Panel hears mixed testimony on bill to raise snowmobile registration fees to support groomed trails and enforcement

Staff introduced House Bill 2139 as Parks and Recreation Commission request legislation to raise annual snowmobile registration fees from $50 to $75 and vintage registration from $12 to $18. The Department of Licensing and State Parks fiscal notes estimate roughly $482,000 in additional revenue in the first biennium and about $1 million per subsequent biennium; the Department of Licensing cited a small one-time system modification cost of about $26,000.

Proponents — including State Parks staff, the Washington State Snowmobile Association and county commissioners — said the increase would help preserve 89 motorized snow parks and 2,300 miles of designated trails, support contracts for grooming and sanitation (State Parks cited approximately $1.67 million in grooming contracts paid to local businesses), and sustain rural recreation economies.

Opponents and skeptical commenters warned that registration counts have fallen (State Parks’ numbers were cited by witnesses as falling from ~38,000 to ~19,000 users), that unregistered snowmobile prevalence undercuts funding equity, and that enforcement capacity is limited. Several speakers urged that the agency identify a clear enforcement plan and explain why the Department of Licensing receives 3% of the fee for administration.

State Parks staff said a recent user survey (about 1,300 responses) showed over 60% of respondents favored a $25 increase. Staff also noted they had already reduced services at 14 snow parks and that additional revenue could be targeted to enforcement through partnerships with local law enforcement.

The public hearing concluded with committee requests for more enforcement detail and information about sales-tax allocations on snowmobile sales. No vote was taken at the hearing.