ALBANY COUNTY — Snowmobile clubs in Albany County will receive $12,984 to maintain snowmobile trails, part of $4.2 million to be used statewide.

The local grants program is funded by snowmobile registration fees collected by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and deposited into the Snowmobile Trail Development and Maintenance Fund. County and municipal governments distribute the grants to about 230 snowmobile clubs across the state.

Also the governor has designated the weekend of Jan. 25 to 27 as a free snowmobiling weekend for all out-of-state and Canadian snowmobilers. During this promotional weekend, the requirement to register in New York is waived for properly registered and insured out-of-state snowmobilers.

New York State is providing $4.2 million for snowmobile trail maintenance to local communities this winter, a 5-percent increase from last year, according to a release from the governor’s office. The trail grants support 10,400 miles of designated trails across the state for snowmobilers.

The state’s snowmobiling community has a seasonal economic impact of $868 million, according to a 2011 study by the State University of New York at Potsdam. New York supports snowmobiling with a Statewide Snowmobile Trail System traversing 45 counties, maintained by over 200 clubs, and funded through 51 municipal sponsors.