Final Report - Economic and Fiscal Impact of OHVs - Lewis County
Final Report - Economic and Fiscal Impact of OHVs - Lewis County
Lewis County
7660 North State Street
Lowville, NY 13367
PREPARED BY:
PO Box 3547
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518.899.2608
www.camoinassociates.com
ABOUT CAMOIN ASSOCIATES
Camoin Associates has provided economic development consulting services to
municipalities, economic development agencies, and private enterprises since
1999. Through the services offered, Camoin Associates has served EDOs and local
and state governments from Maine to California; corporations and organizations
that include Amazon, Lowes Home Improvement, FedEx, Volvo (Nova Bus) and the
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Rachel Selsky
Vice President, Project Principal
Jessica Tagliafierro
Senior Research Analyst
CONTENTS
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
TOC Photo:
6,086
Local users Non-local users
spend a total of spend a total of
20% 22% 2%
Lodging Food and Drink Entertainment
A non-local OHV
user spends
9% 3% 36%
Gas Convenience Stores OHV Equipment $93
per day.
2% 4% 2%
OHV Repairs Shopping Other
$140,563
economic activity in Lewis County:
www.camoinassociates.com
ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Lewis County’s expansive off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails Economic Impact of OHV Trails
contribute to the county economy through visitor spending on
100%
lodging, food, entertainment, gas, equipment, and other retail. To
quantify the impact of the trails on the region, Lewis County 90%
commissioned Camoin Associates to conduct an economic 80%
impact and fiscal benefit analysis of the OHV industry on the 70%
county. This study considers the economic impacts, in terms of
60%
jobs, wages, and sales, that would not occur but for the OHV
50% Induced
activity. Fiscal benefits include the property tax, sales tax, and
occupancy tax revenue that is generated from this activity. 40% Indirect
30% Direct
OHV Users
20%
In total, it is conservatively estimated that there are 6,086 OHV
vehicles using Lewis County’s trails each year, equaling an 10%
estimated total of 102,086 user days. Of these user days, 30,626 0%
are attributed to local users and 71,460 to non-local users. In Jobs Earnings Sales
other words, non-local users are visitors who would not be in (97) ($2,817,469) ($8,277,850)
Lewis County but for the OHV trails.
Economic Impact
Direct impacts are generated by the OHV users.
OHV users spend money throughout the county’s economy. This
Indirect impacts accrue through business-to-business
direct spending creates new indirect and induced sales, as well as
spending in the county and induced impacts result
jobs and wages (earnings) throughout Lewis County. In total, 97
from employee spending. All impacts would be
jobs, over $2.8 million in wages (earnings), and nearly $8.3 million
foregone without the OHV trails.
in sales are attributed to OHV activity, annually.
Fiscal Impact
Economic activity associated with Lewis County’s OHV users
Annual Tax Revenue
generate new property, sales, and occupancy tax revenue for the
County. Total tax revenue that results from OHV activity is
estimated to be nearly $141,000 in Lewis County, annually.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
INTRODUCTION
Lewis County commissioned Camoin Associates to quantify the economic impact and fiscal benefit of off-highway
vehicle (OHV) activity to Lewis County, New York. Each year, Lewis County attracts OHV riders from across the
region and beyond thanks to its extensive trail network.
This study is intended to quantify the impact of the OHV users on Lewis County and demonstrate the importance
of the OHV industry to the regional economy.
METHODOLOGY
STUDY AREA
This study was conducted on Lewis County, New York
(Figure 2). Surveys were conducted in Lewis County, and Figure 2: Study Area
SURVEY PROCESS
Throughout September and October 2021, a survey was
conducted to evaluate the impact of OHV user spending
on Lewis County. The Center for Community Studies at
Jefferson Community College (JCC) developed this survey
to gather information related to OHV users, including
annual visits, spending habits, location of origin, and
feedback on the trail network.
In total, 1,843 surveys were completed. Figure 3 illustrates the primary residence of survey respondents, by ZIP code.
