MnUSA News

Notice of General Membership Meeting and Proposed Changes in By-Laws

A quarterly General Membership meeting of Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association will be held on April 23, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes, Brainerd, MN. All MnUSA members are welcome to attend. At its meeting, the General Membership will vote on the following proposed bylaws changes to Article II – Membership and Dues and Article XIV - Amendments.

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section 1 Membership in MnUSA shall consist of the following classes:

1. Active Members: a. Family membership, including children under the age of eighteen (18) years. b. Individual membership, 18 years of age and over. (Amended 10/22/05) c. Individual youth membership, ages fourteen (14) to under age eighteen (18) years. if a member of a youth-only club. 2. Business members. (Amended 10/24/09 3. Business Sponsor. (Amended 10/24/09) 4. Trail Organization. (Amended 10/24/09)

Section 2 Membership fees must be current for a member to be considered Active. Active membership is available to all families and individuals eighteen (18) years of age or older and individual youth members fourteen (14) to eighteen (18) years of age. Each active member, eighteen (18) years and older, shall have office holding privileges. Family membership entitles two both adults, eighteen (18) years and older, privileges of a member. Membership includes a members= children, under the age of eighteen (18) years, as non-voting members. (Amended 10/24/09) No member under the age of eighteen (18) shall have voting privileges.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

ARTICLE XIV - AMENDMENTS

Section 1 The By-laws may be altered, amended or repealed, and new By-laws adopted by a simple majority of MnUSA at a general or special membership meeting called for that purpose. However, before the presentation of any change, they must be presented to screened by the State Board of Directors within thirty (30) days of receipt and printed in MnUSA’s official publication at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

*Underlined items are new text for the section. Strike-outs will be deleted.

From the International Snowmobile Tourism Council and the International Snowmobile Media Council

The International Snowmobile Tourism Council (ISTC) and the International Snowmobile Media Council (ISMC) want to bring to the attention of all snowmobilers the trespassing issue.

Trespassing on private land is more prevalent in the Midwest and Northeast than in the West as there is more public land in the West, but regardless, all snowmobilers need to respect private land as the use of it is a privilege and not a right. If you trespass on private land you add to the reason we lose trails and other riding areas. When you see a No Trespassing sign, do not go there; respect the landowner’s right to keep anyone he wishes off his land.

In the words of the American Council of Snowmobile Associations, “Know Where to Go or There Will Be NOwhere to Go!”

Ann Pierce Named Director of DNR Parks & Trails

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has named a new Director of the Parks and Trails Division to fill that important role. Ann Pierce has more than 25 years of experience with the DNR, starting in southeast Minnesota and most recently serving as the Deputy Director of the Ecological and Water Resources Division. Ann has a passion for outdoor recreation and the opportunity it provides to connect Minnesotans to the benefits and beauty of the state. She enjoys all kinds of trails, and throughout her time at the DNR she has engaged in multiple parks and trails issues, from assisting with master plan development, to working on individual recreational trails, to managing invasive species. Ann is also focused on ensuring that everyone has welcoming opportunities to connect to the outdoors.

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Throughout her career, Ann has worked with partner groups to build relationships and advance DNR’s mission. Understanding the importance of snowmobiling for the state of Minnesota, Ann looks forward to working with MnUSA and Parks and Trails staff on the GIA program and state snowmobile trails.

Ride Responsibly, Help Save Our Snowmobile Trails

A message from MnUSA Legislative / Trails Committee Terry Hutchinson, Chairman

Trespass

Q: If I see an open field while operating my snowmobile on a grant-in-aid trail or when operating in a road right-of-way, can I ride on it? A: NO!! Operating a snowmobile on private property without permission is trespassing period. Just because the property isn’t posted, it doesn’t mean you have a right to enter someone else’s property. Q: If there are already tracks on it does that mean it is okay to ride there? A: No, that means you will be the second person violating the law.

Trespassing is a misdemeanor or a gross misdemeanor, or you may be charged with a civil penalty. Misdemeanor is punishable by fines up to $1000.00. Civil penalties range from$50.00 up to $500.00 and loss of your registration. More than 60% of our Grant-in-Aid trails are on private property and over twenty two thousand miles are installed and maintained by our Grant-In-Aid club volunteers. Our clubs around Minnesota are losing or rerouting trails due to

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the actions of a lot of snowmobilers violating the snowmobile laws and riding off trail. There are thousands of newer snowmobilers without any clue that laws exist and they, along with the bad apples in our own group, without education and compliance, are going to cause us to lose our places to ride. We all must educate snowmobilers when you see them riding off trail or right-of-way, that it is illegal. MnUSA, with support of all motorized recreation trail groups, has introduced legislation this year to increase the fines for trespass.

