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Going Green - The $2 bill campaign

Information is the currency of democracy. - Thomas Jefferson

Please support the $2 bill Campaign
In order to bring attention to the economic impact snowmobiling brings to our communities, we are asking all snowmobilers to acquire $2 bills and distribute them around the communities you ride during Presidents weekend this year. February 12-15, 2010

When you buy your gas, pay for it with a few $2 bills. When you buy your meals, do the same. Use them for tips as well. Try to toss around a few $2 bills in every establishment you patronize whether traveling or riding.

We are doing this in hopes of raising awareness with businesses, non-snowmobilers, and the media about how significant an economic impact snowmobiling has across New York State. If enough people do this it could be a huge eye opener for people who are not snowmobilers or don't understand the economic benefit it has in our communities.

Plan ahead, your bank may need them too
To get $2 bills you will need to go to your bank and ask for them. In most cases they will need to order them and should be available within a week. So anyone that would like to participate in this will need to call or visit your bank shortly to have the $2 bills in time for Presidents weekend. You don't need a lot of bills, just do what you can, the more people who participate across the state, the greater the impact.

Why $2 bills ???
The two-dollar bill is one of the most rarely seen in circulation and actual use. It is almost never given as change by businesses, and thus people rarely have one on hand. Production of the note is quite low; under 1% of all notes currently produced are $2 bills. This comparative scarcity in circulation makes receiving one a rare occurrence, receiving many, in a short period of time, will create questions and awareness that would be hard to buy with advertising.

$2 bill front

A Second Call for Action from NYSSA

A Second Call for Action from NYSSA
and your President Mike Fischer:

In Phase I of our campaign, we have called on every one of our Club Presidents and their members to write and fax letters to their respective Senators and Assembly Members. Now, we are ready to implement Phase II - reaching out to Governor Paterson and Budget Director Megna.

We at NYSSA have been working with our lobbyists to take whatever actions are necessary to oppose this unwarranted sweep of our money from the trail fund and the expanded language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709. We have been reaching out to the Legislature and asking for their help to correct this intolerable situation.

As President of NYSSA, I have gone to Albany and met with key Assembly Members, Senators and the Secretary to the Senate Finance Committee to express our opposition to the language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709 that would expand the allowable use of monies in the snowmobile trail fund to include "public safety activities," and urge that this language be removed from the budget as well as express our opposition to this unprecedented sweep from the trail fund.

I am calling on every one of our Club Presidents and their members to fax a letter and place calls to Governor David Paterson and New York State Budget Director Robert Megna asking them to rescind the $1 million sweep of the Snowmobile Trail Fund and to remove the language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709.

We are providing all of you with the model letters below in order to ensure a clear, consistent, and resolute message. Club officers: please use the attached Governor and Budget Director model letter and copy them to your Club Letterhead. Club members should make sure to sign their letters and include their home address.

Letter to the Governor (Word)

Letter to the Governor (PDF)

Letter to the Budget Director (Word)

Letter to the Budget Director (PDF)

Fax your letters to both the Governor and Budget Director as soon as possible. We must act quickly to let them know about our opposition to this unwarranted action. Please fax your letters to the following:

Fax line for Governor Paterson: 518-474-1513

Fax line for Director Megna: 518-402-2298

We request that telephone calls be made to the Governor's Office and Division of the Budget. Before any call is made, please use the talking points below when speaking with the Governor's Office and Division of the Budget.

Talking Points - Governor Paterson - PDF

Talking Points - Division of Budget - PDF

Please remember to be polite and courteous throughout your conversations with both offices. To voice your opinion please call the following:

Telephone line for Governor Paterson: 518-474-8390

Telephone line for Division of Budget: 518-473-3885

We ask that you continue sending letters to your respective Senators and Assembly Members. You can determine who your Senator or Assembly Members are by using the zip code look-up device at going to the following sites:

Find Your Senator

Find Your Assembly Person

The NYS Board of Election:
http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/

You can get the fax numbers of your legislators from the Senate and Assembly sites.

Please act quickly and send your letters and make your calls. Thanks for your attention to this most pressing issue facing NYSSA and the clubs.

Mike Fischer

NYSSA President

Jessup River UMP Amendment - Comment Deadline Extended

Jessup River Wild Forest UMP 2010 Amendment

The recently issued amendment 2010 draft amendment to the 2005/2006 Jessup River Wild Forest Unit Management Plan has a number of signifigant negative changes. NYSSA is very concerned that the are trail closures that are unnecessary under the guidelines and as a result will isolate users and businesses who have historically had access to the trail system. The amendment should have leveraged the Class I Trail guidelines to preserve access by residents, visitors and businesses.