Respondents from 782 unique ZIP codes participated in the survey. For more information on survey questions, see
Attachment B.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Figure 3
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
MODELING PROCESS
Camoin Associates used Economic Modeling Specialists,
Intl. (Emsi) to calculate the economic impacts of the OHV Modeling Software
users. The following briefly describes the methodology,
Economic Modeling Specialists, Intl. (Emsi)
particularly as it relates to visitor spending; additional
designed the input-output model used in this
information about the Emsi model can be found in
analysis. The Emsi model allows the analyst to
Attachment A.
input the amount of new direct economic activity
1. Estimate Net New Visitation: Camoin Associates (spending, earnings, or jobs) occurring within the
used information about permits and 3-day passes region and uses the direct inputs to estimate the
provided by Lewis County, along with information spillover effects that the net new spending,
gathered from the survey to estimate the number earnings, or jobs have as these new dollars
of “net new” visitors. Survey data was used to circulate throughout the economy. This is
identify visitors for which the OHV trails were their captured in the indirect and induced impacts and
primary reason for visiting the region and who is commonly referred to as the “multiplier effect.”
traveled to the region from outside of Lewis County. See Appendix A for more information on
“Net new” means visitation and spending that economic impact analysis.
would not occur but for the OHV trails.
What does “Net New” Mean?
2. Estimate Net New Spending: Using the survey
results, average spending per day, per net new When looking at the economic impacts of an
visitor was estimated. industry, it’s important to look only at the
economic changes that would not happen in the
3. Model Economic Impacts: Using net new visitor OHV industry’s absence. These effects are the “net
spending amounts as inputs, we modeled the
new” effect: purchases made only as a result of the
economic impacts - in terms of jobs, earnings, and
industry in question.
sales on Lewis County. Economic multipliers were
provided through the Emsi software package. Definition of a “Job”
4. Calculate Total Impacts: We arrived at the total A “job” is equal to one person employed for some
economic impacts as the sum of the direct, indirect, amount of time (part-time, full-time, or
and induced impacts. temporary) during the study period.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
SURVEY RESULTS
The following section summarizes the information captured in the OHV user survey, including the demographics of
respondents, information about the Lewis County OHV experience, and key themes from survey comments. Data
included in this section is an aggregation of all 1,843 survey responses.
DEMOGRAPHICS OF RESPONDENTS
The average age of survey respondents is 49. Over three-quarters of respondents were male, and household
incomes are distributed across a wide range.
Figure 4
Gender of Respondents
Female
24%
Male
76%
Source: Survey
Figure 5
Less than
Household Income of Respondents $25,000
2%
$25,000-
$50,000
More than 8%
$150,000 $50,001-
24% $75,000
15%
$125,001-
$150,000 $75,001-
16% $100,000
$100,001- 20%
$125,000
15%
Source: Survey
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
OHV TYPES
ATVs are the most popular OHV among respondents. 68% of respondents ride ATVs, 58% ride side-by-sides, and
10% ride dirt bikes. Most respondents own the OHVs they ride (96%) with a smaller portion borrowing or renting
OHVs. Note that respondents could select more than one response to these questions.
Figure 6
Figure 7
120%
96%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20% 12%
6%
0%
Borrow Rent Own
Source: Survey
*Respondents could select multiple.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Respondent spending on their last OHV purchase spans a variety of ranges with most (38%) being in the $10,001-
$20,000 range.
Figure 8
More than
$20,000
21%
$5,00-$10,000
31%
$10,001-
$20,000
38%
Source: Survey
More than half of respondents (57%) have their OHVs registered in New York State, while the majority (78%) made
their last OHV purchase in New York.
Figure 9 Figure 10
Are your OHVs registered in NYS? In what state did you make your last
OHV purchase?
