December 23, 2002  Section: News  Edition: Final  Page: A1 

Mike McAndrew Staff writer 

All-terrain-vehicle owners have paid New York $6.8 million in registration fees over 16 years, but the state has not developed a single trail for them to ride upon. 
In 1986, when New York began requiring ATV owners to pay $10 a year, the law required half of money to be used to develop and maintain ATV trails on public land. In the first four years, the state accumulated about $507,500 in a special trail fund. 
But in 1990, faced with a tight budget, the legislature raided the ATV fund and amended the law so that all ATV fees are deposited in the state's general fund. They can be used for any purpose. 
"It's been a broken promise," said Karl Logan, of Auburn, who owns one of the 7,863 ATVs registered in 2001 in Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga and Madison counties. 
ATV owners in other states fare better. 
Pennsylvania, which charges the same registration fee as New York, maintains 188 miles of trails in state forests. 
For $16.25 a year, Michigan's ATV owners can travel on 3,100 miles of trails in state forests and parks. Michigan doesn't charge ATV owners a fee if they stay on private land. 
"New York has done nothing at all for the people who pay the ATV fee," said Jeff Huey, president of the Syracuse Area Trail Riders Association. 
New York might be missing out on a chance to collect more than the $953,000 it raised from the fee last year, an ATV group says. 
The New York State Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Association estimates only one-quarter of the state's ATV owners pay the $10 registration. If the state built trails, more owners would have a reason to register, said Alex Ernst, a spokesman for the group. 
Annual registration fee for all-terrain vehicles and how much of it is dedicated to ATVs in Syracuse and the four other cities in our weekly survey: 

Grand Rapids, Mich $16.25 all goes to ATV program 
Syracuse $10 None goes to ATV program 
Scranton, Pa. $10 all goes to ATV program 
Raleigh, N.C. $0 
Sarasota, Fla. $0 
Source: State government offices