Utah Snow Scoop - Winter 2014

WINTER 2014VOLUME 22 ISSUE 3

IN THIS ISSUETake a Friend Snowmobiling - Page 8

USA Members Only Ride - Page 11Why Partnerships Are Vital to Our

Avalanche Forecast Programs - Page 14

PRESIDENTrsquoS MESSAGEBy Jeff Eddings

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Hopefully everyone has been able to get out and at least get one ride in by now December started off looking promising

for snowfall Actually the news stated it was one of the wettest Decembers on record I canrsquot say much for the weeks following that initial blast of snow it has been depressing to say the least Well at least until today looks like we are going to get a series of storms over the next few days to add to that base we have already estab-lished Now if we can just keep these storms rolling through Utah and keep that pesky high pressure system out of our backyard I personally have had the opportunity to go riding a few times and the snow at the higher elevations isnrsquot really all that bad you just have to be careful of those hidden obstacles that will take your A-arms or tunnel out in a blink of an eye

Many of you probably read in the newspaper or saw it on the eve-ning news where UDOT will be conducting a ldquoFeasibility Studyrdquo on opening the same mountain roads that we use to snowmobile on in the winter Please be advised that USA is fully aware of this and has already engaged UDOT on this issue There is a meeting planned in the upcoming weeks to speak with UDOT about how this study is going to affect winter recreation more specifically snowmobiling Rest assured that I will communicate any infor-mation from these meetings to the membership via the website andor e-mail

Alright now let me take a moment and discuss a few fun things we having coming up First after we validate the 2014 memberships we are going to start printing the membership cards Every USA member (with the exception of children on Family Memberships) will receive a personalized card either directly through their club president or through the mail The USA website has been updated to show what businesses support the USA Membership Program and what discounts they offer Please ensure to check this list reg-ularly as new businesses will be added as they sign up Additionally media kits have been mailed out to the participating businesses so look for the ldquoProud USA Supporterrdquo sticker or poster when you are out and about

February 8th USA will once again hold a ldquoMembers Onlyrdquo ride Since last yearrsquos event turned out so good we have decided to just hold it at the same place the Strawberry Complex and the Soldierrsquos Hollow Chalet for the dinner This event is a good way to meet other USA members from around the state and enjoy a day of snowmo-biling with a nice dinner and door prizes afterwards Look for the article in this issue of the Snow Scoop for more detailed informa-tion Lastly the Utah Snowmobile Association in partnership with Utah State Parks and At Your Leisure will once again be hosting a

ldquoTake a Friend Snowmobiling ldquoevent This yearrsquos event will take place

on February 22nd at the Monte Cristo Snowmobiling Complex This yearrsquos event will be extra special as we support our troops by making our US Serviceman and Women past and present the special guests of the day We have been brainstorming some great ideas to make this a day that these American Heroes will remember Ensure to watch At Your Leisure and to check wwwsnowutcom regularly for updates and details Well I canrsquot think of anything else at the moment to pass along so I will stop typing this and go back to praying for more snow to fall As always be careful and courteous out on the trails and keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up

FIND THE SNOWFLAKE INSIDE THIS ISSUE AND

YOU COULD WINE-mail the location to utahsnowscoopyahoocom and yoursquoll be entered to win a pair of 509 Aviator Goggles and a Utah State Parks Day Pass Winner

will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next Snow Scoop issue

Drawing will be held on February 21st 20142

BOARD OF DIRECTORSJeffery Eddings President2645 East 7800 South South Weber UT 84405 801-510-7791 presidentsnowutcom

Lisa Kowalewski Treasurer1794 North 6250 East Eden UT 84310 801-745-6138 treasurersnowutorg

Jay Ombach Executive Director2159 North 550 West Layton UT 84041 801-825-1164 jayobeacon-metalscom

Curt Kennedy Director - Public Lands302 South Maryfield Drive Salt Lake City UT 84108 801-582-3882 ccklpkgmailcom

Stacey Eddings Snow Scoop Coordinatorand AwardsCharity2645 East 7800 South South Weber UT 84405 801-510-7796 utahsnowscoopyahoocom

Chris Haller State Parks RepresentativePO Box 146001 Salt Lake City UT 84114 801-349-0487 chrishallerutahgov

CLUB DIRECTORYGolden Spike Snowmobile AssociationDennis Kowalewski President 1794 North 6250 East Eden UT 84310 951-768-6728 dkowalewskiyahoocom

Chalk Creek RidersWes Blonquist President PO Box 385 Coalville UT 84017 435-336-4496 wesntracallwestnet

Salt Lake Valley Snowmobile ClubRuss Mangone President 2260 West 4805 South Taylorsville UT 84118 801-969-7335 slvsnowgmailcom

Davis County SnowflakesCal Taylor President 1236 South 1800 West Syracuse UT 84075 801-882-8659 calandgenagmailcom

Wasatch RidersKen Rossum President 11461 Mountain Ridge Circle Sandy UT 84092 801-572-4455 krrmimsncom