Your calls, e-mails, and letters are needed to preserve trail access to all snowmobilers.

Your letter will have the greatest impact, if it is a unique original statement about the impact of the proposed changes and why you think the proposed changes are not valid.

If you utitlize the example letter, it is critical that you personalize, edit and add your own comments on this matter for your letter to count.
JRWF Example Letter (MS wo rd format)
JRWF Example Letter (text file)

The entire set of JRWF UMP Plan documents can be downloaded from the NYSDEC website HERE

There is a summary of the amendment from the NYSDEC at the bottom of this page, and the specific amendment on which the DEC is currently accepting comments on can be found HERE

Comments are due to the NYS DEC by February 19, 2010 to the attention of Mr. Thomas Kapelewski.
The public comment period for the 2010 Draft Amendment has been extended. Public comment will now be accepted until March 29, 2010.

Thomas Kapelewski, Senior Forester, NYS DEC
PO Box 1316
Northville, NY 12134
Fax: (518) 863-2546
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST INCLUDE A SUBJECT LINE OR THE COMMENT EMAIL WILL NOT BE RECEIVED OR RECORDED

All DEC UMPs and process on DEC website H E R E

Media release from NYS Assemblymember RoAnn Destito

NYS Assemblymember RoAnn Destito discusses the positive economic impact of snowmobiling in NY as well as the safety issues created by the Governors proposed sweep of millions of dollars from the snowmobile trail fund, funded by snowmobilers.

Visit Assemblymember RoAnn Destito's website

STATE “RAID” ON SNOWMOBILE TRAIL FUND

A Call for Action from NYSSA and your President Mike Fischer:

Many of you are already painfully aware that the Governor proposes to sweep $1 million from the trail fund this current fiscal year! This unprecedented sweep, coming less than two years after a previous attempt to take $1 million during the 2008-2009 budget process, must be rejected by the Legislature. It is another attempt to raid the Snowmobile Trail Fund.

NYSSA is further opposed to the language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709 that would expand the allowable use of monies in the snowmobile trail fund to include “public safety activities,” and urge that this language be removed from the budget. By allowing snowmobile registration fees to be taken from their intended use and transferred to the general fund under the guise of public safety, while removing any accountability regarding the use of these funds, the proposed budget would result in millions more swept from the snowmobile trail fund in the years to come.

As President of NYSSA, I have sent a letter to the Governor and the Legislature strongly opposing this sweep of the $1 million from the trail fund and reminding the Governor of his commitment made to NYSSA in his July 10, 2008 press release, and asking to restore these funds. We at NYSSA are working with our lobbyists to take whatever action necessary to oppose this unwarranted sweep of our money from the trail fund and language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709. They are reaching out to the Legislature and asking for their help to correct this intolerable situation.

I am calling on every one of our Club Presidents and their members to send a letter to their respective Senator and Assemblyman asking their help in getting our $1 million restored to the Snowmobile Trail Fund and to oppose the language in Part HH of Budget Bill S6609/A9709. We are providing all of you with the attached model letters in order to ensure a clear, consistent, and resolute message. Club members should make sure to sign their letters and include their home address.

If you utilize an example letter below, it is critical that you personalize your letter with your own comments on this matter in a clear and respectful manner.

Example letter to Governor Paterson (MS word format)

Example letter to Governor Paterson (Text file )

Example letter to your State Senator (MS word format)

Example letter to your State Senator (Text File)

Example letter to your State Assembly Member (MS word format)

Example letter to your State Assembly Member (Text File)

Mail or Fax your letters to your respective representatives to the Senate and Assembly as soon as possible. We must act quickly to let them know about our opposition to this unwarranted action by the Governor. You can determine who your Senator or Assemblyman is by using the zip code look-up device at going to the following sites:

Find your NY State Senator contact information here, Find My State Senator
Find your NY State Assembly Member contact information here, Find My Assembly Member
The NYS Board of Election: http://nymap.elections.state.ny.us/nysboe/

You can get the mailing address and fax numbers of your legislators from the Senate and Assembly sites.

Please act quickly and send your letters. Thanks for your attention to this most pressing issue facing NYSSA and the clubs.

Mike Fischer
NYSSA President

To view NYSSA President Mike Fischer's letter to legislators this week click HERE

To view Governor Patterson's July 10, 2008 press release click HERE

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2010 NYSSA Annual Meeting & Forum

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