SARANAC LAKE — New York wants to boost the winter-tourism industry in the North Country and across the state through snowmobiling.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Feb. 16 announced that New York State will host a free snowmobiling weekend for all out-of-state and Canadian snowmobilers March 14-15.

During the promotional weekend, the state will waive fees for visitors from out of state with “properly registered and insured” vehicles who want use New York’s nearly 10,500 miles of snowmobile trails. 

Cuomo made the announcement before snowmobiling with his three daughters — Cara, Mariah, and Michaela — at Saranac Lake. 

Participants in the free snowmobiling weekend must operate a snowmobile with valid registration in their home state or Canadian province and must carry any applicable insurance as required by their home state or province. 

Non-New Yorkers who wish to use a snowmobile in New York before or after this promotional weekend can use the “NYS registration for out-of-state snowmobile” service to get a 15-day registration and operate their snowmobile here immediately. The state DMV will send a permanent registration in the mail. 

The tourism promotion agency I Love NY will promote the weekend by launching a digital and social-media campaign targeting out-of-state snowmobiling enthusiasts. 

To further support the snowmobiling community this season, the state has awarded $4.2 million in local grants for snowmobile trail maintenance and grooming across New York.

Sledders can get more information about snowmobiling at destinations such as the Tug Hill Plateau, along with updated information about the free snowmobiling weekend at iloveny.com, the governor’s office said.

New York State says it supports snowmobiling with a Statewide Snowmobile Trail System traversing 45 counties, maintained by about 230 clubs, and funded through 51 municipal sponsors.

Snowmobiling tourism economic impact

Cuomo’s office cites a 2011 study by SUNY Potsdam indicating that the state’s snowmobiling community has a seasonal economic impact of $868 million. 

Winter-tourism activities also support economic growth across the state, generating nearly $14.4 billion in direct visitor spending, per Cuomo’s office. The North Country attracted more than 13 million visitors in 2018, up 21.6 percent since 2011. Direct spending increased by more than 23 percent to $1.26 billion.

“New York is home to more than 10,000 miles of some of the best snowmobiling trails in the nation, all with the backdrop of stunning natural beauty that has to be seen to believe,” Cuomo said. “With this free snowmobiling weekend, we are encouraging visitors from far and wide to come to the North Country and points between, experience our great outdoor recreational activities for themselves and further strengthen New York’s booming tourism industry.” 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo last August announced that fees at more than 30 campgrounds, parks, and boat launches along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River would be cut in half to encourage increased tourism in regions impacted by high water.

That announcement helped “in part” as attendance at state parks campgrounds in 2019 “surged to a record high” of 688,369 nights, a 2.4 percent increase over the previous year’s record. 

Since 2011, total overnight stays at state parks campgrounds have risen 26 percent. 

The increase at campgrounds was part of a “record breaking” 77.1 million visits to New York’s state parks, historic sites, campgrounds, and trails in 2019. 

The estimated attendance was up nearly 3 million visits from 2018, an increase of 4 percent, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Feb. 11 news release. 

It reflects an overall increase of 33 percent — or more than 19 million visits annually — since Cuomo took office in 2011, his office said. 

“The NY Parks 2020 initiative has revitalized our state parks and historic sites, and improved them by adding new crown jewels to the system like Shirley Chisholm Park in Brooklyn,” Cuomo said. “Tourism is booming in New York and these beautiful sites are drawing visitors to all corners of the state, offering affordable opportunities for outdoor recreation and to experience our natural treasures while providing an economic boost to local communities.”

Since 2011, the number of campgrounds increased from 65 to 68, with total campsites available rising from 8,379 to 8,555. The number of full-service cottages — which include amenities like power, kitchen, bath, beds, living room, and outdoor living space — jumped from 50 to 128, and the number of cabins rose from 791 to 830. 

Several state park golf courses also saw attendance increases, including St. Lawrence State Park Golf Course near Ogdensburg; Indian Hills Golf Course in Painted Post in Steuben County; and Soaring Eagles Golf Course at Mark Twain State Park in Horseheads. About 600,000 rounds of golf are played at state park golf courses each year.

The Governor’s NY Parks 2020 program is a “multi-year commitment to revitalize” state parks with $900 million in projects supported by state and private funding. The fiscal year 2020-21 state budget proposal includes $110 million toward this initiative. 

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, and boat launches.

HERKIMER — Friends of Historic Herkimer County recently received $10,000 in grant funding to help pay for its Historic Herkimer County Jail Preservation & Tourism Project, helping to repair, restore, and preserve the physical structure of the 1834 jail.

The money came from the M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund (MTPT) of the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties. This grant was part of MTPT’s awarding of more than $765,000 in grants to 35 nonprofits in the two counties in 2019, the Community Foundation announced.

The Historic Herkimer County Jail Preservation & Tourism Project will “significantly restore the stability of the jail,” enable reversal of the deterioration of jail walls, and restore the historic masonry limestone used to build the jail. That will in turn make the entire building available to an increasing number of school children, regional tour groups as a museum, as meeting space, and for expanded fundraising activities, according to officials from the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties

Outcomes of the project include offering more extensive tours of the Herkimer County Jail, holding more open houses and special events, and enhancing the tourism goals of the Village of Herkimer.

The foundation says the success of the project will be measured by an increase in membership and purchases of engraved bricks, and through the keeping of a log of all visitors, including tour groups, school groups, and ticket sales at fundraisers.

Other grants the M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund made last year included providing $29,250 to the Oneida County Youth Bureau to fund a program for 200 disadvantaged children to tour Cooperstown’s Glimmerglass venue and have one-on-one conversations with professional performers, musicians, directors, and staff.    

The Central New York Business Journal recently touched base with Brooke Rouse, executive director of the St. Lawrence County of Chamber of Commerce. 

Rouse says these are the major tourism initiatives for the chamber in 2020:

• Continue to develop and promote the new interactive trails website: www.STLCtrails.com. STLC Trails is a free and easy-to-use tool that brings together information, maps, photographs, and user-submitted trip comments for a growing database of four-season trails in St. Lawrence County. The St. Lawrence Chamber administers STLC Trails in partnership with St. Lawrence County Trails and Nature Up North.

• Launch Trails Challenge for waterfall hikes in the Adirondack Foothills and family friendly experiences;

• Support the hosting of 11 major fishing tournaments along the St. Lawrence River — two of which have national broadcast reach;

• Leverage art, culture, and history events to attract more people and spread awareness of the destination;

• Attract Canadian visitors for golf and cycling, specifically.

The St. Lawrence County of Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1965 and currently has about 500 members, according to its website. Rouse started with the chamber in 2014 as executive director. She oversees the day-to-day operation of the organization, as well as strategic planning for the future. Rouse creates the budget and serves on the executive committee, conducts quarterly meetings, and works on economic, workforce development, and tourism projects for the chamber and St. Lawrence County.