All Other
MA VT
7%
2%
CT 1%
1%
No, 33% PA
11%
Not Sure,
Yes, 57%
1%
NY
78%
Some are,
others are not,
Source: Survey 9% Source: Survey
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
OHV EXPERIENCE
On average, respondents make 3.8 trips per season to Lewis County to use the OHV trails. Trips average 2.9 days in
length and respondents spend an average of 12.7 days riding trails in Lewis County per season. Respondents have
on average 7.4 people in their immediate group when they ride the OHV trails
For 56% of respondents, OHV trails are the primary reason they travel to Lewis County. 18% of respondents travel
to the county for many reasons, one of which is the trail network. 14% of respondents purchased property in the
county for OHV riding and 12% live in Lewis County.
Figure 11
In addition to Lewis County, 26% of respondents ride OHVs in Oswego County, 23% in Jefferson County, 17% in
Oneida County, and a smaller percentage in St. Lawrence and Franklin counties.
Figure 12
20%
17%
15%
10% 8%
4%
5%
0%
Oneida St. Oswego Franklin Jefferson
Source: Survey Lawrence
*Respondents could select multiple.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
79% of respondents are joined by both family and friends on a typical OHV outing. Club outings and other organized
groups are less common among respondents.
Figure 13
90%
79%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% 12% 11%
10% 5% 3%
0%
Family only Friends Both Club Other
Source: Survey Only Family and Outing Organized
*Respondents could select multiple. Friends Group
61% of respondents encounter law enforcement at least once in a typical day while riding OHVs in Lewis County.
Figure 14
None
40%
One
48%
Source: Survey
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
95% of respondents rate their overall OHV recreation experience in Lewis County as excellent or good. Only 1% of
respondents rate their experience as poor.
Figure 15
Good
38%
Excellent
57%
Fair
Source: Survey 4%
Respondents were asked to identify what needs to be done to improve the OHV riding experience in Lewis County.
Creating new trails/more trail miles was the most popular answer, with 67% indicating that this needs improvement.
Adding connections to trails in neighboring counties and opening more roads to OHV users were also identified by
over half of the respondents. Respondents could select multiple responses.
Table 1
Please indicate what, if anything, needs to be done to improve the OHV riding
experience in Lewis County.
Needs
Improvement
Creating new trails/more trail miles 67%
Add connections to trails in neighboring counties 63%
Opening more roads to OHV use 56%
Creating additional trail signage 45%
Creating off trail riding areas 40%
Improving access to/number of trailheads 28%
Improving infrastructure (water, restrooms, additional parking, etc.) 19%
Additional camping grounds 19%
Improving trail maintenance 18%
No improvements are needed 5%
Source: Survey
*Respondents can select multiple.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
When asked to identify the one most important improvement needed, creating new trails/more trail miles was the
most popular option, being selected by 30% of respondents. Improving access to/number of trailheads and
improving infrastructure are lower priorities for respondents.
Figure 16
Add connections
Creating Opening more
to trails in
additional trail roads to OHV
neighboring
signage use
counties
11% 17%
21%
Source: Survey
69% of survey respondents think that securing and expanding private landowner trail access by incentivizing
landowners to open OHV trails needs to be done to protect the OHV riding experience in Lewis County. 52% of
respondents identified this as the most important thing that needs to be done.
Table 2
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Figure 17
No
improvements
are needed Securing and
16% expanding
private
landowner
Protecting
trail access
private
52%
property rights
23%
Source: Survey
Unsurprisingly, weekends are the most popular time for respondents to ride OHVs in Lewis County. 89% of
respondents ride on Saturdays, 71% on Fridays, and 69% on Sundays.
Table 3
Source: Survey
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
When planning a trip to Lewis County, friends and family are by far the most popular source of information. For
70% of respondents, friends and family is one of the top two sources used.
Figure 18
60%
49%
50%
40% 37%
30%
20%
10%
10% 6%
2% 1%
0%
Friends and Social Media Search Engine Local Tourism Internet Blog or Print
Family Info Advertisement Publication Advertisement
Source: Survey
Hard copy maps are the preferred trail navigation tool for nearly a third of respondents (31%). This is followed by
25% of respondents who prefer trail signs and 24% who prefer a mobile app.