Advanced RV4615 W 3500 SWest Valley City UT 84120wwwadvancedrvnet

Big Pine SportsPO Box 66340 N Milburn RdFairview UT 84629wwwbigpinesportscom

Dearden Equipment125 S Main StreetFillmore UT 84631wwwdeardenequipmentcom

Vernal Sports Center2029 W Highway 40Vernal UT 84078wwwbeersharleycom

Mt PrincetonHot Springs Resort15870 Country Road 162Nathrop CO 81236wwwmtprincetoncom

DampP Performance110 E Center StreetCedar City UT 84720wwwdandpperformancenet

Plaza Cycle Motorsports1379 W 3500 SSalt Lake City UT 84119wwwplazacyclecom

RampM Lightning1400 South Main StreetSalt Lake City UT 84115wwwrmproductsinfo

Utah State Parks1594 W North TempleSTE 116Salt Lake City UT 84116wwwstateparksutahgov

Tri-City Performance461 South Frontage RoadCenterville UT 84014wwwtricityperformancecom

Cutlers Inc271 N State StreetOrem UT 84057wwwshopcutlerscom

South Valley Motorsports11553 South State StreetDraper UT 84020wwwsouthvalleymotorsportscom

Pinedale Travel amp Tourism19 E Pine StreetPinedale WY 82941wwwvisitpinedaleorg

USA BUSINESS MEMBERS

TABLE OF CONTENTSUSA Jump-Starts Education Program Avalanche Safety for Snowmobilers 5USA Membership Card Program 6Salt Lake Valley Snowmobile Club 74 Seasons Powersports 7Go SnowmobilingTake a Friend Snowmobiling 8Top 10 Reasons to Escape and Make theScofieldSkyline Drive Complex Your Next Riding Destination 8USA Scholarship 9SnoWest Environmental Litigation Gravy Train 10USA Fundraising Event 11USA Members Only Ride 11GSSA News 13Why Partnerships Are Vital to Our Avalanche Forecast Programs 14Chalk Creek Riders Club 14

DISCLAIMERUSA is Utahrsquos advocate for snowmobiling

As the voice of over 26000 registered sled owners in Utah the Snow Scoop is USArsquos official publication

All contents of the Utah Snow Scoop are copyrighted and may not be reprinted without permission Submitted articles and advertising do not necessarily represent the opinion of USA or the Utah Snow Scoop

The Utah Snow Scoop is not liable for any claims by those not of the same opinion

The Utah Snow Scoop welcomes articles letters pictures and advertisements Please submit all material in electronic format by the respective issue due dates to the Snow Scoop Coordinator

Articles should be doc files and advertisements should be jpg tiff psd ai or pdf files

ISSUE DEADLINE RELEASE DATE November October 28 November 11 December November 25 December 9 Winter January 13 January 27 March February 24 March 10

The Utah Snow Scoop is owned and published by the Utah Snowmobile Association The Snow Scoop coordinator is Stacey Eddings She may be reached at

Utah Snow Scoop 2645 East 7800 South

South Weber UT 84405 801-510-7796

utahsnowscoopyahoocom

For current Snow Scoop advertising rates please click here or visit httpwwwsnowutcom

Unfortunately no one correctly identified the location of the snowflake for Decemberrsquos issue of ldquoFind the Snowflakerdquo Contest

The snowflake was located on page 5 in the lower right handcorner hidden amongst all the white dots in the field of yellow

USA JUMP-STARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM AVALANCHE SAFETY FOR SNOWMOBILERSBy Curt Kennedy USA ndash Director Public Lands

The evolution of todayrsquos high-tech mountain sleds has not only provided the western rider an awesome variety of incredible snowmobiling experiences but also increased

exposure to avalanche terrain It is more important than ever that all riders who venture into the winter backcountry where the pos-sibility of avalanche occurrence exists should become educated on the basic principles of staying safe while having fun

That is precisely why the Utah Snowmobile Association is team-ing-up with the Utah Avalanche Center and the four manufacturers of snowmobiles to develop an eye-catching and critically import-ant avalanche awareness video that can help save lives Make no mistake this is not a sermon about staying out of the winter backcountry It is however a compelling message about safety principles that will allow our western riders to have fun for many rides to come

USA has committed $5000 as seed money toward the esti-mated $15000 price tag of producing an awareness video that can be distributed electronically to literally every backcountry snowmobiler The framework will rally around the five primary

guidelines currently endorsed by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and avalanche centers across the western Snow Belt Additionally $7000 has been committed through two grants (one from ISMA through a partnership with the Idaho State Snowmobile Association and one from a component of the wwwsnowmobileinfoorg education project) We are still looking for partners to fill out the $3000 balance for the project

