SDSNOCOP..... I wish we had you out here. We have tried to work with the county sheriff and there is just not much response. We have members in our snowmobile club that are Search and Rescue members, but the sheriff says there is a liability problem with deputizing them. It would be ideal if we had someone that rode snowmobiles and could write tickets. We don't have that. We run into a lot of snowmobilers that don't register as well and can't do a thing about it. We still trying to get this problem fixed.
I wish you all the luck in finding snowmobile law enforcement solutions for your area. I can understand the Sheriff's hesitation to add snowmobile LE to his duties. Most County departments are underfunded and under staffed and he is right about the liabilities of deputizing search and rescue personnel.
I work for the SD Dept of Game. Fish and Parks as a LE Park Ranger. I provide LE for the SD State Parks and Recreation area for most of the year. In the winter I am assigned to do snowmobile LE in the Black Hills. 2 of us cover this duty which alows for someone to be on the trails 7 days a week through the winter season. Most of the trails are located on Forest Service lands with some crossing private lands. The SD Dept of GFP, Division of Parks and Recreation is responsible for administering and maintaining snowmobile trails on FS lands. My responsibility is handling LE issues such as licensing, accident response and investigation, trespass issues, Search and Rescue, and any other snowmobile related LE issues both on and off trail. During the time I work snowmobile LE I code my time, travel expenses, and equipment expense to the SD snowmobile trails program fund which is funded by snowmobile license sales, share of gas tax monies, and sales tax on the sale of new and used snowmobiles.
I do not know how Idaho is set up for snowmobile trail funding or how they staff their State Parks but in SD without the dedicated funding source and personnel dedicated for snowmobile LE we would be in the same boat as your state. I have been doing snowmobile LE in the Black Hills for the past 18 years and usually ride 4-5 thousand miles per season but I am one the few officers that was a snowmobiler before becoming a snowmobile cop and still am a snowmobiler. I think for most states a person with that background would be hard to find.
As far as the comments on non-motorized uses of the snowmobile trail, SD only prohibits other motorized use of the trail. The trail is still open to hikers, skiers, snow-shoers, horse, dog sleds etc. A snowmobiler still must expect to find almost anything around the next curve and drive defensively. I have never had a close call with a non-motorized trail user but I have had many with inexperienced riders on rental sleds.