Figure 19
Hard Copy
Maps
Online Map 31%
(website) Mobile App
4% 24%
Source: Survey
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Most respondents (85%) also dine out when on an OHV trip. A third of respondents leverage other area attractions
while on an OHV trip.
Figure 20
What other activities do you or members of your immediate travel group participate in
while you're on an OHV trip?
90% 85%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40% 33%
31%
29% 28%
30%
20%
9%
10% 5%
2%
0%
Dining Area attractions Festivals/events Visit Shopping Boating Museums/historic Horseback riding
family/friends sites
Source: Survey
Local storage for OHVs is not a priority for respondents. Only 11% of respondents would be interested in local
storage.
Figure 21
No
78%
Source: Survey
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
75% of respondents report that they do not have difficulty finding lodging that meets their needs. Only 3% of
respondents report that they often have issues with this.
Figure 22
Yes, often
3%
No
75%
Source: Survey
THEMES
The survey allowed respondents to add additional comments if desired. Several key themes emerged from these
comments:
Many respondents indicated that they had an extremely positive experience using the OHV trails in Lewis
County. It was noted that the county’s OHV experience is one of the best in the state, and there is an
opportunity for the region to become an even bigger OHV destination.
There is a desire among respondents to expand OHV registration to include vehicles such as side by sides
and OHVs that are over the current weight limit. Most respondents want to follow the rules but are
frustrated with a lack of registration options for these vehicles.
At the same time, a portion of respondents do not want to see registration expanded to include larger
vehicles. Respondents pointed to trail damage and safety concerns from sharing the trails with larger
vehicles.
Respondents expressed a desire for increased law enforcement presence on the trails, for general safety,
speed enforcement, and drunk driving prevention.
Adding more off-road trails and off road riding options and expanding trails to connect with other counties
and riding areas were also mentioned by many respondents.
To further improve the OHV experience, many respondents would like to see improved maps and signage.
15
ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
ECONOMIC IMPACT
When looking at the economic impacts of an industry, it is important to look only at the economic changes that
would not happen in the industry’s absence. These effects are the “net new” effect: purchases made only as a result
of the industry in question. In the case of the OHV industry, economic activity is driven by visitation and visitor
spending. Net new visitation is defined as visitors who would not be in the region but for the OHV trails. In other
words, net new visitors are visitors from outside of the region who travel to Lewis County because of the OHV trails,
or who have purchased second homes in the region because of the trails. Throughout the economic impact analysis,
these are collectively referred to as either “net new users” or “non-local” users. The economic impact does not
include the effect of spending by individuals who live in the region or who travel to the region for other reasons
and also use the OHV trails (the “local users”).
To calculate the economic impact of the OHV trails it is necessary to convert the total annual vehicles to “vehicle
days.”2 According to the survey, OHV users ride the Lewis County trails for 12.7 days annually, on average. It is
1 Note that this is a conservative estimate of non-permitted users, and therefore of total users. In distributing the survey to
Lewis County’s existing contact lists, the survey likely disproportionately captured permitted users.
2 The term vehicle is used to describe an individual vehicle whereas a vehicle day is the number of days spent per year. For
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
therefore assumed that 3-day pass holders use the trails for three days (per pass) while all other users (permit
holders and unregistered riders) use the trails for 12.7 days, annually. In total, this means that there were an
estimated 57,675 OHV vehicle days in Lewis County in 2021.
Table 5
The economic impact analysis uses visitor spending as a key input. Therefore, it is necessary to convert the number
of total vehicle days into total user days. Certain vehicle types, such as ATVs and side-by-sides, often carry more
than one rider. Lewis County estimates that on average dirt bikes will have one user per vehicle, ATVs will have 1.25
users per vehicle, and side-by-sides will have 2.50 users per vehicle. The percent of each type of vehicle was obtained
from the survey3 and these factors were applied to the total number of vehicles in each category to calculate the
number of total user days.