There will be some spectacular scenes in the video that will incense the viewer to gain more knowledge about avalanche safety The five guidelines in a nutshell are

bull GET THE GEAR Ensure everyone has an avalanche trans-ceiver shovel and probe on their person and knows how to use them bull GET THE TRAINING Take an avalanche course bull GET THE FORECAST Make a riding plan based on the current avalanche and weather forecast bull GET THE PICTURE If you see recent avalanche activity unstable snow exists Riding on or underneath steep slopes can be dangerous bull GET OUT OF HARMS WAY One at a time on all ava-lanche slopes Donrsquot go to help your stuck friend Donrsquot group up in runout zones

The material for this project will be developed during the coming snowmobile season and a massive distribution campaign will put it at the eyes and fingertips of any rider who wants to stay safe while snowmobiling in potential avalanche terrain This will definitely be a little screen time you will not want to miss

Does this look like avalance-prone terrain to you

USA MEMBERSHIP CARD PROGRAMBy Jeff Eddings President USA

The Utah Snowmobile Association will soon be sending out membership cards to all current members We decided to start this program as a way to give our members something

tangible that they could show that they were a member of the Utah Snowmobile Association We also wanted the card to be good for something other than another useless piece of plastic taking up space in your wallet or purse Therefore we approached area busi-nesses with the idea of providing discounts to USA members who asked for the discount and showed their card at checkout The feed-back we received from the businesses was nothing but positive so we pressed on with the project Currently there are 15 businesses that have agreed to support our program and provide some great discounts to our members An overview of the program and a list of participating businesses can be found on the USA website at httpsnowutcomstaticpagesindexphp20140103170951579

Please ensure to check the website often for program updates and for additional participating businesses being added Additionally each participating business has been sent advertising products to display indicating they participate in the USA Membership Program So when you are out and about and you see that a

business supports the Membership Card Program make sure to thank them After all it is because of the outstanding support of the dealers and related businesses that we at the Utah Snowmobile Association can bring you this program and make it a success

If you are a business and would like to participate in the USA Membership Card Program or find out more information then please contact me at presidentsnowutorg

SALT LAKE VALLEY SNOWMOBILE CLUBby Russ Mangone

Well itrsquos 2014 already I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year I hope Santa was good to you and your families

Well it has finally snowed enough to get out and start riding A few of our members have already been out a few times riding The snow has been ok but not really the best yet But it will get better and deeper

A few things our club has been up to so far is that we had our annual Christmas party at Geckorsquos Mexican Restaurant We had a good size group and a good time was had by all There was good food and lots of fun and games

We have had two new families join our club this year They are Mike and Lynette Robinson and Ted Hedgcock and his wife Kristina Pistorius We want to welcome them to our club

We had our 1st club ride on Sat Jan 4th We rode up at Soapstone and had a really good time We had 16 riders leave the parking lot and 16 riders come back Thatrsquos always a good thing Everybody and everything came back in one piece that also is always a good

thing After the ride some of us meet in the parking lot and had Bar b que sandwiches and plenty of talk about the good ride

We have plenty of good rides coming up this year One of the more exciting one is going to be our annual overnight ride This year we are going to Alpine Wy We will be staying at the Flying Saddle Inn This is going to be the weekend of Feb 28th ndashMarch 3rd Other rides we are looking forward to is the USA Members ride on Feb 8th and the Take A Friend Snowmobiling ride on Feb 22nd With these rides and our regular club rides our club will be riding every Sat in Feb Canrsquot really ask for a better Feb

You can always check out what our club is doing at our website at wwwslvsnowcom or you can like us on face book at Salt Lake Valley Snowmobile Club

Remember to always ride smart and ride safe Always ride with a companion or two and always let someone know where yoursquore going and when you plan on being back And always prepare for the unexpected

See you on the mountain and remember to Pray For Snow

4 SEASONS POWERSPORTS

4 Seasons Powersports was founded in 2008 by Patrick Hoyt a Utah transplant from Buffalo New York who fell in love with the Wasatch Front Patrick is a US Air Force Veteran

who found himself stationed at Hill Air Force Base in 2002 while serving as a F-16 mechanic After finishing his 4 year enlistment he decided to stay in Utah and enjoy all that Utah has to offer to the outdoor enthusiast After working in the aerospace field for a few years he decided to take his lifelong passion for powersports to the next level and opened 4 Seasons Powersports In very little time and with a lot of hard work he built a large customer base with very little advertising Focusing on customer satisfaction and quality workmanship he was able to grow based on word of mouth and customer referrals When asked about his approach to running a successful business he said ldquoI have always felt it was easy to get someone in the door but you had to do something special to get them coming back time and time againrdquo

4 Seasons Powersports is conveniently located in the Ogden Commercial Industrial Park in West Ogden and is equipped with state of the art tools and equipment As technology advances so does the repair industry and 4 Seasons has the latest software

usually only available at the dealer making it possible to trouble-shoot the latest fuel injected snowmobiles 4 Seasons works on all makes and models and also specializes in crankshaft rebuilding From complete engine rebuilds cylinder plating track changes to a simple tune-up he handles every job as if it was his own machine Please feel free to call or stop by with any questions you might have

