MNUSA news letter

July 2025

JULY 2025

SUMMER EVENT RECAP

Region 1 were amazing hosts to this years Summer Event! We thank them for their amazing hospitality! A delicious lunch and great company preceded general membership and BOD meetings.

Executive Board Nominations were:

President – Mike Clevenger

Vice President – Scotty Harder

Treasurer – Gordon Heitke

Secretary – Janet Widness

To request your absentee ballot for the upcoming election at Fall Workshop, please contact the office via phone or email for one to be mailed to you.

763-577-0185

office@mnusa.org

ACTION NEEDED FROM ALL SNOWMOBILERS!

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SURVEY FROM THE MN DNR

As a component of the 4 The Outdoors initiative, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is exploring the use and application of fees in conservation and outdoor recreation. After gathering public input on the funding system as a whole, we’re now focusing on developing strategies to improve fees for a sustainable funding future. We have created a short questionnaire to better understand Minnesotans’ values and preferences for the use and application of fees, The survey is open until August 20, 2025.

 

Please take the questionnaire to share your values and preferences.

 

4 The Outdoors identifies some of the biggest challenges in securing adequate financial resources to support natural resource management for conservation and outdoor recreation, and also identifies concrete steps we can take to advance on the path towards financial stability and sustainability moving forward. Exploring the use and application of fees is one of the four key actions DNR is working on in implementation of the 4 The Outdoors report.

 

LEGISLATION UPDATE

The following is a quick update on our legislation priorities:

Snowmobile License Plates: The bill was introduced but not yet heard in committee. We know that so called “vanity plate” legislation takes several years to pass. The bill is alive for the 2026 session and will be working with key lawmakers during the interim.

Sales Tax Exemption for trail development and maintenance: We had a good hearing with the Chair calling this her favorite tax exemption bill, but the bill was not included in the omnibus tax bill.

SIFA Reduction: The senate proposed a 30% reduction to Sustainable Forest funding. Senator Hauschild successfully argued for a compromise position of a 10% reduction in the tax conference committee.

PFAS: Christian successfully argued in committee that youth snowmobiles should be exempted from the FPAS ban.

Snowmobile Funding: $9,624,000 was appropriated for each of the next 2 fiscal years. Note that the only source of funds for this appropriation is our dedicated account so amounts actually expended will depend on account balances.

Membership Benefits

and Beneficiary Secondary Mailing

Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association is a proud partner with American Income Life (aka Globe Life), a 100% union insurance company. Through this partnership, all members of Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association have $4000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment policy at no cost.

As a member of MnUSA, you should have received a second letter in the mail, in the past few weeks going over member benefits. If you have previously already responded to this request, please disregard this notice.

It is not a requirement for members to designate a beneficiary in order to receive this benefit, if you do, please note:

  1. An AIL representative will be contacting you to confirm your beneficiary, and to inform you of additional benefits: AIL PLUS (saves 10-85% on out of pocket healthcare costs), FREE Will Kit, and FREE Child Safety Kits.
  2. If you experience any issues with your AIL/Globe Life agent, or have any questions about AIL or your benefits, please feel free to contact the MnUSA Office or our AIL representatives directly for assistance:

Stephanie Bauman 509-216-9954

swbaumann@ailife.com

Miranda McKee

317-379-9330

msmckee@ailife.com

Tyler Harlan

763-464-0974

tlharlan@globe.life

FALL WORKSHOP REGISTRATION FORM

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS!

SEPT 6-7: Hay Days 2025 – North Branch, MN

OCT 24-26: MnUSA Fall Workshop – Minneapolis, MN

FEB 12-15 2026: MnUSA Winter Rendezvous – Bemidji, MN

MnUSA BOOTH APPEARANCES!

AUG 22-23: Princeton Outlaw Grass Drags – Princeton, MN

SEPT 6-7: Hay Days 2025 – North Branch, MN

OCT 6: River City Snow Riders Swap and Meet – Elk River, MN

ATTENTION CLUBS!

Having an event? Have the MnUSA Membership Booth come join you!

Our Membership:Booth Committee is always looking for opportunities to be present for your event. If you would like a MnUSA Booth at your upcoming club/community event, please reach out to the Membership:Booth Committee.

Membership:Booth Committee Interim Chair

Scott Wakefield

612-483-5638

oliver1650@icloud.com

Fun events? Upcoming meetings? Exciting club news? Share it here! Just send some information to the MnUSA office at office@mnusa.org. Pictures always help tell your story!

SUMMER OFFICE HOURS REMINDER

Don’t forget! For the summer, staff is being reduced to 2 days a week, Tue-Wed, unless projects arise that require those days to change.

We encourage everyone to call or email the office with any issues, and messages will be returned as soon as possible. Should you need to come into the office, please schedule an appointment to be sure staff is available.

Next fall, the tentative plan is to reopen the office M-Th weekly starting in October.

www.mnusa.org

NOW LIVE

Don’t forget to come visit us at the new website! Come see our new look and lots of great updated information!

REMINDER!

ISSUES WILL START AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER!

With the end of the 2024-2025 snowmobile season, new issues are on hold until September. Don’t fret! Members can still read all past issues of Minnesota Snowmobiling digitally through our website!

ATTENTION MEMBERS!

Help MnUSA save money and read Minnesota Snowmobiling digitally online! To remove yourself from our mailing list please CONTACT US, asking to be removed from our magazine mailing list.

Fun events? Exciting club news?

Share it in the magazine!

CLUB NEWS SUBMISSION FORM
SEE MONTHLY MnUSA RAFFLE CALENDAR WINNERS

2026 RAFFLE CALENDAR UPDATE!

The 2026 Raffle Calendar has been designed and submitted to the printers and we should be receiving them in the next few weeks. The fundraising committee is working hard at getting next years calendar ready to go! More details will be coming soon!

CALENDAR PHOTO WINNER: JULY

Photo by Darren Anderson

“Moonshiners Snowmobile Club patiently waiting for snow.”

THIS MONTHS QUESTION

Do you plan to attend any fall snowmobile events to get ready for the upcoming season?
Thumbs up        Thumbs down

LAST MONTHS RESULTS

What do you think of the new MnUSA Website?

Positive: 70.0%

Neutral: 13.3%

Negative: 16.7%

Mike Clevenger

President

Scotty Harder

Vice President

Janet Widness

Secretary

Gordon Heitke

Treasurer

Scott Wakefield

Director at Large

MnUSA

14000 Sunfish Lake Blvd NW Ste L Ramsey, MN 55303

office@mnusa.org

763-577-0185

www.mnusa.org

SUMMER OFFICE HOURS

Thu-Mon – CLOSED

Tue/Wed: 8am-4pm

Directions to Office

Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association | 14000 Sunfish Lake Blvd NW Suite L |