Table 6
For the purposes of this analysis, the total user days must be converted to net new user days, which captures only
the visitation to Lewis County that would not occur but for the OHV trails. According to the survey, 30% of OHV
users were local users (i.e. individuals who either live in Lewis County or are in the county for many reasons, one of
which is the OHV trails) while 70% were non-local users (i.e. individuals whose primary residence is outside of Lewis
County but who travel to Lewis County because of the OHV trails or who purchased a property in the county because
of the trails). This analysis assumes that the non-local users are net new. In other words, these users would not be
3 Note the percentages in Table 6 do not equal the percentages in Figure 6. This is because respondents could select multiple
answers to the survey question if they ride multiple types of OHVs. Figure 6 displays the actual results of the survey and the
percentages do not sum to 100% as respondents who select multiple options fall into multiple categories. For the purposes of
the economic impact analysis these results were converted to a 0-100% scale.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
in Lewis County (and spending money) without the OHV trails. Using these assumptions, it is estimated that there
were 71,460 net new user days in 2021.
Table 7
Number of
User Days
Total OHV User Days 102,086
Local User Days (30%) 30,626
Net New (Non-Local) User Days (70%) 71,460
Source: Lewis County, Survey, Camoin Associates
According to the survey, non-local OHV riders spent an average of $1,990 per group, per trip in the county.4 Since
the average group size of non-local users is 7.4 people, and the average number of days per trip is 2.9, average
spending per user per day is $93. This was multiplied by the 71,460 net new user days to calculate total annual OHV
user spending of over $6.6 million.
Table 8
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Food and
Beverage
Stores
All Other
2%
16% Food Services
Gasoline A summary of economic activity is less
Stations and Drinking
3% Places rigorous than an economic impact analysis as
30%
Miscellaneous it simply summarizes what is happening,
Store Retailers Accommodation
5% 22%
Motor Vehicle rather than what is changing in the regional
and Parts
Dealers economy. Economic activity is a good
22% measure of the size of the local OHV industry
but is not directly comparable to or included
Source: Emsi in the economic impacts.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Table 10
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
FISCAL IMPACT
In addition to the economic impact on the regional economy, the net new OHV users also have a fiscal impact in
terms of property tax, sales tax, and occupancy tax revenue.
TAX REVENUE
PROPERTY TAX REVENUE
Although the use of the OHV trails does not directly generate property tax revenue for Lewis County, property tax
revenue can be thought of as a function of the overall economic activity within a region. As economic activity
increases so do assessed property values, and therefore, property tax revenue. In other words, without the OHV
users and their associated economic activity, Lewis County’s property tax revenue would be lower than it is currently.
To estimate the portion of property tax revenue that can be attributed to the OHV users and resulting economic
activity, we determined the ratio of total “value added” sales 5 associated with the OHV activity to the total Gross
Regional Product (GRP) 6 of Lewis County. This ratio is used as a proxy for the portion of property tax revenue that
can be attributed to the OHV users.
To do so, we first consider the $8.3 million in total sales that were calculated as part of the Economic Impact Analysis
(Table 9). Of these total sales, a portion is considered to be value-added. Value added sales account for 0.5% of GRP
in Lewis County. This is, in effect, the portion of the county’s property tax base that is reliant on economic activity
generated by the OHV users. Applying this ratio to the property tax levy of the county, we estimate total property
tax revenue attributed to the OHV users (Table 11). Note that this is the property tax revenue attributable to the
economic activity generated by OHV related visitation and does not include the actual property taxes paid by
homeowners.
Table 11
5 Value added sales are a measure of contribution to GRP. This is the difference between an industry’s total sales and the cost
of its intermediate inputs. Intermediate inputs are goods and services that are used in the production process of other goods
and services.
6 Gross Regional Product (GRP) measures the market value of all final goods and services produced in each county in a year.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
7 Based on the percent of industry demand that is met within the county, for a typical household spending basket (source:
Emsi).
