Committee OKs Causer Snowmobile-ATV Funding Bill

HARRISBURG – Legislation to bring fairness and accountability to the collection and distribution of funds for ATV- and snowmobile-riding opportunities in the Commonwealth earned the unanimous support of the House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee today, said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint), sponsor of the measure.

House Bill 970 would direct the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to maintain separate ATV management and snowmobile management accounts to ensure a proportionate distribution of those funds.

“The number of trail miles on public lands for snowmobiles outnumbers those for ATVs by a 10-to-1 ratio,” Causer said. “People paying registration fees for their ATVs expect those funds to be used to maintain and develop trails for their use. Separating the accounts will help to ensure that is happening.”

At a public hearing on the legislation last year, Causer pointed to an example in Cameron County where people are paying their ATV registration fees but have no opportunities to ride on public lands in the county. “On more than 131,000 acres of forests, there is not one single trail on which people can legally ride their ATVs. It simply doesn’t make sense,” he said.

House Bill 970 also would update the membership of the Snowmobile and ATV Advisory Committee and strengthen the audit requirements for the funds.

 

The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.