4 Seasons Powersports1728 W 2550 S Ogden UT 84401www4SeasonsPowercominfo4SeasonsPowercom801-732-7051

GO SNOWMOBILINGTAKE A FRIEND SNOWMOBILINGCampaign Gearing up for theCold Snowy Forecast

Cold temperatures and record snowfall so far this season is motivating snowmobile clubs and associations throughout North America to begin making plans for Take a Friend

Snowmobiling activities to be held this winter Event planning has begun in many associations who are contacting the ISMA Office to obtain campaign support material The Take a Friend Snowmobiling week is scheduled for February 8-17 2014 but events can be held any time throughout the Winter Take a Friend Snowmobiling is a campaign to encourage snowmobilers to take a non-snowmobiling friend out and introduce them to snowmobiling Research shows that most people would like to go snowmobiling and in fact rate their level of interest a ldquo9rdquo on a 10 point scale

The Go Snowmobiling campaign is expanding as more clubs and associations are visiting the web site to obtain information on how to hold a Go Snowmobiling event Activity on the web site contin-ues to increase and the web site is an excellent source of information for snowmobilers and non-snowmobilers alike

Snowmobile Shows held across North America have experienced record activity and attendance Chambers of Commerce and Visitor and Convention Bureaus in the snowbelt understand the importance of snowmobiling to the economic activity for their region they are also reaching out to support the Go Snowmobiling Campaign Clubs and Chambers of Commerce are partnering to hold events in their local area

With snowy forecasts in the near future for most of North America outdoor enthusiasts are looking forward to the prospect of going snowmobiling this winter

Our Facebook page is expanding and we presently have over 2700 ldquolikesrdquo Please visit our page and ldquolikerdquo it to be kept up on events and fun snowmobiling posts Snowmobilers from around the globe are sharing stories pictures and ideas through our Facebook page Take some time to visit us You will smile and you will start making plans to ldquoTake a Friend Snowmobilingrdquo

This will be a great winter to take a friend snowmobiling and par-ticipate in a club or association ride

TOP 10 REASONS TO ESCAPE AND MAKE THE SCOFIELDSKYLINE DRIVE COMPLEX YOUR NEXT RIDING DESTINATIONby Jonathan Hunt

1 High Elevation The two most popular trailheads sit at 8700 ft (Fairview) and 9600ft (Big drift)i in elevation That means deep snow greets you at the parking lot No trail riding needed

2 Variety of riding Follow the Skyline Drive trail north for miles of backcountry exploring that the family can enjoy or for experienced snowmobilers and hill climbers If you head south one will find untouched powder and bowls that offer some of the best backcountry mountain sledding in the state

3 Smooth trails The snowmobile complex staff groom over 100 miles (one way) of trails Because very few riders stay on the trail those that do will be pleasantly surprised to find the smoothest trails in the state

4 Excellent groomers With over 35 yearsrsquo experience the three groomers at the complex will leave you a great trail

5 Good roads Fairview canyon (Hwy 31) is a major road that coal miners use to commute to work That means the highway is always plowed and in good condition

6 Fish Creek Warming Hut A popular stop along the trail this warming hut provides a place to dry off and use the restroom facilities

7 Gas Stations and Food Fairview City is located 9 miles from the trailhead parking They offer two gas stations a diner and a burger shop

8 Local Snowmobile Dealerships It doesnrsquot matter what machine you ride Fairview has you covered with three snowmobile dealerships They will provide high quality apparel sales and service for your group

9 Proximity to the Wasatch Front Sanpete County is closer than you think Our trails are located only 45 minutes from Spanish Fork

10 Solitude Great snow can be found anywhere in the state However those who make the time to visit the ScofieldSkyline Drive complex will be rewarded with a world class experience that the whole family can enjoy without having to fight the crowds

Jonathan HuntScofieldSkyline Drive Snowmobile Complex Manager

HOT SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIPMUFF POT RECIPE12 (10 ounce) package frozen spinachthawed drained and coarsely chopped 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts drained and coarsely chopped4 ounces cream cheese room temperature12 cup sour cream14 cup mayonnaise1 clove garlic grated12 teaspoon chili sauce (optional)14 cup grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesan) grated14 cup mozzarella shredded1 Box Crackers Mix everything and pour into a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner Bag before leaving home Place into Mu pot and ride until you smell it cooking and the sides are bubbling and the cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top Spread or dip on crackers of your choice Enjoy

USA SCHOLARSHIPby Stacey Eddings Awards amp Charities USA

The Utah Snowmobile Association (USA) will be offering a scholarship to either a graduating high school senior or an individual currently enrolled in college This will

be a $1000 grant and will be given to the winner regardless of other grants or scholarships that the student may also receive Requirements are as follows

1 1 Applicant must be a member of the Utah Snowmobile Association

2 2 Applicant must submit the completed application form

3 3 Applicant must submit a reacutesumeacute detailing his or her involvement in snowmobiling as well as extra-curricular activities

