Panel approves higher snowmobile registration fees to shore up trail grooming funds

The House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee voted to approve House Bill 4, a committee bill to raise snowmobile user fees and create a one‑time $25 antique snowmobile decal, the panel said during its hearing.

The bill, approved by the committee in a roll call, would increase resident snowmobile registration from $35 to $50 and create a nonresident rate of $70 (up from $35), add $45 to commercial fees and establish a $25 antique decal intended for historic‑vehicle events. Committee members said the fee increases are intended to sustain grooming, signage and safety work performed by the Wyoming State Trails program.

Committee members and presenters said the State Parks and Cultural Resources Department and its trails program face rising operating costs and a projected shortfall. “We have about 2,600 miles of trails that we groom,” Deputy Director Chris Floyd told the committee, adding that repeated grooming produces roughly 80,000–90,000 grooming miles annually. Floyd said the trails account is running a roughly $400,000 shortfall this year and that the account historically sits at about $3,000,000.

Dave Glenn, director of State Parks and Cultural Resources, told the committee equipment and contract costs have jumped sharply; he said the price of a Snowcat that cost about $195,000 in 2014 was about $305,000 recently. Forrest Kuminga, Wyoming State Trails program manager, said contractor grooming costs per mile have roughly doubled since the last fee increase: “In 2014 our average rate per grooming mile to our private contractors was $17 a mile. We’re at $32 now,” Kuminga said.

Sen. Stacy Jones (Senate District 13), who said she participated in the interim committee that developed the bill, cited economic benefits and described the proposal as a user fee to sustain services: “Snowmobilers contribute over $255,000,000 to our economy every year,” she said. Representatives of the Wyoming State Snowmobile Association, the American Council of Snowmobile Associations and local club leaders also testified in support, stressing safety, grooming and parking infrastructure needs.

Supporters said the increase would give the program roughly three‑quarters of a million dollars and extend the time before further fee adjustments are needed. The bill sets the effective date for the fee changes as July 1, 2025.

The committee approved the bill on a roll call. Representative Campbell, Representative Connolly, Representative Harshman, Representative Jarvis, Representative Provenza, Representative Storer, Representative Thayer, Representative Wirth and Chairman Byron were recorded as voting aye; the clerk reported “9 ayes.”

With committee approval, sponsors said they plan to floor manage the bill in the House.

Details from the committee hearing and the bill’s fiscal note were the primary source for this report; no final floor action was recorded during the committee meeting.