Historic Legislation for Snowmobiling

Assembly Bill 407 passed by the Senate; heads to Governor for signature!

Senator Gudex and Representative Czaja issued this CAP/STEP Press Release today and had this to say.

Snowmobiling is a huge economic driver in Wisconsin. Some estimates put the impact at over $1 billion annually, and this is thanks to the dollars injected into local economies through tourism and the 25,000 miles of scenic beauty our trails provide each year. This legislation was needed to stabilize our snowmobile and tourism industry. The taxpayers of Wisconsin spend nothing to make this happen because the program is all funded through licenses, fees, and gas taxes paid by the snowmobilers themselves. This legislation will put $4-$5 million more in the snowmobile fund per year, enough to keep it solvent and allow for investments in much needed snowmobile infrastructure throughout the state.

Rep. Czaja went on to say.

This is a landmark day for Wisconsin snowmobiling. Our dedicated riders and trail volunteers are some of the finest people I know. Snowmobilers have a proud tradition of independent funding, and for over a decade have asked for this opportunity to generate much needed additional revenue. AB 407 brings our user fees in line with neighboring states, and will provide a more reliable level of funding to maintain Wisconsin trails as the premier destination in the nation.

This is truly great news for snowmobiling in Wisconsin! CAP/STEP will provide a more reliable funding mechanism for the volunteer trail system and encourages snowmobilers to join a club for a discounted trail pass.