Snowmobile Trail Funding

Minnesota's and Cook County's snowmobilers receive considerable support in the form of redirected taxpayer dollars and state and local politicians are quick to support any requests these clubs may have to maintain state funds. Our politicians work hard protect club privileges whenever they can.

The local Cook County Snowmobile Club, due to a state funding formula change effective in 2008, may take an approximate $60,000 cut in taxpayer support. This is instead of getting their usual support (based on newspaper articles) of about $120,000. Exact numbers are hard to come by.

Cook County Snowmobile Club officials brought this situation to the attention of the Cook County Board, which stepped up and agreed to write a letter of support for the club's lobbying of the DNR and elected state officials.

Such support of the snowmobilers is usually automatic in Cook County and in other Northern parts of the sate, though many people statewide are coming to question the fairness of what most acknowledge to be special treatment. Few, if any other special interest outdoor recreational activities have the control over the DNR and politicians that snowmobilers and atv'rs have. No other outdoor enthusiasts have benefited from such direct taxpayer funding.

This potential cut for the Cook County club is especially interesting because, it appears, the same formula change would increase funding for other clubs in the area and for clubs in other parts of the state. Usually all these clubs are united in accepting the state's largess and, for that matter, have here-to-for not generally aired any of their internal disputes in public.

Bringing a little daylight to this special arrangement the snowmobilers have with our tax dollars is likely to get considerable attention, not only because of the politics, but also the economics. In Cook County, for example, the snowmobilers get, again according to club math as reported in news reports, $120,000 for the supposed maintenance of 107 miles of trails per season. That works out to more than $1100 per mile per season. Sounds like a lot to most people and many of those same people are starting to ask why.

Since these clubs all have considerable clout, it is hard to predict just how this will play out.

For more information on snowmobile clubs check out:

http://mnsnowmobiler.org/snowclub/snowclub.cfm

For information on how the clubs are funded and what those who oppose their unique status have to say check out:

http://www.mnresponsiblerec.org/index.php

There is another current report on the of treatment of snowmobilers in our community. It is reported that members of the Cook County Snowmobile Club recently sent now ex mayor Mark Sanbo to city hall with a demand that city crews stop plowing the bicycle and walking path along Highway 61. The city recently had plowed it to allow safe foot travel by the pedestrians, young and old, who like to walk to the post office, the grocery stores and other destinations along the highway. This trail system was not built for motorized traffic. It was built for bicyclists and hikers and signs along most of its route clearly prohibit motorized use, yet the snowmobilers have come to use it as their own in the winter.

Since our snow has disappeared, it is difficult to know what the city's ongoing policy will be. We know what the snowmobilers think it should be, however. Despite being told about the need for pedestrian safety, Sandbo reportedly felt the inconvenience to snowmobilers outweighed any consideration of pedestrian safety.

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