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September 2008 Bulletin

For your calendar

·                     IOGA annual meeting—primary dates are December 9-12, Boise Red Lion Downtowner.                                         

The Red Lion will provide a breakfast buffet in the restaurant as well as additional wait staff in both the restaurant and lounge for the IOGA meeting this fall.  Reservations must be made by December 1, 2008 to receive the IOGA room rate of $69 per night single or double occupancy. Remember, your lodging at the Red Lion Downtowner will assist IOGA in avoiding additional costs related to the meeting. For reservations, call 208.344.7691and be certain to tell them you are with IOGA.

·                     Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board Meeting—December 8-9, Boise.

• Dedication of Red Rock Bighorn Sheep Viewing Station—October 1, North of Salmon, Highway 93.

Short takes

• The IOGA, including our Salmon Chapter, and the Idaho Chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, invite any and all IOGA members to a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Red Rock bighorn sheep viewing station on October 1, 2008 at 2:00 pm. Red Rock is located at the Idaho Fish and Game sportsman's access at milepost 318.3, about five miles north of Salmon on Highway 93. At the site, there is plenty of parking, a rest room, a boat launch ramp and now, an interpretive kiosk where visitors can read about Idaho's bighorn sheep and view the sheep through a viewing scope.
• This project is an outgrowth of a meeting between IOGA sheep outfitter members and Idaho FNAWS members during the IOGA annual meeting of December 2006. The project is intended to reduce wildlife-vehicle accidents, provide safe and convenient opportunities to view Idaho's wild Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and create an economic benefit to two rural Idaho counties--Custer and Lemhi. Another bighorn sheep viewing station is in the works for the area just west of the intersection of highways 75 and 93 near Challis. U.S. Highway 93 from North Fork south nearly to Mackay and State Highway 75 from Challis east toward Clayton have been dubbed unofficially “Idaho's Bighorn Highway”. Fundraising and other details are ongoing regarding the Challis site
• In addition to the IOGA and Idaho FNAWS, partners and donors include Winn and Betty Turner (donated the land), the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Scenic Byway Program, Idaho Watchable Wildlife Program, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, Grand Slam Club/Ovis, Eastern Chapter of the Wild Sheep Foundation, Thompson Creek Mining Company and the Treasure Valley Safari Club International and the U.S. Forest Service.
• IOGA members involved in this project have included Dave Melton (Salmon), Mike Scott and Louise Stark (Challis), John A.K. Barker (Lewiston), IOGA's Grant Simonds and Dick Nachbar. Dick is a member of FNAWS and has really been the glue and ramrod behind this project. Sara Focht of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has been vital in organization and implementation.  

 

• IOGA has joined with other Idaho tourism providers under the Division of Idaho Tourism leadership to participate at the Adventures in Travel Expo this weekend, September 13-14, 2008 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. President Alison Steen is representing the IOGA with the support of the IOGA booth and the 2008 IOGA Directory. She has some free tickets to the show, so if you are in the Seattle area and are interested, contact her at 928.773.9372. IOGA's participation is supported through the IOGA Department of Commerce Idaho Travel Council grant.                     
• The Licensing Board has proposed rules that focus on streamlining the guide licensing process with a spotlight on outfitter responsibility for maintaining guide training experience. Member feedback to the IOGA May 2008 online survey on Licensing Board topics indicated strong support for these concepts. Nonetheless, the devil is in the rule language. So have a look, and make comment directly to the IOGLB and copy to the IOGA. See attached.

Update on Some IOGA Priorities for 2008

 

?Focus on national/federal issues such as--

• Work to revise proposed Forest Service Directive on outfitter permitting
• The “word” is that a “final” will be on the streets around October 1. America Outdoors has led the industry effort to modify the original document which was published in the federal register in late 2007. IOGA urged its members to provide individual comments through bulletins, through face-to-face meetings with outfitters including the IOGA annual December meeting and during individual Forest Service March meetings with outfitters in Grangeville, Hamilton and Clarkston. IOGA's Grant Simonds joined a Safari Club International D.C. sponsored trip in March to meet with the Forest Service Director of Recreation and others including Melissa Simpson, the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. In general, the outfitter industry is concerned with the bias in the late 2007 Federal Register Notice against small businesses. Basically, the industry has put a full court press together in hopes of modifying the proposed Forest Service Directive. Remember, this is a major Forest Service re-write of outfitter permitting.  Industry concerns with the proposed Directive included:

 