8 Based on information from the NYS Department of Finance and Taxation regarding purchases subject to sales tax.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
If New York State laws were updated, additional revenue could potentially be collected from currently unregistered
users. To estimate the amount of potential revenue attributed to Lewis County OHV users, we looked at the current
estimated unregistered users in Lewis County (2,158, see Table 4). According to the survey, 96% of users own their
vehicles while 4% rent, therefore 96% was applied to the estimated unregistered users to exclude users that rent
their vehicles. Based on the survey, OHV users own 2.3 OHVs on average. For the purposes of this analysis, we
assume that all OHVs owned by unregistered users are unregistered. This means that an estimated 4,766 OHVs are
unregistered among users of Lewis County’s OHV trails. Applying the $12.50 registration cost to this number of
vehicles, the total potential uncaptured revenue is calculated.
Table 16
SALES TAX
A portion of users made their most recent OHV purchase out of state, resulting in lost sales tax revenue for New
York State. The number of vehicles purchased out of state was estimated using data from the survey and estimates
of total trail usage. According to the survey, the average purchase price of respondents’ OHVs is over $18,000. This
23
ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
means that an estimated over $23.3 million has been spent out of state on OHV purchases by Lewis County OHV
trail users. Nearly $1.9 million in sales and use tax revenue is lost due to these vehicles being purchased out of state.
Table 17
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
This change in final demand translates into the first round of buying and selling that occurs in an economy. For
example, the widget manufacturer must buy its inputs of production (electricity, steel, etc.), must lease or purchase
property and pay its workers. This first round is commonly referred to as the “Direct Effects” of the change in final
demand and is the basis of additional rounds of buying and selling described below.
To continue this example, the widget manufacturer’s vendors (the supplier of electricity and the supplier of steel)
will enjoy additional output (i.e. sales) that will sustain their businesses and cause them to make additional
purchases in the economy. The steel producer will need more pig iron and the electric company will purchase
additional power from generation entities. In this second round, some of those additional purchases will be made
in the US economy and some will “leak out”. What remains will cause a third round (with leakage) and a fourth
(and so on) in ever-diminishing rounds of industry-to-industry purchases. Finally, the widget manufacturer has
employees who will naturally spend their wages. Again, those wages spent will either be for local goods and
services or will “leak” out of the economy. The purchases of local goods and services will then stimulate other local
economic activity. Together, these effects are referred to as the “Indirect Effects” of the change in final demand.
Therefore, the total economic impact resulting from the new widget manufacturer is the initial $1 million of new
money (i.e. Direct Effects) flowing in the US economy, plus the Indirect Effects. The ratio of Total Effects to Direct
Effects is called the “multiplier effect” and is often reported as a dollar-of-impact per dollar-of-change. Therefore,
a multiplier of 2.4 means that for every dollar ($1) of change in final demand, an additional $1.40 of indirect
economic activity occurs for a total of $2.40.
Key information for the reader to retain is that this type of analysis requires rigorous and careful consideration of
the geography selected (i.e. how the “local economy” is defined) and the implications of the geography on the
computation of the change in final demand. If this analysis wanted to consider the impact of the widget
manufacturer on the entire North American continent, it would have to conclude that the change in final demand
is zero and therefore the economic impact is zero. This is because the $1 million of widgets being purchased by
Canadians is not causing total North American demand to increase by $1 million. Presumably, those Canadian
purchasers will have $1 million less to spend on other items and the effects of additional widget production will
be cancelled out by a commensurate reduction in the purchases of other goods and services.
Changes in final demand, and therefore Direct Effects, can occur in a number of circumstances. The above
example is easiest to understand: the effect of a manufacturer producing locally but selling globally. If, however,
100% of domestic demand for a good is being met by foreign suppliers (say, DVD players being imported into the
US from Korea and Japan), locating a manufacturer of DVD players in the US will cause a change in final demand
because all of those dollars currently leaving the US economy will instead remain. A situation can be envisioned
whereby a producer is serving both local and foreign demand, and an impact analysis would have to be careful in
calculating how many “new” dollars the producer would be causing to occur domestically.
