without undue impact on the forest’s natural character.”

The Snowmobile Trail Siting, Construction, and Maintenance Guidelines were adopted at the November 2009 APA meeting, allowing for the consideration and implementation of stalled Unit Management Plans (UMP)—plans that identify opportunities for recreational uses and consider the ability of the resources and ecosystems to accommodate such activity.

NYSSA fears that the lawsuit brought by the Adirondack Council may again put these plans on hold. “Most UMPs have been held from consideration for years until the APA could rule on specific snowmobile provisions,” Perkins explained. “Now, as a result of this lawsuit, these UMPs may be back on the shelf. This could have a chilling effect on the users of the forest preserve and the safety of snowmobiling families,” Perkins worried.

The Guidelines are a way to establish safe trails in the Adirondack Park on forest preserve lands that can be navigated by snowmobile. Establishing community connector trails allows significant economic benefit by bringing snowmobilers to community businesses. The Guidelines enjoy strong support from regional businesses, environmental groups and local elected officials. The action taken by the APA was done after more than five years of study and public participation in a process that included all stakeholders

NYSSA applauds the APA’s rules relative to trail width, particularly with respect to steep terrain and curves. The utilization of tracked groomers is necessary for proper trail maintenance to create safe, navigable trails. Trails that are of appropriate width will accommodate a variety of tracked groomers that will make trails with the desired meandering character safer to use. Tracked groomers require fewer grooming trips, and are more fuel efficient than utility snowmobiles used to groom trails. NYSSA believes that tracked groomers are much more environmentally friendly.

The Guidelines also ensure that the environment and natural character of the Park is protected. Trail routes are to be located nearer motorized routes that are either highways or bodies of water than in previous trail siting documents or policies, changes supported by NYSSA.

NYSSA was an active participant in field work that led to the development of the Guidelines. “It is unfortunate that not all stakeholders chose to participate. The Adirondack Council seems to have taken a position that whatever came out of the process would be hit with a lawsuit,” Perkins said. “The APA provided extensive opportunity for the public to comment on the Guidelines as this project has been ongoing for several years. Let’s hope that this obstructionist action by the Adirondack Council does not have tragic results for snowmobile safety,” Perkins concluded.

Founded in 1975, NYSSA is the voice of more than 100,000 snowmobilers in New York State, and provides support for the 230 local clubs maintaining over 11,000 miles of local snowmobile and multiuse trails. Visit NYSSA online at www.nysnowmobiler.com .

For more information:
Dave Perkins, NYSSA Executive Director
PO Box 612, Long Lake, NY 12847-0612
Tel. 518-624-3849, Fax 518-624-2441

VOLUNTARY SOUNDS MANAGEMENT

Position and Comments 

The American Council of Snowmobile Associations (ACSA) and the International Snowmobile Racing Specialty Manufacturers Distributors Groups (ISR SMDG) have established a position of strong opposition to excessive snowmobile sound levels that result in restriction of use of snowmobiles and believe that few other factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the snowmobiling community than excessively noisy snowmobiles. (more…)

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To See the actual APA position Paper click here

From the NYSSA Board of Directors:

Recently the Adirondack Park Agency released proposed Guidelines for Trail Siting, Maintenance, and Construction.  These proposed Guidelines were presented by the DEC on Thursday, September 10^th.  The APA has set a public comment period through October 16^th, 2009. 

 Many snowmobilers and snowmobile clubs both in and around the Adirondacks and throughout New York State need to have an interest in these Guidelines and make comment to the APA on them.

 The NYSSA BOD is preparing a resolution of support for the Guidelines with notations of concern.

 These talking points can be used to assist in forming a comment letter.  All comment letters must be sent to the following no later than September 30^th:

The following statement reflects concepts, conditions or procedures that are considered positives of the Guideline:

Guidelines flesh out concepts in the Adirondack Snowmobile Plan.

 Guidelines call for community connector trails to be nine feet wide compared to the current 8 foot wide trails.