• The most notable flaw in the policy is the directives' requirement for outfitter businesses to operate at 100% capacity to avoid reductions in permitted use.  Requiring an outfitter business to operate at 100% capacity is unrealistic and unreasonable. The lodging industry nationwide realizes about 65% capacity. (IOGA is checking on the Idaho lodging capacity rate.) 
• Even the Directive's addition of 10% capacity to actual use, when use is reviewed every five years, provides insufficient cushion for temporary demand in shoulder seasons. Variances in the length of the season result from changes in snow pack, fires, and other natural phenomenon and impact the permittees' ability to utilize annual permitted capacity.  Furthermore, new businesses require several years to build demand. Applying a rigid use standard after five years of operation will undermine the potential for new outfitters, the financing of their operations, and their potential to grow their business.
• Only the peak (and/or control) season should be used to determine capacity utilization.  We support the establishment of temporary use pools for non reoccurring uses on the part of colleges, non-profits and other groups, provided these permits are consistent with state licensing laws AND that use is not taken from priority users to enhance non-reoccurring use.
• Inspections of outfitters camps and uses should be subject to appeal since their evaluations and eligibility for permits are dependent on these inspections.
• There is no mechanism for those outfitters currently operating on temporary use to convert to priority use permits. Due to current cost recovery requirements, some permittees will have to pay thousands of dollars to enable the agency to perform NEPA analyses in order to receive a priority use permit. The costs for NEPA compliance can be beyond the economic capability of many small businesses.
• The Directive will lead to the elimination of existing use pools unless they are included in management plans.

 

• Continue to monitor federal highway construction projects for appropriate access—Riggins and Stanley areas

IOGA consistently is involved in “access” issues through coordinated efforts of its members and “big” IOGA. Frankly, if you can't get there, then how does one fulfill the role of a recreation service provider successfully?? Initially, there was great concern among locals, including outfitters, with the road project near Riggins that consists of grading, drainage, base, paving, and construction of twelve retaining walls. The project length is 4.24 miles; beginning 2.27 miles up the Salmon River from Riggins. According to the very informative website (http://www.salmonriverroad.org/) that includes weekly updates with pictures of progress that invariably depict river recreation, “The Salmon River Road project is needed to improve the safety of the roadway and to enhance the access the roadway provides. The road provides critical access to both property owners and recreation in the area, and currently contains a number of unsafe conditions, including substandard road conditions and landslide risks.  The project will provide the people who depend on this road with the means to access their property, run their business, or enjoy the features of the area with a safer road and reduced risk of landslides and washouts.”

Some of you will remember the IOGA White Hat Award from the 1990s. Well, longtime IOGA outfitter member Frogg Stewart, Holiday River Expeditions, recently nominated this project for the IOGA White Hat Award. His nomination was seconded by Kim Friend, Idaho River Adventures. In Frogg's email of mid-July, he stated, “I think this company should be nominated for the white hat award. They have been great. That is a big project and we have not been inconvenienced at all.”

 

Hats off to the Western Federal Lands Division of the U.S. Department of Transportation-Federal Highway Administration and to Debco, the Orofino-based contractor!! Their respective websites are http://www.wfl.fhwa.dot.gov/ and http://www.debcousa.com/               More great pics of this project on the Debco site.

 

• Work toward securing exemption for use of firepans/charcoal on Lower Salmon River during Stage 1 & 2 fire restrictions

 

Well, guess what? Lower Salmon River outfitters and the IOGA were notified this summer that the IOGA request that the Lower Salmon be added to the Stage One fire exemption list along with Middle Fork, Selway, Main Salmon and Hells Canyon of the Snake has officially occurred. Idaho Interagency fire managers agreed with the BLM rationale to do so. During the fires of 2007, BLM restricted use of firepans/charcoal. A big thanks to BLM Lower Salmon River manager Joe O'Neill and his bosses for shepherding this through the fire bureaucracy.  It helps to develop and nourish positive relationships with our agency partners.  Outfitters are encouraged to read, download and/or file this document that is good reading for all outfitters relative to fire restrictions, exemptions, when, where, why and so on. Contact Grant Simonds at gsimonds@cableone.net if you missed the earlier message that contained the pertinent document. Those of you operating in “fire country” will want this document for your files.

 

• Stay involved with Owyhee Initiative legislation that would include designation of wilderness & wild & scenic rivers, inclusion of IOGA recommended outfitter language and appropriate access

 

It is entirely possible that Idaho could see federal legislation approved before January 21, 2009 that would designate 517,000 acres of wilderness and 316 miles of wild and scenic rivers on lands managed by the BLM in Owyhee County in the southwestern corner of Idaho. There is a big caveat, however. Congressional politics over energy (whether, when and where to drill) could sink the Owyhee Public Lands  Management Act of 2007,  along with a whole host of other natural resource related legislation that has been marked-up in the Senate.

Approximately 16 water and land based outfitters operate in Owyhee County. IOGA's membership position on this issue can be viewed on the IOGA website.  

 

IOGA's Grant Simonds has been a member of the Owyhee County Initiative work group since August of 2001. In April he travelled to D.C. as part of a delegation of the work group that met with key senators and representatives and related staff. The visit and seven years of horse-trading lead to these headlines, “Owyhees have great day in Congress”. However, it ain't over till its over! Stay tuned.

