MN DNR ATV gas tax study

[Macgyver55]

From ATVAM...

Anti-access groups are actively seeking member support to

contact legislators to encourage them to oppose the ATV gas

tax increase legislation in the senate tax bill. JUST

TODAY THEY SUCCESSFULLY HAD THE ATV GAS TAX LANGUAGE

REMOVED FROM THE SENATE ENVIRONMENT FINANCE BILL. We need

to make our voices heard!

We are in danger of having the language from the existing

senate tax bill removed. It is IMPERATIVE that you contact

your senator, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE -- TODAY, and encourage

them to keep the gas tax formula that is being proposed in

the Senate tax bill. We need this increase to help us to

continue to build more ATV trails.

According to the DNR ATV Gas Tax Study, our percent of

unrefunded gas tax should increase from .15 to .27%, which

represents an increase of about $600,000 per year for the

ATV Account. Do not allow our opponents to block this

warranted increase in gas tax revenues.

Please don't delay ..... Send or call your message in

today!! Don't let these anti-access detractors keep us

from moving forward with our trail system in Minnesota.

Do this if you have time guys...its important!

Thank you for your help and support!

[Neiko]

I just sent an email to senators of my home area and my cabin area since it affects that area also. A group of 9 of us are going to WI this year because of all the trails they have to offer. That is a lot of food,drink,gas money that the little towns we usually ride by are going to be missing out on. We need the Gas Tax to get more trails so we don't have to go to other states and ride which will help the local economies.

[Dave]

Thanks for posting this, Mac.

[tripper]

Tkhanks Mac., e-mails will go out today. I would think that just taking a look athe economic impact study that was just done on the atv's would be enought to convince them trails are needed and it takes money to build them. I knew avters spent a lot but realy did not expect $640+ mil a year and growing fast.

[gonfishn]

Emails were sent today.

Tripper - I think it's $600K, but it's still money us ATV'ers deserve.

[Neiko]

Here is the reply I got today from my email I sent earlier.

Thanks for the input. We just voted on an amendment to leave the

exisiting rate (not increasing funding) for the trails. I voted

against (voting for an increase in funding) the amendment, but still it

passed. I will continue to work next year to get some ATV trail

funding. My family rides ATVs as well, and I would like to keep the

money in MN. Again, I appreciate your comments.

[tripper]

600k is what the new tax would have brought into the atv fund. What I was talking about was the economic study just released on what the atv market brings into MN in one year.

[gonfishn]

Sorry tripper....No feather ruffling intended.

[WigglinMyWorm]

to me it would make more sense to increase atv liscenses for this instead of a gas tax....gas prices are already hurting our economy.....why increase??

[Macgyver55]

Its is not an additional tax we are talking about. The money is already being paid at the pump by us. The DNR did a study and estimated that the portion of the gas tax (already) collected that goes to the ATV trail fund is set too low and should be raised. At this point the money goes into the general fund (I believe) if we don't get it. This money is needed to build and maintain trails.

[WigglinMyWorm]

I'm a big atv user also but we need better education and regular roads before we need to spend anymore on Atv trails.

[tripper]

gonefishn, no feathers out of place,I figured you misunderstood me or I made you misunderstand.

[Macgyver55]

Wigglin,

The ATV registrations were recently (2004) increased from (I believe) 18 dollars to $38.50. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Thats over double the cost, but I'm ok with that. We are only talking about raising the unrefunded gas tax amount from .15 to .27% The last time this amount was changed was 1982 when there were a fraction of the ATVs that there are now. This is a fast growing recreation that brings in millions of dollars to the state. Not keeping up with it is poor business sense for the state. Research from a University of Minnesota study last month showed that ATV riders generated 642 million dollars in retail sales in Minnesota.

Source:(http://www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2005/ATVusers.html)

As snowmobilers we get a full 1% of the gas tax refunded and that is to maintain nearly 20,000 miles of trail that we can only use 3 months of the year. We pay 47 dollars for 3 years for registration. As ATV riders we currently have less than one tenth of the trails, and get one fourth of the amont of gas tax and have less than a tenth of the designated trails at our disposal, and to top it off (I believe) the number of ATV registrations have now surpassed that of snowmobiles.

[WigglinMyWorm]

So what your saying is let's go 4-wheeling and leave our kids without proper education so in 20 years when foregners are taking all the jobs we can all complain that our kids didn't get properly educated.....but what the he!! they did get to go 4-wheeling....sounds pretty ignorant to me.

[Kylersk]

BTW, the ammendment passed.

Copy of the email I got today from ATVAM:

Attached is the actual amendment by Sen. Murphy which

deleted section 13, our gas tax increase, from the senate

tax bill & vote from Wednesday's senate journal. A YES

vote is a vote against us, a NO vote on the amendment are

supporters. This was a vote done on the Senate floor.

Check to see how your senator voted. If they supported

our efforts send a note of thanks, if they did not support

our efforts ask them why and if they plan on doing the same

to snowmobilers and boaters on their unrefunded gas tax in

the future. The DNR study was conducted in the same

manner as all gas tax studies have been done in the past.