 Guidelines call for trail conditions identified as needing maintenance addressed through case-by-case work plans developed by the DEC and APA, rather then subjective interpretation and implementation of broad-brush regulation.

 Guidelines call for designation of Class II community connector trails as accomplished through the UMP process. 

 Guidelines allow for tracked grooming using equipment that is narrower than the trail width to reduce damage to trees.  It can be pointed out that tracked groomers with a blade can reduce berm buildup on curves for improved trail safety, help reduce effects of some side slope conditions, and assist in gathering snow where there are expectations that snow should be used to fill in the low spots on a trail.

 Guidelines allow small landscaping equipment to be used for trail work authorized by an approved work plan.

 Guidelines call for reroutes, some tree cutting, and some rock removal as potential descriptions of work plans that could be employed to remove obstacles for trail improvements and safety while retaining the natural character of the terrain as much as possible.

 Previously the Adirondack Snowmobile Plan did not allow rocks protruding 6 inches and lower to be removed. The new guidelines allow for removal of any rock if approved in a workplan.

 Guidelines do not describe snowmobile trail characteristics resembling a foot trail as being narrow like some hiking trails.

 Guidelines all for unsafe side slope conditions on Class II trails being corrected through full bench cuts, likely reducing maintenance demands.

 Guidelines were developed by both DEC and APA staffs who participated in extensive field work that identified unsafe conditions and potential actions to mitigate these conditions.

 Guidelines provide a greater opportunity for the use of motorized equipment for pre-season work trips.

 Negatives

 Class I trails need clarification, as some access trails for groomers and to services can be as heavily traveled as any connector trail.  Class II trails do contain provisions to be spur trails that link a community to a longer community connector trail.  Clarification is needed so that Class II designation is possible for heavily used spur trails to services.

 Class I trails have a cleared width of 8 feet throughout, even on corners and steep terrain.  This can cause unsafe conditions on curves and on hills.

 Tracked groomers are described as small tracked groomers and that grooming equipment is sufficiently narrower than the approved trail.  This is a concern that no groomer currently used on trails as part of an AANR be denied approval as not deemed “small”. 

 Groomers need to be allowed to pull in snow from outside the normal trail width in areas that are natural clearings.  This is especially needed in locations where it is expected that snow from the trail area will be used to fill in low spots in the trail tread.

 Only hand tools may be used for trail work on Class I trails, with small landscape equipment allowed only if absolutely necessary.  There is concern over how restrictive the phrase “only if absolutely necessary” is interpreted.

 Class I trails will be bench cut to remedy side slope, but not full bench cuts.  This will result in a continuous need for maintenance.

 Areas with existing dense local trail networks may see some of them closed or classified to Class I trails.  These areas should not be punished by having legitimate trails closed.

Ski-Doo is running a promotion right now to give money back directly to snowmobile clubs across North America. For every club member that stops in at a Ski-Doo dealership between 9/1/09 and 11/15/09 and drops off the completed form below, BRP will give to our club $10, up to a total of $1500 (free money).

So there it is members. I know at least 150 of you will be stopping at a Ski-Doo dealer in the next couple of months. Please make sure you bring a copy of this form and give it to them. You must physically be there. You can’t fill it in and give it to someone else as the point is to drive foot traffic into the dealers.

For more info here is a copy of the letter they sent out to the clubs

Here is the form:
Click here and print

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Hello Mulleyville Members,
While most of you are enjoying the summer heat there are many things going on in preparation for the upcoming season. Our trails have seen a lot of logging activity this summer so we are planning for our big fall cleanup work party sometime in late September. We will finalize our plans at the season’s first meeting on Tuesday, 9/8/09.

You have probably received your snowmobile registration renewal from the DMV already. By renewing you membership online early and sending in your registration you help the Parks Department do a better job budgeting our grants for the year since it’s based upon registration numbers received prior to December 1, 2009. Just click this link to bring you to NYSSA’s website for Mulleyville and join online. You can print your voucher right off their site.

https://membership.nyssnowassoc.org/club/show/675