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ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
26
Lewis County Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Study
The following survey is being conducted on behalf of Lewis County to collect the information to better understand the
usage, needs, and economic impact of off highway vehicle users in Lewis County and the region.
1. Which of the following off highway vehicles OHV’s do you 12. In a typical season, how many days do you spend
ride? trail riding in Lewis County? _______
❑ Dirt ❑ ATV ❑ Side by ❑ Other 13. In which of the following counties do you ride OHV’s?
Bike Side ❑ Oneida ❑ Oswego ❑ Jefferson
Other _____________________________________ ❑ St. Lawrence ❑ Franklin
2. Do you borrow, rent, or own the OHV(s) you ride? 14. Including you, how many people are in your typical
❑ Borrow ❑ Rent ❑ Own immediate group when you ride in Lewis County? _______
If you are an owner, how many do you own? _________ 15. Who goes on a typical OHV outing with you?
(Check all that apply)
3. How much did you spend on your last OHV Purchase?
❑ No one ❑ Both family & friends
❑ Less than $5000 ❑ $5001 - $10,000 ❑ Family only ❑ Club outing
❑ $10,001 - $20,000 ❑ More than $20,000 ❑ Friends only ❑ Other organized group
4. In what state did you make your last OHV purchase? 16. How much (in dollars) do you estimate you and your immediate
travel group (the individuals you included in your answer to
______________________ question 14) spend on a typical OHV trip in Lewis on:
5. Is your OHV Registered in New York?
Lodging $
❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ Not Sure
Food and drink at Bars/Restaurants $
6. Do you ride the Lewis County OHV Trails? Area entertainment, admissions $
❑ Yes, I have a permit Shopping (souvenirs, clothing, etc) $
❑ Yes, I purchase a three day pass Gas (purchased in Lewis County) $
❑ Yes, but only on the free weekend
OHV Repairs $
❑ Yes, without a permit
❑ No Convenience stores (not gas) $
7. Which of the following statements best describes your choice Transportation to the area $
to ride OHV’s in Lewis County? OHV equipment and accessories $
❑ I live in Lewis County. Other
$
❑ My primary residence is not in Lewis County, (Specify: _______ )
but I purchased property in the County for OHV 17. With respect to each of the following aspects of an OHV trip
riding. to Lewis County, please rate the level of importance to you
❑ I don’t live in Lewis County and the OHV trails on a scale of very important to not at all important:
are the primary reason I travel to Lewis County.
❑ I don’t live in Lewis County and travel to Lewis
Somewhat
Not at all
Not Very
Not sure
County for many reasons, one of which is the
trail network.
Very
8. Please indicate the state, county and zip code of your Riding with family
primary residence:
Riding with friends
State: Scenery
County: Length of ride
Exploring new trails
Zip code: Relaxation
Restaurants/entertainment
9. If you own property in Lewis County in addition to your
Trail signage
primary residence, please indicate the ZIP code for this
property. Trail safety
Variety of terrain
❑ I do own additional property Lodging options
and the ZIP CODE is: _____________
Activities for family members
❑ I do not own additional property
If your primary residence is not in Lewis County, please 18. How would you rate your overall OHV Recreation experience
answer the two questions in the enclosed box below. in Lewis County?
10. In a typical season how many trips do ❑ Excellent ❑ Good ❑ Fair ❑ Poor
you take to Lewis County for OHV Recreation? _______
11. How long (number of days) are your typical
trips to Lewis County? _______ Over
19. How many times would you say you encounter law 27. What other activities do you or members of your immediate
enforcement in a typical day while riding OHVs in the region? travel group participate in while you’re on an OHV trip?
