Interview: Brantingham Snowmobile Club President Michael Siless talks formula for state funding and how poor riding seasons impact North Country snowmobile clubs

BRANTINGHAM- "A lot of people see a dismal winter like this and they don'e even join their club." That's what Brantingham Snowmobile Club President Mike Siless believes.

The winter of 2023-2024 will go down as one of the lightest of our time and will also be remembered as the second of back-to-back poor riding seasons across the North Country.

It's no news how dismal the riding conditions were this season, but it is of great significance that several snowmobile clubs and businesses are concerned.

It's pretty simple - if there's no snow to ride on, or if the conditions are marginal to fair at best, then our local businesses, including lodging establishments, restaurants and taverns all take a hit financially. 

But do the snowmobile clubs feel any impacts? "If you want your club to be there next year, you better join it," Siless emphasized. 

"If we're not getting those state trail dollars, that means that our membership dollars are even that much more crucial." Listen to our full on-air coverage here:

According to Siless, each snowmobile club across New York State has a certain number of miles which are considered as "funded miles." 

"The amount of miles that a club is responsible for determines a cap on an amount that we would receive through the trail grant," Siless explained. He also mentioned that Brantingham has just over 100 funded miles within their system.  

Basically, the total miles for each system remains steady each season, but there's another variable that fits into the equation. There is a minimal threshold each club needs to meet for when it comes to hours spent grooming.

As of this report, Siless says that Brantingham Snowmobile Club is not even remotely close to accomplishing that minimum goal. 

That means they won't be able to capitalize on a maximum reimbursement from the state. It's not like Brantingham Snowmobile Club lacks volunteers or the equipment, but there was so little snowfall throughout the winter that they could only spend just a fraction of the time grooming. 

Even more concerning, all other clubs locally appear to be in the same boat. No snow means no grooming. No grooming means little to no riding. If there's no way to groom and meet the minimal thresholds, does that mean the state will come up with a way to ensure maximum reimbursements?

When asked that very question, Siless told us that he wasn't aware of anything, for now. 

For context, Siless made it clear that Brantingham Snowmobile Club remains in pretty good shape financially, but the concerning focus revolves around what seems to be a trend where riding seasons are becoming shorter and shorter.

Just like a businesses, snowmobile clubs have taxes to pay and maintenance costs. The question is - how many poor riding seasons can the North Country take before the sport, which is adored by countless, takes such a serious hit that it can no longer be sustained?  

There is no telling what next season will be like, but if you're a snowmobile rider, a business owner or a club official, it's safe to say that anything significantly better than when compared to the past two seasons will be welcomed with wide open arms.

Brantingham Snowmobile Club image.