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News from MSA
Issues in the Sport-February
The Second Session of the 124th Legislature is well underway, and as expected, the session has
been dominated by the state's budgetary problems. Once again the state's natural resource agencies have been on the firing
line with budget language that falls just short of calling for a consolidation of those agencies. Part DDD of the budget
would create a working group to achieve $1,250,000 savings in fiscal year 2010-11 in the Departments of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Resources, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Conservation and Marine Resources. In early January the MSA and other
members of the Natural Resource Network testified against Part DDD, noting that during the two previous attempts at consolidation
and during the work of the Natural Resource Task Force, it was found that costs would actually increase rather than decrease
from consolidation efforts. In late January, the three Legislative Committees with jurisdiction over the natural resource
agencies reported back to Appropriations rejecting Part DDD, and suggested instead that if the natural resource agencies do
have to come up with $1.25 million in savings, that the Appropriations Committee should add the Department of Environmental
Protection and State Planning Office to the mix and determine an appropriate budget cut target for each of the six agencies.
It is expected that the Appropriations Committee will make a decision of this proposal later in the budget process.
In
the meantime, additional budget language could mean the possibility of sweeps of dedicated accounts during the current and
future fiscal years. Part TT of the budget provides for sweeps of special revenue accounts based on personal services supported
by the various accounts in relation to shutdown days, longevity suspension, no merit increases and other personnel expenses.
The actual amounts will be determined later in the budget process. To date interest groups have been unable to determine the
exact list of accounts affected, although wehave been told that there are only a handful of accounts that will be exempted
from this process. Most of those accounts are based at IF&W, where funding cuts have already brought the Department to
their constitutional limit on cuts. The MSA will continue to monitor the budget process and will notify members when
and if there is an opportunity to weigh in.
On January 28 the Taxation Committee heard LD-1637, "An Act to Change the Requirements for the Sales Tax
Exemption for Snowmobile Trail Grooming Equipment," makes a minor technical change in the groomer tax exemption law to fix
a conflict with other sections of the tax code. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Thom Watson at the request of the MSA. The
only testimony presented on the bill was presented by Executive Director Bob Meyers who supported language to would redefine
non-profit clubs as being registered as T-13 non-profit corporations with the State of Maine. With no opposition it is expected
that the bill will be voted out of committee in early February.
The MSA also testified in support LD-1536, "An Act to Amend the Standards by Which Game Wardens May Stop
All-terrain Vehicles when Operating on Private Property," sponsored by Rep. Ralph Sarty of Denmark. Rep. Sarty's bill seeks
to repeal portions of legislation enacted last session prior to a state Supreme Court decision that established that the previous
law was constitutional. The changes in the law would likely head off significant access problems with private landowners due
to unauthorized ATV use. At the public hearing, ATV Maine presented alternative language which would amend to bill to exempt
riders on authorized ATV trails. The work session is in early February.
LURC Comprehensive Land Use Plan - On Wednesday February 3 the Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and
Forestry Committee will meet with the LURC Commissioners and staff to review the final draft of the Comprehensive Land Use
Plan. Under legislation passed last year, the Committee will review the language prior to the Plan being presented to the
Governor for approval. The exact format of this meeting has not yet been determined, but it is expected that public comment
will be very limited. The final draft of the Plan is an improvement, although the MSA and other recreation interests still
are concerned about language in the Plan that allows LURC to oversee or influence recreational uses on private lands. On February
2, a joint meeting of the IF&W and the Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Committees will meet to receive the report
of a study group that met over the summer and fall to determine the direction and scope of the Recreational Access and Landowner
Relations position. Harvey Chesley represented the MSA on the study group.
MSA Annual Meeting & Banquet April 10
The MSA Annual Meeting & Banquet will be
held on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Ramada Inn, Pleasant Street in Lewiston.
The day's schedule will include afternoon
meetings of the Executive Committee, the MSA Scholarship Fund trustees and the Annual Meeting of MSA Directors. The evening
banquet will begin with a 5p.m. social hour and 6p.m. meal, with awards presentations following. The final Easy Money Raffle
drawings will be drawn during the evening event. A ticket request form and further info will be printed in the March issue
of The Maine Snowmobiler, so save the date! All MSA members are invited to join in this celebration of another successful
year for Maine snowmobiling.
Deadline for MSA
Annual Recognitions
The deadline for the annual recognition programs sponsored by the Maine Snowmobile Association
is February 28, 2010.
Categories of recognition are: Snowmobile Dealer of the Year, Snowmobiler of the Year, Snowmobile
Club of the Year, Groomer of the Year and Supporting Business of the Year. Nominations may be made by MSA clubs or by individual
MSA members. The nomination forms for each award are available on the 'For MSA Members' page of this site.
The forms require some basic information, and may require a brief essay describing the nominee's contributions.
Supporting materials, such as newspaper clippings, photographs or letters of support may also be submitted.
Recipients
are determined by several selection committees. For example, the Groomer of the Year is selected by a committee chaired by
the MSA Trails Chair and includes members of the MSA Trails Committee.
Announcement of the awards will be made at the MSA
Annual Banquet on Saturday, April 10 in Lewiston.
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