­ 1982 – Legislation passed creating the Snowmobile Dedicated Trails & Enforcement Account

­ 1983 – MnUSA supports tourism budget increase and the creation of a separate tourism department

­ 1984 – Legislature requests Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner to present a plan of consideration for combining Trails & Waterways and Parks & Recreation. MnUSA opposes

­ 1986 – MnUSA is successful in getting legislation passed giving municipalities immunity in lawsuits based on their participation in the grant-in-aid program

­ 1990 – MnUSA supports appropriation of funds for purchase and development of Paul Bunyan Trail and Bemidji to International Falls Blue Ox Trail

­ 1991 – Registration fee increased from $18 to $30 for 3 years to fund trails

­ 1992 – MnUSA is successful in getting legislation passed, limiting liability of snowmobile clubs and allowing them the same protection as municipalities

­ 1994 – Legislature passes stronger landowner liability bill. Landowners who open their land for snowmobiling are now better off legally than if the land remained closed to snowmobiling

­ 1997– Registration fee increases from $30 to $45 for 3 years

­ 1997 – Legislature changes law regarding training for youthful operation

­ 1997-1998 – Non-resident snowmobile trail permit required

­ 1998 – Legislature passes complete ban on studs effective 1999-2000

­ 1999 – MnUSA leads initiative and successfully reverses stud ban. Nearly 40,000 signatures were collected supporting MnUSA’s position

­ 1999 – Legislature passes increase in unrefunded gas tax to 1%

­ 2002 - Successful in protecting gas tax at 1% of unrefunded gas tax. This provided funding for over 2500 club trails to be added into the grant-in-aid system.

­ 2003-2005 - MnUSA successfully protected the funds in the snowmobile dedicated account from raids during the budget crunch where all funds were available to cover the deficit.

­ There is a $1.5 million appropriation for 2006-07 to go to clubs in the grant-in-aid system. 

­ 2004-2005 - MnUSA successful in obtaining legislation which allows for two-way snowmobile trails in road rights of way, where necessary and appropriate, with consent of the local road authority. This is a safety issue on many trails where the road ditch is two steep or has obstacles that would hinder snowmobiling.

­ 2005 - MnUSA supports increased funding to the clubs for grant-in-aid trails. The legislature provided this additional funding through a trail pass for all grant-in-aid and state trail users. The enabling legislation provided that these funds could only be used for grant-in- aid, trail maintenance, grooming, and easement acquisition. 

­ In 2005-06 designated trails were added to the grant-in-aid system on major lakes in St. Louis, Cook and Koochiching County and statewide the clubs were given a 20% increase in their grants.

­ 2007-08 - MnUSA successfully promotes legislation to appropriate an increase in grant-in-aid funding to the clubsfor trail maintenance and grooming.

­ 2008 - MnUSA successful in opposing legislation to revoke payment to snowmobile dedicated account of unrefunded gas tax on snowmobile fuel

 

­ 1985 –   MnUSA and Minnesota Office of Tourism partner to create a Snowmobile Minnesota promotional video 

Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association
7040 Lakeland Avenue N., Suite 212, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55428, United States
Phone: 763-577-0185     Fax: 763-577-0186     website@mnsnowmobiler.org