Loud pipes

Minnesota Administrative Rules 6100.5700 REQUIRED EQUIPMENT Subp.5. Mufflers: * * * Section D. No snowmobile manufactured after April 1, 1975 shall be sold, offered for sale, or operated in Minnesota unless it is so equipped and has been certified by the manufacturer to confirm to a sound level limitation of not more than 78 decibels on the A scale at 50 feet as originally equipped. * * * Section G. Except for organized events as authorized by Minnesota Statutes, section 84.871, no snowmobile shall be modified by any person in any manner that shall amplify or otherwise increase total noise level above that emitted by the snowmobile as originally equipped, regardless of date of manufacture.

Loud pipes are killing our trails. Landowners are telling clubs if they can’t manage the snowmobiles with loud pipes, they need to remove snowmobiles and our snowmobile trails from their property.

If you can find an aftermarket company selling modified exhaust systems with a certification by the “Snowmobile Safety Certification Committee” that it complies with Minnesota Statutes and has a label conspicuously attached to it, then buy it. Otherwise stop buying illegal equipment, and remove your existing loud pipe without it.

Help us to “Protect our Trails”

Take a Friend Snowmobiling

The Go Snowmobiling/Take a Friend Snowmobiling campaign has been supported by the snowmobile community over the years. Snowmobile Clubs and Associations across North America have taken military personnel snowmobiling, coordinated Enlightenment rides with land managers, and often just have fun organizing snowmobile rides with friends and family. The trails and riding areas in many parts of North America are amazing and offer great opportunities to take friends snowmobiling and enjoy winter.

The Take a Friend Snowmobiling rides highlight the “wowfactor” and the pure enjoyment that people have when they first ride a snowmobile. First-time snowmobilers can’t quit talking about how much fun the ride was. When you take a friend snowmobiling, this may very well be their first time on a snowmobile. Chances are that your normal ride would seem like a marathon to an uninitiated friend. Let your friend enjoy that first day of snowmobiling. Enjoy the ride, make it relatively short, make it simple, and remember that it is always a good idea to feed your guests.

The Go Snowmobiling/Take a Friend Snowmobiling campaign is also joined with the Safe Riders! Campaign. We have a 13-chapter Safe Riders video series that can be found on our website at: http://www.snowmobile.org/ snowmobile-videos.html. The chapters are a great tool when introducing a friend to snowmobiling and will help make the ride more enjoyable for everyone.

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You should also visit and “Like” our Facebook page before participating in a Go Snowmobiling campaign. Our Facebook page is www.Facebook.com/GoSnowmobiling . When looking at the page you will notice that many snowmobilers are posting pictures and their experiences on the page. We have thousands of Friends who visit regularly, and it is common for snowmobilers to send out informative posts that are forwarded to hundreds and thousands of snowmobile enthusiasts worldwide. There is a short general survey on our Facebook page, so when you visit the page, consider answering a few simple survey questions. We are constantly surveying snowmobile customers to see how we can better serve you and how we can help you enjoy your snowmobiling activity.

When you consider putting together a Take a Friend Snowmobiling ride, remember that individuals who don’t own a snowmobile have a high interest in going snowmobiling. They want to go snowmobiling for the same reasons you do: • To enjoy the scenery • To get outdoors to have fun with family and friends • To go to unique places that they can’t reach any other way to see amazing sights • To have fun in the winter outdoors and be able to go home tired and be ready for a good night’s sleep. So please, go out and have fun, take a friend snowmobiling, and enjoy this wonderful winter. The link to the “Take a Friend Snowmobiling Campaign Action Manual” is: https://www.snowmobile.org/docs/2022-take-a-friendsnowmobiling.pdf . Please review it and share it with others.

After you take your friend on their first snowmobile ride, tell them to visit the www.gosnowmobiling.org website where they will read all about getting started in the wonderful sport of snowmobiling.

Photo: ISMA - Wayne Davis