Executive Director Search Begins

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Send resumes to resumes@nysnowmobiler.com

NYSSA’s long time Executive Director, Jim Jennings, has retired, and the search for a new Executive Director has begun. Dave Perkins has taken the position temporarily, but he too is planning to retire in May, 2011. So the search is on for a replacement.

The Organization

The New York State Snowmobile Association (NYSSA) is a statewide not-for profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the snowmobiling experience in New York State. NYSSA has nearly 68,000 members , and over 130,000 snowmobiles are registered in New York annually. The NYSSA Board of Directors consists of an elected Director and alternate from each of 47 Districts, the Past President, and three Directors-at-Large.

The Challenge

Enhance the public perception of snowmobiling; represent NYSSA to State & Federal Governments and other non-government organizations; work with the Board of Directors and Committees within NYSSA; work with NYSSA Member Clubs on local issues; work with businesses to support snowmobiling; office management.

Please view the complete job description here.

The Individual

This is a telecommuting position requiring moderate travel within the state and occasional travel outside the state. Must be a New York State Resident; upstate location preferred.

Qualified candidates must have:

• Experience with snowmobiling, especially with club operations and legislative workings
• Excellent communication skills, ability to work with diverse groups of volunteers, industry and governmental agencies
• Ability to speak in public and make effective presentations
• Experience with standard Microsoft Office applications and electronic communications
• Previous executive-level experience

Contact Information

Please send resumes by September 15 to:

The New York State Snowmobile Association
PO Box 612
Long Lake, NY 12847-0612
Email: resumes@nysnowmobiler.com
Fax: 888-317-2441

Executive Director Search Begins

View/Print Job Description Send resumes to resumes@nysnowmobiler.com

NYSSA’s long time Executive Director, Jim Jennings, has retired, and the search for a new Executive Director has begun. Dave Perkins has taken the position temporarily, but he too is planning to retire in May, 2011. So the search is on for a replacement.

The Organization

The New York State Snowmobile Association (NYSSA) is a statewide not-for profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the snowmobiling experience in New York State. NYSSA has nearly 68,000 members , and over 130,000 snowmobiles are registered in New York annually. The NYSSA Board of Directors consists of an elected Director and alternate from each of 47 Districts, the Past President, and three Directors-at-Large.

The Challenge

Enhance the public perception of snowmobiling; represent NYSSA to State & Federal Governments and other non-government organizations; work with the Board of Directors and Committees within NYSSA; work with NYSSA Member Clubs on local issues; work with businesses to support snowmobiling; office management.

Please view the complete job description here.

The Individual

This is a telecommuting position requiring moderate travel within the state and occasional travel outside the state. Must be a New York State Resident; upstate location preferred.

Qualified candidates must have:

• Experience with snowmobiling, especially with club operations and legislative workings
• Excellent communication skills, ability to work with diverse groups of volunteers, industry and governmental agencies
• Ability to speak in public and make effective presentations
• Experience with standard Microsoft Office applications and electronic communications
• Previous executive-level experience

Contact Information

Please send resumes by September 15 to:

The New York State Snowmobile Association
PO Box 612
Long Lake, NY 12847-0612
Email: resumes@nysnowmobiler.com
Fax: 888-317-2441

 

2010-11 snowmobile registration available

Club memberships and vouchers are available now for the 2010-11 season. Your membership in a NYSSA Club in good standing provides a voucher and saves you money on your snowmobile registration.

How to renew your Club Membership:

Some clubs will send you a renewal in the mail, others do not. You can renew your Club membership online and pay by credit card! If you were a Club Member in the 2009-10 (or 2008-09) season, click on the green button at top left, and you will be taken to the NYSSA Online Club Membership System.

Enter your six-digit NYSSA ID number and your password. Your six-digit NYSSA ID number can be found on your membership card or on last years’ voucher; or you can contact your Club Administrator (click on ‘Membership/Club Info’ at left for contact info for your club).

2010 Super Raffle Winners

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April 17, 2010 — The 50 winners of the Onondaga County Snowmobile Association’s 2010 Super Raffle were drawn at the 2010 New York State Snowmobile Association’s Annual Forum. On behalf of both organizations and the snowmobile clubs across New York that will benefit from the proceeds, we wish to thank all of the sponsors who were so generous in donating prizes in a very difficult economic time; all of the people who purchased tickets; and of course all of the people who helped sell tickets for this important fundraiser. Congratulations to the winners! View and print the Winner’s List!

2010 Forum Awards

A Second Call for Action from NYSSA

A Second Call for Action from NYSSA
and your President Mike Fischer:

In Phase I of our campaign, we have called on every one of our Club Presidents and their members to write and fax letters to their respective Senators and Assembly Members. Now, we are ready to implement Phase II – reaching out to Governor Paterson and Budget Director Megna.

We at NYSSA have been working with our lobbyists to take whatever actions are necessary to oppose this unwarranted sweep of our money from the trail fund and the expanded language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709. We have been reaching out to the Legislature and asking for their help to correct this intolerable situation.

As President of NYSSA, I have gone to Albany and met with key Assembly Members, Senators and the Secretary to the Senate Finance Committee to express our opposition to the language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709 that would expand the allowable use of monies in the snowmobile trail fund to include “public safety activities,” and urge that this language be removed from the budget as well as express our opposition to this unprecedented sweep from the trail fund.

I am calling on every one of our Club Presidents and their members to fax a letter and place calls to Governor David Paterson and New York State Budget Director Robert Megna asking them to rescind the $1 million sweep of the Snowmobile Trail Fund and to remove the language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709.

We are providing all of you with the model letters below in order to ensure a clear, consistent, and resolute message. Club officers: please use the attached Governor and Budget Director model letter and copy them to your Club Letterhead. Club members should make sure to sign their letters and include their home address.

Letter to the Governor (Word)

Letter to the Governor (PDF)

Letter to the Budget Director (Word)

Letter to the Budget Director (PDF)

Fax your letters to both the Governor and Budget Director as soon as possible. We must act quickly to let them know about our opposition to this unwarranted action. Please fax your letters to the following:

• Fax line for Governor Paterson: 518-474-1513
• Fax line for Director Megna: 518-402-2298

We request that telephone calls be made to the Governor’s Office and Division of the Budget. Before any call is made, please use the talking points below when speaking with the Governor’s Office and Division of the Budget.

Talking Points – Governor Paterson – PDF

Talking Points – Division of Budget – PDF

Please remember to be polite and courteous throughout your conversations with both offices. To voice your opinion please call the following:

• Telephone line for Governor Paterson: 518-474-8390
• Telephone line for Division of Budget: 518-473-3885

We ask that you continue sending letters to your respective Senators and Assembly Members. You can determine who your Senator or Assembly Members are by using the zip code look-up device at going to the following sites:

Find Your Senator

Find Your Assembly Person

The NYS Board of Election:
http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/

You can get the fax numbers of your legislators from the Senate and Assembly sites.

Please act quickly and send your letters and make your calls. Thanks for your attention to this most pressing issue facing NYSSA and the clubs.

Mike Fischer

NYSSA President

Media release from NYS Assemblymember RoAnn Destito

NYS Assemblymember RoAnn Destito discusses the positive economic impact of snowmobiling in NY as well as the safety issues created by the Governors proposed sweep of millions of dollars from the snowmobile trail fund, funded by snowmobilers.

Visit Assemblymember RoAnn Destito’s website

STATE “RAID” ON SNOWMOBILE TRAIL FUND

STATE “RAID” ON SNOWMOBILE TRAIL FUND Governor Patterson has proposed in his 2010 Executive Budget to “sweep” $5 million dollars from the snowmobile trail development and maintenance fund into the general fund over the next several years.  What you may not be aware of is that the Governor proposes to sweep $1 million from the trail fund this current fiscal year! This unprecedented sweep, coming less than two years after a previous attempt to take $1 million during the 2008-2009 budget process. This unprecedented sweep is being proposed less than two years after a previous attempt to take $1 million during the 2008-2009 budget process was avoided with the understanding by NYSSA and its supporters that similar raids would not be attempted in the future. Governor Paterson stated in a press release at the time that the state would “ensure that money from these registration fees will be spent in a way that specifically benefits snowmobilers… solely on trail maintenance and related program activities.” If not amended by the Legislature, the Executive Budget will redirect $1 million from the Snowmobile Trail Development and Maintenance Fund to the state’s General Fund each year, and expand the authorized uses by the state of these funds. This will have a tremendous negative impact on trail maintenance activities as the loss of these funds reduces the reimbursement rate clubs get per mile for the costs of trail maintenance. One million dollars represents over 20% of the total trail fund monies and is far in excess of what the state needs to maintain and develop the minimal trail mileage on state lands. Every snowmobiler needs to take action immediately by writing the their legislators and the Governor to head off the snowmobile trail fund raid this year!  Please write a letter to each one to ensure they know how many people from their districts are opposed to this action. If you utitlize an example letter below, it is critical that you personalize your letter with your own comments on this matter in a clear and respectful manner. Example letter to Governor Paterson (MS word format) Example letter to Governor Paterson (Text file) Example letter to your State Senator or Assembly Member (MS word format) Example letter to your State Senator or Assembly Member (Text File) Find your NY State Senator contact information here, Find My State Senator Find your NY State Assembly Member contact information here, Find My Assembly Member To view NYSSA President Mike Fischer’s letter to legislators this week click HERE To view Governor Patterson’s July 10, 2008 press release click HERE

Going Green – The $2 bill campaign

Information is the currency of democracy. – Thomas Jefferson

Please support the $2 bill Campaign
In order to bring attention to the economic impact snowmobiling brings to our communities, we are asking all snowmobilers to acquire $2 bills and distribute them around the communities you ride during Presidents weekend this year. February 12-15, 2010

When you buy your gas, pay for it with a few $2 bills. When you buy your meals, do the same. Use them for tips as well. Try to toss around a few $2 bills in every establishment you patronize whether traveling or riding.

We are doing this in hopes of raising awareness with businesses, non-snowmobilers, and the media about how significant an economic impact snowmobiling has across New York State. If enough people do this it could be a huge eye opener for people who are not snowmobilers or don’t understand the economic benefit it has in our communities.

Plan ahead, your bank may need them too
To get $2 bills you will need to go to your bank and ask for them. In most cases they will need to order them and should be available within a week. So anyone that would like to participate in this will need to call or visit your bank shortly to have the $2 bills in time for Presidents weekend. You don’t need a lot of bills, just do what you can, the more people who participate across the state, the greater the impact.

Why $2 bills ???
The two-dollar bill is one of the most rarely seen in circulation and actual use. It is almost never given as change by businesses, and thus people rarely have one on hand. Production of the note is quite low; under 1% of all notes currently produced are $2 bills. This comparative scarcity in circulation makes receiving one a rare occurrence, receiving many, in a short period of time, will create questions and awareness that would be hard to buy with advertising.

