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Wabasha County weighs liability risk as state seeks county sign-off on snowmobile trail permit
Summary
County administrator warned the Association of Minnesota Counties that a state limited-use permit would shift liability for roughly 200 miles of snowmobile trails to counties and remove insurance coverage, putting local clubs at risk of losing state reimbursement unless a decision is reached.
Wabasha County officials discussed a state proposal that would require counties to sign limited-use permits taking on liability for local snowmobile trails, but county insurers say the permits would not be covered under existing county policies.
County Administrator (unnamed) told the board the county maintains about 200 miles of snowmobile trails but performs no maintenance, signage or oversight beyond acting as a pass-through for state funding to local snowmobile clubs. He said the state’s limited-use permit would make a county legally responsible for crossings and other trail liabilities and that Minnesota County Intergovernmental Insurance Trust (MCIT) has informed the county it would have no coverage if the county signs the agreement.
The administrator said the lack of insurance coverage would leave counties “taking on all the responsibility for a trail that we typically have no oversight over.” He added that if the county refuses to sign the permit, the state indicated it would withhold funding to local clubs. He told commissioners the decision could affect other counties and asked the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) to consider a position on the issue.
The administrator described possible options: asking MCIT for an additional rider (at an unknown cost), exploring a pooled purchase of insurance with other counties, or requiring local snowmobile clubs to obtain coverage themselves. He said some counties are signing the permit, others are not, and some are asking clubs to sign. He estimated the required insurance could be “a million or a million and a half” dollars for the coverage cited in communications, a figure he said most local clubs could not afford.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about where accidents typically occur; the administrator said most injuries arise at public road crossings, though other trail incidents could create liability. He noted that the county’s share of state funding to local clubs is about $82,000 annually, split among clubs, and that clubs currently spend the spring on trail maintenance and sign purchases and could face unreimbursed costs if the county does not sign the permit.
The administrator asked AMC to take up the matter because the change could affect counties statewide. No formal county action or vote on the permit was recorded at the meeting; the item was discussed as a staff update and raised for future consideration.
The discussion also noted that, if the county were to buy additional coverage, the cost for Wabasha County was unknown and would require further vetting.
County residents and snowmobile club representatives were not recorded speaking at this meeting on the topic; the board did not take a formal vote on signing the state’s limited-use permit during the session.
