Syracuse.com - Guest column: North Syracuse man calls for change in snowmobile registration law

[HuntingNY-News]

There are bills in the state Legislature: Sen. Joseph Griffo's S-1206 and Assemblyman Bill McGee's A2418 and Assemblyman Will Barclay's A3007. These bills would lower the snowmobile registration fee (from $100) to $25 for non-trail riding snowmobile owners.

The following is a guest column:

By Robert Jonick

It's about time Albany stops supporting special interest groups that have not worked and have caused the state and its residents great economic loss.

After 5 years of huge losses amounting to millions of dollars, I think it is time for Albany, the New York Snowmobile Association and the Office of Parks and Recreation (snowmobile unit) to take a good look at bill No. 6815 -- Snowmobile Rights and Responsibility.

Sportsmen should not have to pay the exorbitant registration fee of $100 to be forced to join a snowmobile club when they don't use state trail systems. Law 6815 puts a heavy burden on sportsmen like ice fishermen, trappers and hunters. Due in part to the law, snowmobile registrations have been steadily decreasing since the inception of the law.

What impact has the $100 snowmobile registration fee had on the state's economy? Eight hundred and seventy-five million dollar impact. Last year, 40,500 snowmobile registrations were lost. That is a huge loss to the N.Y. State trail fund and snowmobile clubs. It appears that everyone has lost because of this law. This includes many small businesses that depend on snowmobiling for a living.

New York State should get out of the business on recruiting members for snowmobile clubs. That, in fact, is what this law comes down to. This law cost millions. In the corporate world, a CEO would have been fired for such a loss and the mandate causing this loss repealed or modified. It's time for Albany, with your help, to do the right thing. Repeal or modify this law so that sportsmen can once again use their snowmobiles for their pleasure and for a reasonable registration fee ($25 non-trail registration fee).

There are bills in the state Legislature: Sen. Joseph Griffo's S-1206 and Assemblyman Bill McGee's A2418 and Assemblyman Will Barclay's A3007. These bills would lower the snowmobile registration fee to $25 for non-trail riding snowmobile owners.

I join the Oneida Lake Association, the Onondaga Federation of Sportsmen, the South Shore Association, OPHRP and ask that you assist us in seeing that $25 non-trail legislation because law.

Jonick lives in North Syracuse

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog