File photo Snowmobile season gets underway today in Chautauqua County.

If there’s enough snow, today is the official opening day of snowmobiling season in Chautauqua County.

With the past few years the trails being open sparingly, one county official would like to see some trails open year round for all-terrain vehicles.

In December, the Chautauqua County Legislature accepted a $64,500 snowmobile trail development and maintenance grant. The county accepts the funds and then passes it on to local snowmobile clubs.

During the discussion of the grant in a committee meeting, Legislator Dan Pavlock, R-Ellington, noted that the utilization of the trails is weather dependent. In the last few years there have been very few times that snowmobilers could use the county trail system. “It seems once hunting season is over and the trails open, the snow melts,” he said.

After the regular firearm season, New York state has late bow and muzzleloader hunting seasons for deer Dec. 9-17 and Dec. 26-Jan. 1.

There apparently were a couple of days that some select trails were open in Chautauqua County shortly before Christmas, but they were closed by Dec. 26 once the “holiday hunt” took effect.

Pavlock asked about the idea of having trails open year round for vehicles. “I know it’s an uphill battle and there’s a lot of naysayers, but where do we stand on a more all-season type trail,” he asked.

Lauren Sharp with the county Department of Planning said there are trails in the county that are open year round, but mainly for hiking, biking or horseback riding.

She noted that the Rails to Trails and trails in the Department of Environmental Conservation forests are open to the public. “As far as other motorized vehicles – side-by-side, four-wheelers, things like that – typically the DEC doesn’t want them on their property and Rails to Trails is more of a hiking/walking trail,” she said.

Sharp also said that much of the snowmobile trails are owned by private landowners who do not want access on their property year round.

She noted the county has put together a countywide trail map that lists which trails are for hiking, snowshoeing, horseback riding and biking. Snowmobilers have their own map with the state Snowmobile Association that lists trails exclusively for snowmobiling.

Pavlock thanked Sharp for her comments, but said that he still believes there would be value in trails open for motorized vehicles year round. “I think that some sort of different trail system could really be utilized in our area. We have a lot of great countryside,” he said.

Pavlock said he sees multiple benefits. “I think it could provide another opportunity, not just for residents, but for tourists. People would come to utilize those trails if they were available,” he said.

Pavlock said he would like to see the county see if there’s grant funds available to start the process. “If it was done in 20 years, I’d take it. I would say it would be work well done,” he said.