 

Welcome to IOGA  New Members --- January 12, 2008 to September 12, 2008

 

Outfitter

James Ellsworth

Middle Fork River Expeditions

P O Box 73

Stanley, ID  83278

800-801-5146

middlefork@idahorivers.com

www.idahorivers.com

Middle Fork of the Salmon

Purchased from Pat & Jean Ridle

 

Julie Meissner (has rejoined)

Sawtooth Fishing Guides

P O Box 194

Stanley, ID 83278

208.774.8768

julie@sawtoothfishingguides.com

www.sawtoothfishingguides.com

Fishing Upper Main Salmon (existing license)

 

Brent Estep (has re-joined)

Mackay Wilderness River Trips

1601 W Hays St.

Boise, ID  83702

208.344.1881

800.635.5336

Fax:  208.344.1882

info@mackayriver.com

www.mackayriver.com

 

Wayne & Teri Hungate

Whiskey Mountain Outfitters

18694 Chicken Dinner Road

Caldwell, ID  83607

208.880.2335

Fax:  208.455.5239

whungate@choosemail.net

Hunting, Fishing, Trail rides, Photo trips.  F&G Units 14, 40  Existing License.

 

Jim O'Connor & Diane Shelley

Arctic Creek Lodge & Tours, Inc.

22 Hammon Drive

Salmon ID  83467

208-756-1657

Fax:  866-546-1657

jim@arcticcreeklodge.com   www.arcticcreeklodge.come

Power Boating on the Salmon (SA4A, SA5, SA6), Guest/Dude Ranch, Fishing

Purchased from Jack Smith, Arctic Creek Lodge

 

Jason Cataldo

Hole in the Wall Outfitters

935 Fish Creek Road

Alberton, MT  59820

800.683.6500

Fax:  888.635.4870

jasconcataldo@hotmail.com

www.holeinthewallranch.com

Hunting, Fishing, Trail rides, Backpacking.  F&G Unit 10.  Existing License

 

Wayne & Gia Fairchild

Lewis and Clark Trail Adventures

P O Box 9051

Missoula, MT  59801

406.728.7609

raft@montana.com

www.trailadventures.com

Float Boating:  Lochsa (LO1) and Main Salmon (SA6) Rivers; Fishing, Backpacking, Mountain Biking.  Existing license.

 

Corey & Pamela Dailey

Little Lost Outfitters

P O Box 75

Howe, ID  83244

208.767.3356

Fax:  208.767.3356

littlelost@atcnet.net

www.littlelostoutfitters.com

Hunting, Fishing, Trail rides.  F&G Unit 51.  Existing License.

 

Guide

 

Brenden Cronin

P O Box 4232

Jackson, WY 83001

801-792-5804

offwanderin@hotmail.com

Boating guide for Sawtooth Adventure Company, Yellow Jacket River Guides

 

Courtney Smart

801 N 24^th St.

Boise, ID  83702

208.860.1142

courtsmart@gmail.com

Boating Guide for Payette River Company, Middlefork River Tours, Mackay Wilderness River Trips

 

Tom Tremain

45 Lost Valley Road

Salmon, ID  83467

208.756.8116

ttreesalmon@yahoo.com

Boating guide for Idaho River Journeys and Hughes River Expeditions

 

Business Associates

 

Karl Urquhart

Camas Air Service, LLC           

P O Box 758           

Grangeville ID  83530

208-983-0062

camasairservice@aol.com

www.camasair.com

Backcountry air charter

 

John Fahey

Cascade Designs, Inc.

4000 1^st Ave. S.

Seattle, WA  98134

Makers of Therm-a-rest

 

Len Chow & Bob Schmidt

Chow Insurance

6415 W Ustick

Boise ID  83704

208.376.5252

Fax:  208.322.3549

lenc@chowinsurance.com

bobschm@chowinsurance.com

www.chowinsurance.com

Insurance

 

George McQuiston

Outwest Realty, LLC  

P O Box 18751

Salt Lake City, UT 84118

801.598.4881

Fax:  801.250.4726

george@outwestrealty.com

www.outfittersforsale.com

Realty

 

David Brinker

Sitka Mountain Gear

Partnership Program Director

860 Napa Valley Corporate Way #F

Napa CA  94558

707-253-1736 etx. 311 

Fax:  707-253-112

Dbrinker@sitkagear.com

www.sitkagear.com

High performance outdoor gear (50 % off to IOGA members)

 

Ambrose Family

The Village at North Fork

P O Box 100

North Fork, ID  83466

208-865.2412                                  or  888.432.0240

Fax:  208.865.2214

thevillageatnor@centurytel.net

General store with fishing/hunting licenses, groceries, auto supplies, fishing tackle and gifts; café serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; 24-hour fuel station; motel; RV park; laundry and showers; Wireless internet in café  (Purchased from Ken Hill, North Fork Store)           

 

Individual Associates

 

Dick Nachbar

20796 Lowell Rd.

Caldwell ID  83607

208.455.0918

nachbar@heritagewifi.com

     

For more information on the FYI, contact Grant Simonds at gsimonds@cableone.net (208.343.9548) or Jane Bruesch at idoutfitt@cableone.net (208.342.1438).

 

 

Grant Simonds, Executive Director

Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association

P.O. Box 95

Boise, ID 83701

208.342.1438; 208.343.9548 home office

cell 208.867.2138

fax 208.338.7830; 208.344.8194 home office

www.ioga.org