February 2005 - FYI

For Your Information (FYI bulletins are sent both electronically and by regular mail. For more information on the FYI contact either IOGA executive director Grant Simonds at gsimonds@cableone.net (208.343.9548) or IOGA office manager Jane Bruesch at idoutfitt@cableone.net (208.342.1438).

The 14th Annual IOGA Lobby Day and Taste of Idaho Outfitting Scheduled for February 16 and 17. Contact Jane Bruesch at idoutfitt@cableone.net (342.1438) or IOGA Lobby Day Coordinator Shelly Fisher at thefishers@mstar.net (724.8271) for more information. This is a signature IOGA event and a turnout of 35 to 50 members is paramount.

IOGA expresses concerns about online renewal. IOGA President Ken Smith has expressed member concerns to IOGLB’s Jake Howard relative to snafu’s that some members have encountered with attempting to renew outfitter (and guide) licenses online. IOGA would be interested to hear from anyone who tried to renew online before the January 31st deadline, could not because of online problems AND has been subsequently charged a special processing fee. Contact Grant Simonds at gsimonds@cableone.net or Ken Smith at kensmith62@yahoo.com
IOGA urges action by NOAA regarding possible salmon fishing season in Upper Salmon. At the urging of the IOGA Salmon Chapter, IOGA has contacted Idaho’s congressional delegation to urge them to apply pressure on the federal agency NOAA to issue a salmon fishing permit to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game soon so that all administrative hurdles could be surmounted in time to allow for salmon fishing on the Salmon River in the Salmon and Challis area later this spring/summer should there be sufficient fish count to allow for a sport fishery. Stay tuned. For more information, contact Grant Simonds at gsimonds@cableone.net
IOGA comments on Salmon/Challis National Forest Reorganization. Subsequent to a December 2004 meeting between several IOGA members and Salmon/Challis NF Supervisor Bill Wood and other staffers during the annual IOGA meeting, the IOGA has recommended to Supervisor Wood, who then shared our letter with other forest staff, several ideas that would benefit the resource and outfitter permit administration. An excerpt from the IOGA letter: "We feel that the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is the Forest Service’s crown jewel and should be funded and managed at a very high level of commitment with top notch line officers and staff persons. During the 1993 Frank Church symposium in Boise, John Twiss, former Forest Service Wilderness Coordinator, said, "So goes the Frank, so goes the system". Several other key points were made in the IOGA letter. IOGA has approximately 70 outfitter and guide members who are connected to the Frank land base and the two rivers, Main Salmon and Middle Fork. Contact Grant Simonds at gsimonds@cableone.net for more information.
IOGA comments on Clearwater/Nez Perce Forest Plan Rewrite. Clearwater and Nez Perce forest officials are in the early stages of revising forest plans for both forests where upwards of 75 outfitters (40 are IOGA members) are special use permitted on land and water resources. IOGA urged the forest planning team to formally recognize guided recreation in the manner that other resource industries (timber, mining and grazing) are. The IOGA letter urged that, "Recreation, whether it is guided or non-guided, should be recognized in all 37 Geographic Area descriptions of Desired Future Conditions through terms consistent with the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum." In its letter, IOGA asked that clarification be added to planning documents that chain saw use be recognized in roadless and areas recommended for Wilderness, but not currently designated Wilderness. IOGA also applauded the forests for stated desired future conditions and goals related to noxious weed management, limiting indiscriminate use of OHV’s and control of fuel loads through means described in