A story today in the Albany Times Union.
Dunno if its been posted already,but here goes.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories...date=1/27/2004

ATV Trails

Theres good and bad in it,but at least creation of trails will/might finally come about.

 

I dont like the rise from $10 to $45 dollars....thats kind of insane. As of of right now we all pay $10 dollars for the upkeep of snowmobile trails in NY state and we dont see a dime. Are they raising the cost of a snowmobile registration also?
I think they should raise snowmobile registration and keep ours the same.....Part of their reg should go to our trail systems seeing as how we have been paying into their trail systems for the longest time.

I'm just on a rant. Sorry. I dont want a war here. I think this whole thing is bull . Trailpass has organized many legal riding areas for a members fee. I like this idea better because at least we know our money is going towards ATV's. If they raise the cost of reg. to 45$ , thats just crazy because who knows where the hell all our money is going to go.

Just my 2cents

 

Merry Christmas, youve been robbed.

That was an article a few years back, here it is.
(more at bottom after article)



Raided ATV funds never return

December 23, 2002

By Mike McAndrew
Staff writer

All-terrain-vehicle owners have paid New York $6.8 million in registration fees over 16 years, but the state has not developed a single trail for them to ride upon.

In 1986, when New York began requiring ATV owners to pay $10 a year, the law required half of money to be used to develop and maintain ATV trails on public land.

In the first four years, the state accumulated about $507,500 in a special trail fund.

But in 1990, faced with a tight budget, the legislature raided the ATV fund and amended the law so that all ATV fees are deposited in the state's general fund. They can be used for any purpose.

"It's been a broken promise," said Karl Logan, of Auburn, who owns one of the 7,863 ATVs registered in 2001 in Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga and Madison counties.

ATV owners in other states fare better.

Pennsylvania, which charges the same registration fee as New York, maintains 188 miles of trails in state forests.

For $16.25 a year, Michigan's ATV owners can travel on 3,100 miles of trails in state forests and parks. Michigan doesn't charge ATV owners a fee if they stay on private land.

"New York has done nothing at all for the people who pay the ATV fee," said Jeff Huey, president of the Syracuse Area Trail Riders Association.

New York might be missing out on a chance to collect more than the $953,000 it raised from the fee last year, an ATV group says.

The New York State Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Association estimates only one-quarter of the state's ATV owners pay the $10 registration. If the state built trails, more owners would have a reason to register, said Alex Ernst, a spokesman for the group.

© 2002 The Post-Standard. Used with permission




Here's the funny thing.

I went to regester my 4 quads and I was talking to the lady at the DMV and she said I could register without insurance but that I couldn't ride on state land without insurance. So I asked where ther was State land to ride on. She replied that it is illegal to operate off road vehicles on state land. Further questioning revieled that no registration or insurance is required by law to operate off road vehicle on private land. So, why would I register or insure my quads in NYS? Hey does anyone remember 2002 when the state shut down all the snowmobile trails. I wont pay $10, I wont pay $45 for NYS registration.

I have however registered and insured them for PA, which is a great ATVing state. So 2 hours to the nice groomed trails (Alleghany National Forest). Oh ya, by the way NYS is not a reciprocating state - which means that out of state registrations and insurance is not valid in NYS. PA is a reciprocating state, but only with other reciprocating states. NYS is loosing thousand of recreational dollars from my family alone, think about what that would equal state wide.

The Govenor of Maine recently went on an ATV ride and came back and said that added to snowmobiling, the off road motorsport could become the states largest industry (snowmobiling is already second to lumber).

NYS is missing the big picture.

 

Well,I ride in Mass and have the quads registered there......and not in NY precisely for the reasons you stated.
I also think the Trailpass system is a better idea.

I was merely posting the story to show whats going on.

 

To clarify a couple of things. One this raise in registration is to take a portion of funds raised and put it in a dedicated trail fund the rest goes into the general fund (education, enforcement, etc....). Two the plan is to open up more public land to ATVs (yes there are a limited number of State Forests with ATV trails in the Adirondacks). Three the statement that off road vehicles are not permitted on State Land is not entirely correct. ATVs are allowed right now for those with a disability permit on certain trails. Finally the statement that insurance and registration is not required on private land, from what I understand that is only on your own land not others. Why take the chance at wrecking your quad or someone elses and being SOL?
Pataki's budget proposal to increase both snowmobile and ATV registration will probably get shot down for several reasons. One there is a huge effort by the public to limit, if not eliminate, ATVs from public land. Two, ATV owners have been burned in the past with the trail fund, are they going to want to pay more to possibly not get anything, I doubt it. Me personally, I am going to register and insure my quad and this year I am also getting a Trail Pass. I think ATV clubs should work together to become a bigger voice and work together to acquire more private land trails like Trail Pass is doing. Just my $.02.