4 4 Applicant must include an essay on From a snowmo-bilerrsquos perspective how does motorized recreational access impact your other recreational opportunities like hunting fishing and camping

5 5 The application must be received by USA by April 1st 2014

Application and requirements are to be mailed or e-mailed to

Utah Snowmobile AssociationCo Stacey Eddings2645 East 7800 SouthSouth Weber UT 84405UtahsnowscoopyahoocomThe winner of the USA scholarship will be announced at USArsquos Annual Convention in April 2014

Additionally the winner of the USA Scholarship will have their application submitted to the American Council of Snowmobile Associations Western Chapter Scholarship contest The winner of this scholarship will be announced at the International Snowmobile Congress in June 2014 in Keystone Colorado and will receive an additional cash prize

Funding for the USA Scholarship comes from fundraising projects at the Intermountain Snowmobile Show Funding for the Western Chapter Scholarship comes from financial support of member organizations and donations received throughout the year

The scholarship application can also be found on wwwsnowutcom or by clicking here

SNOWEST ENVIRONMENTAL LITIGATION GRAVY TRAINBy Karen Budd-Falen Budd-Falen Law Offices Consider these facts

bull Between 2000 and 2009 Western Watersheds Project (WWP) filed at least 91 lawsuits in the federal district courts and at least 31 appeals in the federal appellate courts bull Between 2000 and 2009 Forest Guardians (now known as WildEarth Guardians) filed at least 180 lawsuits in the federal dis-trict courts and at least 61 appeals in the federal appellate courts bull Between 2000 and 2009 Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed at least 409 lawsuits in the federal district courts and at least 165 appeals in the federal appellate courts bull In addition over the last 15 years the Wilderness Society has filed

149 federal court lawsuits the Idaho Conservation League has filed 69 federal court lawsuits the Oregon Natural Desert Association has filed 58 lawsuits the Southern Utah Wilderness Association has filed 88 lawsuits and the National Wildlife Federation has filed 427 lawsuits bull In total the eight environmental groups listed above have filed at least 1596 federal court cases against the federal government bull Every one of the groups listed above is a tax-exempt non-profit organizations Every one of those groups listed above receives attor-ney fees from the federal government for suing the federal government bull These statistics do not include cases filed in the administrative courts such as BLM administrative permit appeals before the Office of Hearings and Appeals or Forest Service administrative appeals These statistics only include federal district court casesOn the other end these same environmental groups are receiving billions of federal tax payer dollars in attorney fees for settling or

ldquowinningrdquo cases against the federal government Accurate statistics have not been kept by the Justice Department or the federal agen-cies thus there is no accounting for the total amount of tax dollars paid however we were able to uncover these facts

There are two major sources for attorney fees that can be paid to plaintiffs that ldquoprevailrdquo in litigation either by winning a case on the merits or by the Justice Department agreeing that the group ldquopre-vailedrdquo in a settlement by achieving the purpose of the litigation One source of funding is called the Judgment Fund The Judgment Fund is a Congressional line-item appropriation and is used for Endangered Species Act cases Clean Water Act cases and with other statutes that directly allow a plaintiff to recover attorney fees There is no central data base for tracking the payment of these fees thus neither the taxpayers members of Congress nor the federal government knows the total amount of taxpayer dollars spent from the Judgment Fund on individual cases The only information regarding these fees that is available is

bull In fiscal year 2003 the federal government made 10595 individ-ual payments from the Judgment Fund to federal court plaintiffs for a price tag of $1081328420 bull In 2004 the federal government made 8161 payments from the Judgment Fund for $800450029 bull In 2005 7794 payments were made from the Judgment Fund for a total of $1074131007 bull In 2006 the federal government made 8736 payments from the Judgment Fund for $697968132 bull In only the first half of fiscal year 2007 the federal government made 6595 payments from the Judgment Fund for $1062387142 bull In total $4716264730 (that is billion with a ldquobrdquo) in total pay-ments were paid in taxpayer dollars from the Judgment Fund from 2003 through July 2007 for attorney fees and costs in cases against the federal governmentThe second major source of payments to ldquowinningrdquo litigants against the federal government is the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) EAJA funds are taken from the ldquolosingrdquo federal agenciesrsquo budgets Thus for example the attorney fees paid under EAJA come from the ldquolosingrdquo BLM officersquos budget That is money that could be used for range monitoring NEPA compliance timber projects arche-ology and cultural clearances and other agency programs Within the federal government there is no central data system or tracking of these payments from the agencies budgets The only statistics we were able to compile are as follows

