by Mark Chesnut - Thursday, August 8, 2024
A group of hunting and conservation organizations that includes the National Rifle Association is pushing for members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to support the Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guide Act to exempt those engaged in outfitting or guiding on federal lands from maximum hours requirements. Last week, 28 of the 50-plus member coalition of groups known as American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) signed onto a letter to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce voicing association members’ support for the measure.
At issue is the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) adoption of a 2021 executive order by the Biden administration placing seasonal outfitters and guides on federal lands under federal minimum wage and overtime requirements. The order was temporarily enjoined by a lawsuit but took effect in late June.
Most outfitters’ employees do receive the federal minimum wage, but new employee compensation that includes training and apprenticeship is tougher to quantify. Additionally, because outfitters regularly set up hunts as multi-day trips, their employees quickly stack up more than 40 hours in a week, and paying overtime could put some outfitters out of business.
Of course, that could cause people planning to hire outfitters to forego hunting, fishing and other recreational activities on federal lands, thereby harming hunters and anglers, guides, the industry and wildlife and fisheries conservation in general.
“The undersigned organizations, representing millions of hunters, anglers, wildlife professionals and outdoor enthusiasts, write to express our support for H.R. 6128/S. 2914, the Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act,” the AWCP letter to the committee chairmen stated. “This bill will help enhance outdoor recreation experiences on hundreds of millions of acres of federal lands. This bill will keep small outfitting and guiding businesses in business.”
As the letter pointed out, many of the nation’s federal lands are open to recreation, but it takes some expertise and guidance for many people to be able to enjoy those lands.
“Outfitters and guides are the gateway to the outdoors,” the letter continued. “Few people have the experience or means to spend a week, on their own, whitewater rafting or hunting in remote and unspoiled public lands. The DOL regulation will shut down hundreds of small outdoor recreational businesses and put independent guides out of work—and consequently bar many Americans from participating in transformative outdoor recreational experiences on federal lands.”
The AWCP letter also explained that the DOL regulation will unnecessarily increase outfitters’ operating costs, with the result of either shutting them down or causing them to raise prices for their clients.
“Higher prices mean most Americans will not be able to afford these experiences—especially families already feeling the effects of inflation,” the AWCP said. “Seasonal recreational outfitters have little ability to control overtime costs. Most offer multi-day trips that quickly exceed a 40-hour week. They cannot replace specialized guides with additional shifts, especially when operating in remote areas.”
In addition, the letter highlighted the fact that most seasonal guides are trying to maximize their income during short operating seasons, and long hours are necessary for them to accomplish that.
“They do not consider themselves to be working ‘overtime’ and typically try to stack up as many trips as possible, leaving themselves free to pursue other interests during the rest of the year,” the letter said.
In conclusion, the AWCP members signing onto the letter again voiced support for the Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act and asked the respective committee chairman to get it on their committee dockets.
“It remains before your Committees without much movement,” AWCP wrote. “We respectfully request a hearing and vote on the Act as quickly as possible, and before the end of the 118th Congress.”
In addition to the National Rifle Association, other members of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners signing on to the letter included: the Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Boone and Crockett Club, California Waterfowl Association, Catch-A-Dream Foundation, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Conservation Force, Dallas Safari Club, Ducks Unlimited, Houston Safari Club, Masters of Foxhounds Association, National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative, National Deer Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, North American Falconers Association, Pope and Young Club, Professional Guides and Outfitters of America, Public Lands Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, Sportsmen’s Alliance, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Whitetails Unlimited, Wild Sheep Foundation, Wildlife Forever and Wildlife Mississippi.
Please check this NRA website for updates on this issue as they become available.
About the Author
Freelance writer and editor Mark Chesnut is the owner/editorial director at Red Setter Communications LLC in Jenks, Okla. An avid hunter, shooter and field-trialer, he has been covering Second Amendment issues and politics on a near-daily basis for nearly 25 years.