❑ None ❑ One ❑ Two of more (Check all that apply)
20. Please indicate what, if anything, needs to be done to ❑ Shopping ❑ Dining
improve the OHV riding experience in Lewis County (Check ❑ Visit family/friends ❑ Museums/historic sites
all that apply) ❑ Festivals/events ❑ Area attractions
❑ Boating ❑ Horseback riding
A ❑ Creating new trails/more trail miles
❑ Other
B ❑ Opening more roads to OHV use
(Specify: _____________________________________)
C ❑ Improving trail maintenance
D ❑ Creating additional trail signage If you do not have a in Lewis County, please answer the
E ❑ Creating off trail riding areas three questions in the enclosed box below.
F ❑ Improving infrastructure (water, restrooms, 28. Would you be interested in local storage space for your OHV?
additional parking, etc.)
G ❑ Improving access to/number of trailheads ❑ Yes ❑ No
H ❑ Additional camping grounds
29. Do you have difficulties finding lodging that meets your
I ❑ Add Connections to Trails in other Counties
needs within a reasonable distance?
J ❑ No improvements are needed
21. Using a LETTER (A-J) from the choices above what is ❑ Yes, often ❑ Yes, sometimes ❑ No
the ONE most important improvement that needs to 30. Where do you think additional lodging is needed in Lewis
be made to make your OHV riding experience County?
more enjoyable? _______
22. Please indicate what, if anything, needs to be done to protect _____________________________________________
the OHV riding experience in Lewis. (Check all that apply) 31. What is your age? ______________
A ❑ Adding additional police enforcement and
32. What is your gender? __________________
strengthening regulations
B ❑ Protecting private property rights 33. Which of these categories best describes your annual
C ❑ Securing and expanding private landowner trail household income?
access by incentivizing landowners to open OHV ❑ Less than $25,000 ❑ $100,001-$125,000
trails ❑ $25,000-$50,000 ❑ $125,001-$150,000
D ❑ No improvements are needed ❑ $50,001-$75,000 ❑ More than $150,000
23. Using a LETTER (A-D) from the choices above what do ❑ $75,001-$100,000 ❑ Prefer not to answer
you believe is the ONE most important item that 34. Do you snowmobile in Lewis County?
would safeguard the OHV experience in the region? _______ ❑ Yes ❑ No
24. When planning a trip to Lewis County, which two of the
following sources do you most commonly use to gather 35. What additional recreational activities or events do you
information about OHV Riding? participate in within Lewis County?
❑ Friends and Family ❑ Blog or Publication
_________________________________________________
❑ Search Engine ❑ Print Advertisement
(Google, Bing…) (magazine, newspaper…) 36. Please share any additional comments in the box below.
❑ Social Media (Facebook, ❑ Internet Advertisement Comments:
Twitter, Instagram…)
❑ Local Tourism Info ❑ State Tourism Info
(Visitor’s Center or Guide, (I Love NY website,
Local TV…) Interstate/Highway
Informational Centers…)
❑ Other
Specify: ( )
25. On which days of the week do you typically ride OHVs in
Lewis County? (Check all that apply)
❑ Monday ❑ Friday
❑ Tuesday ❑ Saturday
❑ Wednesday ❑ Sunday
❑ Thursday
26. Of the following, what is your preferred trail navigation tool? 37. If you would like your name to be entered for a chance to
win a Family 4 pack of Lewis County OHV Trail Permits,
❑ Mobile App ❑ Trailside Kiosk/Map please include your contact information.
❑ Stations
❑ Hard Copy Maps ❑ Online Map (website) Name: _______________________________________
❑ GPS unit ❑ Trail Signs Email: _______________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________
Thank you for helping us with this survey. For more information regarding this survey contact Jackie Mahoney from Lewis County
Recreation, Forestry and Parks at (315) 376-5972.
ECONOMIC AND FISCAL IMPACT OF OHV ACTIVITY ON LEWIS COUNTY
Leading action to
grow your economy
Camoin Associates
PO Box 3547
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518.899.2608
www.camoinassociates.com
@camoinassociate
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