bull Between 2003 to 2005 Region 1 of the Forest Service (Montana North Dakota northern Idaho) paid $383094 in EAJA fees bull Between 2003 to 2005 Region 2 of the Forest Service (Wyoming South Dakota Colorado Nebraska Oklahoma) paid $97750 in EAJA fees bull Between 2003 to 2005 Region 3 of the Forest Service (Arizona New Mexico) paid $26128985 in EAJA fees bull Between 2003 to 2005 Region 4 of the Forest Service (southern Idaho Utah Nevada) paid $297705 in EAJA fees bull Between 2003 to 2005 Region 5 (California) of the Forest Service paid $357 023 in EAJA fees bull Between 2003 to 2005 Region 6 (Washington state Oregon) of the Forest Service paid $282302 in EAJA fees bull Out of the 44 total cases in which the Forest Service paid EAJA fees between 2003 and 2005 nine plaintiffs were NOT environmen-tal groups and 35 payments went to environmental group plaintiffsWe also tried to track the fees paid to environmental groups in cer-tain federal courts For example in the Federal District Court for the District of Idaho over the last 10 years WWP received a total of $999190 in tax dollars for ldquoreimbursementrdquo for attorney fees and costs Of the total cases filed by WWP in the Federal Court in Idaho 19 were before Judge Winmill eight of those cases resulted in a decision on the merits with WWP prevailing and with the total attorney fees being awarded of $746184 six of the cases were set-tled by the federal government with total attorney fees still being awarded of $118000 WWP won one case but attorney fees were not paid WWP lost six cases There were two cases in which the documents indicated that the federal government agreed to pay attorney fees but the payment amount was kept confidential from the public

In my opinion there are a lot of things wrong with this picture The federal government is spending billions in tax payer dollars without any accounting of where the money is going or to whom it is going There is no oversight in spending this money especially the money that is coming out of agency budgets that should be funding on the ground programs to protect public lands national forests ranchers recreationists wildlife and other land uses

Nonprofit tax-exempt groups are making billions of dollars in funding the majority of that funding is not going into programs to protect people wildlife plants and animals but to fund more lawsuits Ranchers and other citizens are being forced to expend millions of dollars of their own money to intervene or participate in these lawsuits to protect their way of life when they have no chance of the same attorney fee recovery if they prevail In fact they are paying for both sides of the casemdashfor their defense of their ranch and for the attorney fees environmental groups receive to sue the federal government to get them off their land There are also numerous cases where the federal government agrees to pay attorney fees but the amount paid is hidden from public view Somewhere this has to stop and the government has to be held accountable for the money itrsquos spending

USA FUNDRAISING EVENTby Jeff Eddings President USA

Big Bubbarsquos trailer Sales amp Manufacturing in Ogden has generously donated a two place open snowmobile or ATV trailer to the Utah Snowmobile Association for a fundrais-

ing initiative again this year

Once again the Utah Snowmobile Association would like to share this fundraising initiative with our member clubs USA will pro-vide the tickets and each member club will be able to keep 50 of their ticket sales This is an excellent opportunity for your club to raise some extra funds for those special projects or to whatever

All you have to do is ask your family friends co-workers and oth-ers to help support your organization and the Utah Snowmobile Association Ticket prices will once again be only $500 The draw-ing will take place at USArsquos Annual Convention in April 2014 If you havenrsquot received your tickets yet then please contact your club President If you are just looking to purchase tickets you also have the option of buying tickets online at wwwsnowutcom or clicking here

USA MEMBERS ONLY RIDEby Jeff Eddings President USA

The Utah Snowmobile Association is sponsoring a Members Only ride on February 8th 2014 at the Strawberry Snowmobiling Complex There will be two rides to accom-

modate different riding abilities Groomed Trail and Off-Groomed Trail The event will start at 930 am and will commence from the Strawberry Visitors Center Trailhead After the ride USA will provide a meal at the Utah State Parks Chalet at the base of Soldier Hollow There will also be some great door prizes to be given away Please RSVP by February 1st to Russ Mangone at slvsnowgmailcom or you can either contact your local club President or log onto the Members Only section of the Utah Snowmobile Association website at wwwsnowutcom to RSVP and for the latest updates

February 1 - Buckyrsquos Backcountry Riding ClinicsFebruary 15 - Vintage Snowmobile Races

March 8-9 - RMSHA White Pine Hillclimb

GSSA NEWS

The holidays have come and gone for another year I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday period Our club had their annual Christmas party on the 14th It was a small

informal affair and I believe all had a good time with plenty of food and drink as well as some interesting gifts

We really havenrsquot done an official club ride yet The first is the 11th at Monte Cristo We have however been out riding a few times and generally the conditions havenrsquot been too bad Obviously we need a ton of snow yet to extend the season as well as to fill reser-voirs for the coming summer So pray for snow

We do have an evening ride coming up on the 25th that should be fun After the ride wersquoll have dinner at Hardware ranch (elk ribs I think) and Brad has agreed to give a short presentation about the ranch If yoursquod like to participate let me know as we need a head count for the food There will be a small cost involved about $5

Our monthly meeting will be the 23rd at 6 PM at the Pizza Pie in North Ogden Itrsquos a buffet and includes all kinds of pizza salad and pasta Hope to see lots of you there Even if yoursquore not a member stop in to see what wersquore all about

We are still selling raffle tickets for the trailer that Bubbarsquos has donated to the USA The cost is $5 of which $250 goes to our club so get your tickets

