Gov. Mark Dayton, with the support of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association, has proclaimed this week as Snowmobile Safety Awareness Week in Minnesota.

More than 1,000 volunteer instructors teach DNR snowmobile safety courses across the state.

For more information on the dates and locations of these courses, visit the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov or call 800-366-8917.

To legally ride a snowmobile in Minnesota, residents born after Dec. 31, 1976, need a valid snowmobile safety certificate.