Q: How do I contact NYSORVA with
a specific question?
A: Because NYSORVA is
volunteer-run and generally short-staffed, please thoroughly review
this FAQ and the rest of the extensive content of this web site for
answers to your questions before contacting us. If you still have
questions that remain unanswered by our presentation, send
us an e-mail. (Please allow for up to a week in response time.)
Q: Where can I
ride my ATV or trail motorcycle in New York State? Can you supply me
with maps?
A: There is virtually no accommodation on public lands in NY
for legal trails or access. Some ATV access has been
maintained on public rights-of-way in northern counties, and
maps may still be available detailing such routes (often subject to closure).
No State-organized ATV trail system exists analoguous to the
State Snowmobile Trail System. That leaves riders mainly
to seek out trails and gain permission from private
landowners. Clubs have had the greatest success in securing legal
private land riding areas accessible by members only, and NYSORVA has been instrumental in getting insurance in place to make these trails possible. For this reason, we strongly encourage you to find
and join a club in an area that suites you.
For more on the laws and
best-practice recommendations pertaining to where-to-ride, see DMV’s
C-29 ATV Brochure. [More on
this subject]
Q: Why can’t I
ride on State Lands?
A: Laws and policies
of the State are stacked against wheeled-OHV recreation making gaining
access to state lands exceptionally difficult. In 1983 DEC OHV-access
policy changed from ‘open unless posted-closed’ to ‘closed unless
posted-open’, and by 1986 had closed the remaining trails left open in
1983. Over the years since, the user community has had very limited
success in getting anywhere with the Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to get more or better access
to the over 4 million acres of state land other that the minor
accommodations to date in the North Country (almost completely closed in 2004 [completely closed by 2007], see
DEC Press Release).
Therefore it is important
for riders to band together all over the state to form clubs that can
lease land or otherwise secure permission so that there is a place for
riders willing to pay the price to recreate legally and without fear of
user conflicts with anti-OHV recreationists. [Learn
more about the public process to gain access to public lands.]
Q: How can our
club or local government fund trail projects? What is being done to create a dedicated ATV
trail fund?
A: Short answer—
There is no comprehensive public-based ATV trail funding or state agency
trail program. (No, the snowmobile trail fund under OPRHP has no connection or application
to ATVing.)
However, there are some private resources, see the FAQ-trailfunding page.
Long answer— In
1990, the then-existing registration-based, dedicated ATV Trail Fund was
abolished under a recession-era budget and all funds collected since the
fund was established in 1986 were diverted to the State’s General
Fund. To date over $13 million has been taken from ATV and trail bike
registrants in registration fees (and countless millions more in sales
tax revenue) with no return in the form of trail funding. NYSORVA’s
main goal since 1993 has been the correction of this injustice.
See our Legislation
Page for more background on how NYSORVA has worked to change
public policy toward trail funding since its formation. Only Jefferson
County boasts a public trail fund with grants available for ATV/OHM
projects, contact the Jefferson
County ATV Clubs, Inc. association for more information.
[More
information on creative funding sources.] [Article: $13M+
Registration Fees Collected, Unused]
Q: Must I register
and insure my ATV or trail bike? Is Safety Training required? Where can
I get it?
A: All ATVs and
off-highway motorcycles must be registered when used for recreational
purposes outside of closed-course competition and some agricultural
exceptions. Liability insurance is required when used off one’s own
lands. Safety training is required for youthful operators who wish to
ride unsupervised, and otherwise we strongly recommend that every
rider take an ASI ATV Safety Course or MSF Dirt Bike School
course as a matter of good practice. See DMV’s
C-29 ATV Brochure for the details on registration, insurance,
age requirements and more. See http://www.nyatvsafety.net
for safety course information.
Q: How do I find
out about ATV/OHM EVENTS throughout the State?
NYSORVA does not
host, sponsor, nor underwrite ATV or off-highway motorcycle competition
or recreational events at this time. However local clubs around the
State do just that, and we are happy to communicate listings of such
events to the public through our e-mail News List and web site when
clubs have provided the information to us.
Q: How do I join a
club or support the State Association?
A: Joining one or
more ATV or OHM clubs will be your best way to find places to ride and
meet likeminded friends. Contact a club
directly for membership information. Supporting clubs will also
ensure a strong local OHV community. And by Supporting
the State Association, the unified voice representing the
general interests of riders statewide will be stronger in the halls of
the Legislature and State Agencies. NYSORVA is donor-supported and
volunteer-run, and we have no big foundations or government grants
underwriting our activities, so your help is essential to our survival.
Q: I’m looking
for forms, articles, or other electronic resources to aid in my
education on OHV issues. Where will I find them on the web site?
See http://www.nysorva.org/documents.
A plethora of subject-named files in DOC, PDF, TXT, XLS, etc. are listed
in a directory.
Q: Do you publish
newsletters? Are there back issues? Can I get on the mailing list?
Our primary method of
distribution of news items is through the front page of this web site and also by an E-mail News List.
We infrequently
send out news by postal mail to conserve our minimal resources. If you
would like to be on our mailing/e-miling list,
please join the Advocacy Database.
E-mail newsletters used to be comprehensive
multi-subject but are now distributed in mostly single-subject format. A
few back issues of the multi-subject newsletters are available in the newsletter
archive.
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