Thatrsquos all the news thatrsquos news Until next timehellipBye

Dennis KowalewskiPresident GSSA 801-745-6138

WHY PARTNERSHIPS ARE VITAL TO OUR AVALANCHE FORECAST PROGRAMS

Access to remote regions for our snowmobile specific fore-casts has always been a challenging proposition but since 2000 the Utah Snowmobile Association helped us form

critical relationships with sled dealers and manufacturers Since then Tri-City Performance Wellers Recreation and Big Pine Sports in conjunction with Polaris BRPSki-Doo and Arctic Cat respectively donate loaner sleds to the Utah Avalanche Center each winter This extremely generous partnership allows us to see more terrain issue more accurate forecasts and ultimately saves more riders lives

The loaner program also enables us to connect with critical user groups inside the sled community We offer state of the art ava-lanche training for local snowmobile shops and their staff Sheriff Departments Search and Rescue groups State Parks Staff and of course hi-end recreational riders Riders range from trail-sledders to extreme riders playing on the numerous high alpine ridges and open bowls throughout the state Before these programs Utah experienced numerous and preventable avalanche fatalities and close calls

Paul Weller and Craig Gordon with new Ski-Doo Summit 800 Craig in the field with 2014 Polaris RMK Pro Big Pine crew hands over the keys to a new Artic Cat at a recent avalanche awareness talk

CHALK CREEK RIDERS CLUBEstablished 2005

Our club is approximately 35 members strong who are mostly locals in the Coalville area but membership is open to anyone who would like to support and join us

in keeping the Chalk Creek Trail System open for today and into the future If you would like more information please contact us at (435)336-4496 or e-mail wesntracallwestcom Think Lots of Snow for 2013-2014

Our Mission StatementldquoTo ensure responsible and sustainable Winter Recreational use of the County right-a-way from Chalk Creek (State Corner) to the Wasatch-Cache National Forest Boundary (Whitney area)rdquo

Chalk Creek TrailheadThe trailhead is in Summit County and has been utilized by snow-mobilerrsquos for more than 40 years It is close proximity to Coalville thus making it very popular to locals and others from Wyoming and the Wasatch front This trail is approximately 18 miles long which travels through very pristine ldquoprivate propertyrdquo and connects to the hundred plus miles of groomed trails in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest near WhitneyMirror Lake Complex

Today this trail is open for everyone to enjoy but please ldquoNo

Trespassingrdquo until reaching forest boundary which is the warm-ing hut at Whitney

Special Focus this last fall was the following

bull Rock removal (snowmobile loving stones) bull Basic cleaning of trail of litter than has accumulated over the sum-mer and fall hunting bull Trimming and removal of trees that restrict the grooming process bull Trespass signage

Current update of Chalk Creek TrailheadA bunch of trees had fallen late this fall across the trail once again that required club members to remove The trailhead was groomed by the State before the New Year and for what the trail condition was and the amount of snow they had to work with they did an excellent job The plan will be to groom trail as needed with no posted schedule All of us need to stay on the trail as currently this area is being watched closely for trespassing Enjoy be careful and have fun while snowmobiling in this fantastic area Coalville is also great place to get your snowmobiling supplies and you will always get a smile from Tommy at the Chevron and Jim at the Summit Merc

Again all that is asked is to not trespass on any of the adjacent private property and if you pack it in pack it out

ANNOUNCEMENTSThe snow scoop will feature a classified ad for USA members for free if submitted If you would like anything to be posted in next monthrsquos issue be sure to email it to utahsnowscoopyahoocom by February 24th

UPCOMING EVENTS bull February 1 - Backcountry Riding Clinics GSSA Ride and Salt

Lake Valley Snowmobile Club Ride bull February 3 - Davis County Snowflakes Club Meeting bull February 8 - USA Member Ride bull February 13-17 - GSSA Annual Ride bull February 15 - Vintage Snowmobile Races bull February 19-23 - Davis County Snowflakes Annual Ride bull February 22 - Take a Friend Snowmobiling Event bull February 24 - March Issue E-Newsletter Content Due bull February 28-March 1 - Salt Lake Valley Snowmobile Club

Overnight Ride bull March 3 - Davis County Snowflakes Club Meeting bull March 8 - GSSA Poker Run and Davis County Snowflakes Ride

WHY ADVERTISE IN THE SNOW SCOOP

According to the latest economic data total annual expenditures resulting from snowmobiling in Utah exceed $60 million

Our readers bull Are 87 male with a median age of 45 bull Have an average annual household income

exceeding $100000 bull Spend over $6000 per person annually on snowmobiling bull Average 14 trips per season bull Our latest survey shows bull 100 of respondents read every issue of the Snow Scoop bull Snow Scoop in-home time averages 75 days bull Over 80 of our readers own other

