• SAM Legislative Agenda Off to Strong Start
• Snowmobiles, Bicycles and a Strong Trail System

What a fantastic winter this has been! ‘Ol’ man winter gave us a great base of hardpack snow in early January and then the groomer guys (and girls) took over and worked their “magic” on our trails. I do hope all of you had the opportunity to enjoy the fine riding conditions we have had this season. And, thanks to the efforts of Legislative Chairman Randy Toth and our legislative team, the SAM legislative agenda is also getting off to a very strong start. For the new 2009-2010, two-year legislative session, SAM was able to file all of its legislation before the filing deadline including one new and exciting bill.

The success from the last session will provide a big boost for us going into this next session. The topics covered in the bills filed by SAM for this current session include both some “re-files” and some new topics. The bills filed by the legislative team are all equally important and comprise a good overall legislative strategy. New to the agenda this session is bill #H741 filed by Representative Anne Gobi (D Spencer) that would create a $5 dollar “stamp fee” applied at time of registration and would be put into a land fund to be used by SAM to purchase both land and/or easements for our trail system. This is a totally new and exciting concept for SAM.

For this new 2009-2010 legislative session there are 18 new legislators and a new Speaker of the House which will mean a new group of legislators on the committees to which our bills will be assigned. In addition to our SAM bills, these committees will be dealing with the nearly 5,800 other bills. Our bills will help the sport of snowmobiling in Massachusetts and I am excited about our chances of success during this legislative session.

I hope that when I write updates during the spring and summer that I will have good news about some of our legislation, so, thanks and hope to see you all in Boston.

Shown below is a summary of all bills, including SAM bills, that relate to snowmobiling:

• H741 - An Act estabilishing a snow vehicle land stamp program. [Anne Gobi; Committee on Environment]
• H771 - An Act to further define snow vehicle. [Stephen Kulik; Committee on Environment]
• H772 - An act relative to registration of antique snowmobiles. [Stephen Kulik; Committee on Environment]
• H802 - An Act relative to the DCR Board of Stewardship. [George Peterson; Committee on Environment]
• H804 - An Act establishing a snowmobile Safety Program. [William Pignatelli; Committee on Environment]
• H829 - An Act relative to snowmobile registration numbers. [John Scibak; Committee on Environment]
• H1404 - An Act relative to the operation of snow vehicles under the influence of alcoholic or narcotic substances. [Anne Gobi;Committee on Judiciary]
• H2811 - An act regarding recreational lands. [Stephen Kulik; Committee on Revenue]
• H2863 - An Act regarding recreational lands. [William Pignatelli; Committee on Revenue]
• H3261 - An Act establishing a snowmobile Safety Program. [Stephen Kulik; Committee on Transportation]
• H3293 - An act providing of registration of vintage snowmobiles. [William Pignatelli; Committee on Transportation]
• H3330 - An act relative to the regulation of snow and recreation vehicles. [Frank Smizik; Committee on Transportation]
• H3368 - An act relative to the regulation of snow and recreation vehicles. [Martha Walz; Committee on Transportation]
• S366 - An act relative to the use of snow and recreation vehicles. [Steven Baddour; Committee on Transportation]
• S1889 - An act relative to relative to recreation vehicles. [Stephen Brewer; Committee on Transportation]

I hope all of you have had a chance to enjoy these beautiful fall days and to attend some of the swap meets, open houses and events that all the clubs of the Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts (SAM) are busy with this time of year. These same clubs are also very busy with the “on the ground” trail work in preparation for the upcoming riding season. And, it is also a time to continue working on all the aspects of the project that will help cement the foundation of our trail system for a “healthier and stronger” future.

To help develop the strategies required to transform our trail infrastructure into a more permanent entity we should perhaps start by taking a closer view of the successful ideas and strategies utilized by other recreational organizations in building their trail systems. Interestingly, it is the bicycle groups that offer the most potential for us in SAM to learn from and to take away proven strategies to build with.

The first step in building a state-wide trail system is the need for a state-wide association or coalition. In their efforts to build a unified association, bicyclists held the “Golden Spike Event #1” in 1999, followed by “Golden Spike Event #2” in 2002 and this year they brought together representatives from approx 75 rail-trail projects for “Linking Together 2008”. We as snowmobilers continue to share the benefit of having had SAM in place as an active and vibrant State-wide umbrella organization leading the effort towards a solid trail foundation.

The second principle we should recognize is that all successful projects start with a vision. Bicyclists have a very defined and focused vision as a starting point for their future. They envision a permanent State-wide trail system consisting of Rail-Trails interconnected by shorter trail sections. If we look we can see that SAM has also formed a parallel vision of a permanent State-wide snowmobile trail system consisting of some Rail-Trails, State Park trails, private trails and other “key” connector trails all knitted together with a North-South trail and an East-West trail as its main arteries. And to help underline this effort, SAM has printed a State-wide map, has begun utilizing GPS and is building an inventory of trail locations. With this in hand SAM can also identify “key trail links” such as the crossing for the Connecticut River that would need to be included.

How do we make our trails “Permanent trails”, you ask? Bicyclists have accomplished this by having their trails actually “purchased” mostly with Federal funds for the use of bicycles. SAM has put in place several actions in the drive towards “stabilizing” our trail system. SAM has 1) submitted application for a DCR State grant for funding to acquire trails or easements for trails; 2) the SAM legislative team will, hopefully, have submitted a legislative bill to create a “Trails Fee” program similar to what hunters use to purchase lands; and, 3) Thanks in great part to Dan Gould, President of SAM, Rena Sumner, Executive Director of SAM and Randy Toth, Chairman of SAM legislative Committee, SAM has forged a strong partnership with the largest landowner in the State -the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

One other interesting aspect of a State-wide snowmobile trail system that we can derive from the bicycle community is to have realtors actually begin using close proximity to such a trail system as a selling point. Wow, can’t wait for that day to come!

One point I have not touched on is funding for trails and this is where bicyclists and snowmobilers differ immensely and is a topic that will have to wait for future issue. But, as “food for thought”, the 4.2 mile bicycle Rail Trail in Easthampton cost 1.3 million dollars to purchase and build. Sure wish the State spent like this on snowmobile trails!

In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy a very Merry Christmas.