MRR seeks citizen volunteers to assist in our review of grant-in-aid documents and routes in Minnesota. Our just-released
Citizen Audit of Publicly Funded Snowmobile and ATV Clubs and Routes in Saint Louis County found numerous grant violations and potential conflicts of interest and violations of local, state, and federal laws. Over 200 motorized clubs and routes currently receive public funding (in the form of dedicated gas tax funds: how did you feel about that last fill-up?) in the State of Minnesota, and MRR has consistently found little or no oversight of club activities by either Minnesota DNR or the local government sponsors liable for route maintenance and grants oversight under current grant agreements. We hope that this report, and others like it, will create a public demand for better oversight of these public funds and statewide implementation of Five Standards for Protecting Minnesota from the Unwanted Effects of Motorized Recreation.
Our Saint Louis County audit alone comprised 3200 pages of documents, and the field audit includes about 430 miles of routes sponsored by the County. Our results are astounding, and we need the help of dedicated citizens to complete and initiate further document and field audits statewide. Our audit process is simple but powerful, and we have developed documents and checklists specifically to guide citizen auditors through the steps required to audit their favorite routes, clubs, and sponsors. We also need your assistance in calling to account local government sponsors of routes. You have the right to be heard by your town, city, and county boards and to hold them accountable for their decisions to sponsor these routes. The voice of the quiet majority is powerful when it speaks.
Please contact MRR Program Director Caleb Wolden (address and phone number above) to volunteer time or resources, or to learn how to apply our Toolkit for the Quiet Majority to your specific motorized recreation concerns.