UMP Amendment / Trails Budget / Article 78 filing

Jessup River Wild Forest UMP 2010 Amendment The recently issued amendment 2010 draft amendment to the 2005/2006 Jessup River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan has a number of signifigant negative changes.   NYSSA is very concerned that the are trail closures that are unnecessary under the guidelines and as a result will isolate users and businesses who have historically had access to the trail system.  The amendment should have leveraged the  Class I Trail guidelines to preserve access by residents, visitors and businesses.   Your calls, e-mails, and letters are needed to preserve trail access to all snowmobilers. If you utitlize the example letter, it is critical that you personalize, edit and add your own comments on this matter for your letter to count. JRWF Example Letter (MS word format) JRWF Example Letter (text file) The entire set of JRWF UMP Plan documents can be downloaded from the NYSDEC website HERE There is a summary of the amendment from the NYSDEC at the bottom of this page, and the specific amendment on which the DEC is currently accepting comments on can be found HERE Comments are due to the NYS DEC by February 19, 2010 to the attention of Mr. Thomas Kapelewski.      Thomas Kapelewski, Senior Forester, NYS DEC PO Box 1316 Northville, NY 12134 Fax: (518) 863-2546 Email: r5ump@gw.dec.state.ny.us PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST INCLUDE A SUBJECT LINE OR THE COMMENT EMAIL WILL NOT BE RECEIVED OR RECORDED All DEC UMPs and process on DEC website HERE

NYS Budget and Snowmobile trail fund changes NYSSA is working hard with the State Budget office on changing their proposed language to remove the broad language that would allow the 30% monies to be used for any recreational activity. We believe that the State does now understand our concern about the budget figures and the proposed budget language that creates the potential for trail fund monies to be used for other than snowmobile related expenses. Some of the concern from the state is based upon costs incurred by other state agencies- particularly the DOT, for signage, pavement repair at highway crossings, and trailhead parking lot snow removal. We are in the process of identifying the specific concerns and document the unspecified costs. While NYSSA’s position has always included willingness for the snowmobile community to carry our own weight, we will not simply stand by letting the trail fund be used with no questions asked and expenses justified. We will likely know where this issue stands before the NYSSA Board meeting on February 6, and will set the next steps at that point.  NYSSA has been contacted by several state legislators who are interested in working with us. We have advised them that we are attempting, through our lobbyists and leadership, to negotiate with the State Budget office for the removal of the language that provides for an expansion of allowable expenses, but if that effort fails we will ask for legislative assistance. If it comes to that, we would most likely conduct a PR campaign and grassroots legislative outreach the week of February 8, 2010.  In the meantime- stand by and prepare to defend the trail fund should you letters and calls be needed to defend the fund.

Adirondack Council Article 78 petition against State On Monday January 11th, the Adirondack Council (AC) filed an Article 78 petition in State Supreme Court in Albany, against the state’s Adirondack Park Agency (APA), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.  Read their press release HERE,  and the NYSSA press release HERE. The basis of the suit is the simple question of whether or not the APA has the authority to establish the snowmobile plan, or whether they are required to first amend the Adirondack State park Master Plan (APSLMP).   That is the only issue before the court. The AC says the snowmobile plan does not comply with the ASLMP. The APA’s position is that they have the authority to develop rules without first amending the APSLMP. The APA has authority to adopt rules necessary to carry out the intent of the laws.  The state law that governs the APSLMP uses terms like “general guidelines” and “guide the development” (of UMPs). The law also states that the APA and the DEC have the authority to develop regulations “necessary, convenient or desirable” to implement the purpose of the section. Regardless of how the judge rules on this question, there will be additional opportunity for NYSSA to advocate on the resultant standards for snowmobile trails in the Park.  Either way, our efforts and expenditures would be better used over the battle of the standards for the trails, as opposed to the procedural question. The AC continues to misrepresent their stated goals via the positions they take.  As far as the AC position on the UMP process and the snowmobile plan, they claim to be an “environmental organization” but continue to lobby against the use of tracked groomers in the Adirondacks. Tracked groomers are more fuel efficient and operate much cleaner than the 2-stroke utility sleds the Adirondack Council would prefer be used for trail grooming. Their position on this issue is in direct conflict with their stated mission. The AC suggests that locating trails adjacent to roadways is “safer” for snowmobilers and would vastly improve access for emergency responders. While NYSSA supports trail safety, we find the AC’s sudden concern about trail safety disingenuous, given their position on tracked groomers, which would improve safety.

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