OHVrsquosrecreation equipmentOur online presence

bull 96 of our readers have high speed internet and shop online

bull 25 of our site visits are from our membership bull 75 of our site visits are by those who may not

have seen your ad Plan now to capture your share of snowmobile dollars Advertise in the Utah Snow Scoop Call Stacey at 8015107796 to reserve your space today

BECAUSE ITrsquoS PROFITABLE

utahsnowscoopyahoocom 801 510 7796

JOIN THE UTAH SNOWMOBILE ASSOCIATION

Utah Snowmobile Association Represents ALL Snowmobilers in Utah by

bull Maintaining amp expanding trailheads bull Working to protect land access

bull Improving trail marking amp grooming bull Lobbying for positive legislation bull Distributing critical information

bull Sponsoring the Annual Snow Show bull Assisting in educationsafety

bull Working with land administrators bull Assisting in search amp rescue

bull Maintaining website wwwsnowutcomMembership Includes

bull Free ADampD Life Insurance bull Six Issues of the ldquoSnow Scooprdquo E-Newsletter

bull Membership Card program enrollment bull ldquoMembers Onlyrdquo access to the website

bull Updates on critical Issues bull Club InformationContacts

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USA MEMBERSHIPCARD PROGRAM

SALT LAKE VALLEYSNOWMOBILE CLUB

GO SNOWMOBILINGTAKE A FRIEND SNOWMOBILING

TOP 10 REASONS TO ESCAPE AND MAKE THE SCOFIELDSKYLINE DRIVE COMPLEX YOUR NEXT RIDING DESTINATION

USA SCHOLARSHIP

SNOWEST ENVIRONMENTAL LITIGATION GRAVY TRAIN

USA FUNDRAISING EVENT

USA MEMBERSONLY RIDE

GSSA NEWS

CHALK CREEK RIDERS CLUB

PRESIDENTrsquoS MESSAGEBy Jeff Eddings

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Hopefully everyone has been able to get out and at least get one ride in by now December started off looking promising

for snowfall Actually the news stated it was one of the wettest Decembers on record I canrsquot say much for the weeks following that initial blast of snow it has been depressing to say the least Well at least until today looks like we are going to get a series of storms over the next few days to add to that base we have already estab-lished Now if we can just keep these storms rolling through Utah and keep that pesky high pressure system out of our backyard I personally have had the opportunity to go riding a few times and the snow at the higher elevations isnrsquot really all that bad you just have to be careful of those hidden obstacles that will take your A-arms or tunnel out in a blink of an eye

Many of you probably read in the newspaper or saw it on the eve-ning news where UDOT will be conducting a ldquoFeasibility Studyrdquo on opening the same mountain roads that we use to snowmobile on in the winter Please be advised that USA is fully aware of this and has already engaged UDOT on this issue There is a meeting planned in the upcoming weeks to speak with UDOT about how this study is going to affect winter recreation more specifically snowmobiling Rest assured that I will communicate any infor-mation from these meetings to the membership via the website andor e-mail

Alright now let me take a moment and discuss a few fun things we having coming up First after we validate the 2014 memberships we are going to start printing the membership cards Every USA member (with the exception of children on Family Memberships) will receive a personalized card either directly through their club president or through the mail The USA website has been updated to show what businesses support the USA Membership Program and what discounts they offer Please ensure to check this list reg-ularly as new businesses will be added as they sign up Additionally media kits have been mailed out to the participating businesses so look for the ldquoProud USA Supporterrdquo sticker or poster when you are out and about

February 8th USA will once again hold a ldquoMembers Onlyrdquo ride Since last yearrsquos event turned out so good we have decided to just hold it at the same place the Strawberry Complex and the Soldierrsquos Hollow Chalet for the dinner This event is a good way to meet other USA members from around the state and enjoy a day of snowmo-biling with a nice dinner and door prizes afterwards Look for the article in this issue of the Snow Scoop for more detailed informa-tion Lastly the Utah Snowmobile Association in partnership with Utah State Parks and At Your Leisure will once again be hosting a

ldquoTake a Friend Snowmobiling ldquoevent This yearrsquos event will take place

on February 22nd at the Monte Cristo Snowmobiling Complex This yearrsquos event will be extra special as we support our troops by making our US Serviceman and Women past and present the special guests of the day We have been brainstorming some great ideas to make this a day that these American Heroes will remember Ensure to watch At Your Leisure and to check wwwsnowutcom regularly for updates and details Well I canrsquot think of anything else at the moment to pass along so I will stop typing this and go back to praying for more snow to fall As always be careful and courteous out on the trails and keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up

FIND THE SNOWFLAKE INSIDE THIS ISSUE AND

YOU COULD WINE-mail the location to utahsnowscoopyahoocom and yoursquoll be entered to win a pair of 509 Aviator Goggles and a Utah State Parks Day Pass Winner

will be notified by e-mail and announced in the next Snow Scoop issue

Drawing will be held on February 21st 20142

South Weber UT 84405 801-510-7796

GSSA NEWS

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GSSA NEWS

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Documents

Utah Snow Scoop - Winter 2014