[Dave]

Quote:

---

So what your saying is let's go 4-wheeling and leave our kids without proper education so in 20 years when foregners are taking all the jobs we can all complain that our kids didn't get properly educated.....but what the he!! they did get to go 4-wheeling....sounds pretty ignorant to me.

---

If your kid isn't already getting a proper education, I'd suggest another school. Today's kids need more education at home, as well, rather than being allowed to sit in front of a tv all evening and not depend just on the schools for their education.

[gonfishn]

Like 50 cents of every tax dollar isn't enough for education...

[WigglinMyWorm]

It's pretty hard to get a good education when most school districts computers and books are 10-15 yrs outdated.....I agree everything starts in the home, It's just really frustrating when my son brings a math book or history book home that was written in the 70's. Education is the key to our kids futures.....Again....I'm not against new trails for 4 wheelers...I just think we have our priorities wrong.

[Dave]

Wigglin,

Then, I suggest, you go back and reread where you call another's opinion ignorant. Maybe your school district is not up to snuff, as far as education supplies go. Maybe our's is the same as yours yet we feel okay with it and our kids are getting a good education. Either way, the tax study was compiled the same as in other recreations yet, many think it's unfair to not have that money for trails. Your school's education methods are another topic. Sorry I drifted off the main topic as well.

[WigglinMyWorm]

Hey Dave....take a look at how the USA ranks against other countries.....we are low on the list....and then take a look at where MN ranks in the nation.....we were #1....now we are #13......Not everyone can live in the Cities....small town Minnesota needs help and all people can worry about is where can I 4wheel....that is PURE ignorance.....look outside the metro area and see whats really going on.

[Mark Gangl]

for the record a math book written today would say the same as one written in the 70s, math hasnt changed much. We need to increse trails to ride on, if it wasnt for the atv's that money from the gas tax wouldnt be there in the 1st place, common sense. with all the tree huggers whining about the ditches getting ripped up its hard to find places to ride. Than you think what you pay for wheelers and sleds(gas, registration, sales tax) up til the trail sticker was the same, very little money goes to atv's and more going to sleds yet you cant ride on sled trails. I ask why do we need to make 2 separate trails, why not combine money to maintain 1 MN recreational trail system? Or as it sits take the current plan make a trail wide enough for a 4 lane highway going through the woods, one for sleds, one for atv's, 1 for bikes.......doesnt make much sense to me.

[Neiko]

I agree that we need more trails. If you are worried about your kids education maybe you should sell your wheeler and send him to a private school.

[Kylersk]

Head on up north during a bad (no snow) winter and ask bar, restaurant, hotel, owners how’s business been. I’d bet many would say that the snow (lack of) affected their business. Why? No one is snowmobiling there; they are heading out state to do their riding or not riding at all. Same can be said for ATV use. Why ride in Minnesota when you can go to Wisconsin and ride on their vast trail system? Not only are we taking our ATV’s to Wisconsin, but we take our money with too. Why not invest it in our own state? If Minnesota has more trails, that’ll mean more places to ride, this in turn brings more money being spent in the State.

Just look at Gilbert’s ATV Park. I found this in the Mesabi Daily News (Virginia news paper) when they were discussing expanding their trail system.

Tiffany Anderson, coordinator for the Eveleth Economic Development Authority, pointed out the economic aspects of the project. “This is a great thing for our area lodging properties,’’ which are in Eveleth, with none in Gilbert, she said. Many recreational users are coming up Highway 53 to use the OHV park, the only one in the state, and it’s a growing sport, she added.

BTW, I believe that all the gas tax must go towards roadways, except the small percent the DNR gets for Boating, Snowmobile, forest roads, ATV’s, and such. If I’m wrong, please correct me.

[Dave]

Wigglin, PURE ignorance is telling someone to look outside the metro area to see what's really going on, like we live in a cardboard box. I have many family members and friends that live in rural Minnesota. I know what that lifestyle is. And, those family members and friends are asking where they can ride. I'll stick with my opinion, thank you, that we need more trails, since I believe my kids are getting an adequate education and getting very good grades to boot.

[tripper]

Wigglin, I will agree that meny of the up nort school districts are in a hurt and can use some equipment updates but as has been explained the tax dollar being talked about has nothing to do with schools. I live in a small town next to the HS and from what I see and hear from the kids ( here anyway) is that those that want a good education are getting it. If you realy want to compare to other counrties then also look at how much time those kids spend in school and the disapline allowed with in the school.

We do need more trails and with what is envolved with getting them more money is needed to go into trail building. To meny people that enjoy ridding do not realize how much work and money it takes just to get the ok to build a trail before construction can start. If they did maybe they would join the state organization instead of going on their merry way thinking they will always be able to ride where and when they want. I have been asked and heard asked meny times why there are so few trails. My answer starts with a three part quistion. Do you belong to the state organization? Are you active in a club? What have you done to help get trails? Kind of like if you don't vote don't complain about who is in office.

Sorry Dave, got carried away again.