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Been a bit of a blur here the last week as I try to get my head around all of the issues going on in DC,  big corp. censorship, and new political leadership at the state level. I skied most of last week and just ignored everything. Now I am wrapping up all of my new year permitting and tax preparation. What? Yes, tax preparation.

The reporting requirements to be an outfitter in Montana has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. While being accountable and "paying our way" is a responsibility that I welcome, the regulatory burden surrounding the outfitter/guide industry in Montana is extreme when compared to the vast majority of other states in the US. The time and resources required to comply with all of the regulations has resulted in an increase on consumer prices across the board in Montana. The revenue realized by these regulations from the state is spent largely on the administration of said programs.

I would argue that a better way would be to reduce administration costs and simplify compliance by reducing redundancy in reporting requirements. I know that my employees would rather see higher wages and that our customers would prefer to pay a lower rate. Outfitting has sadly become over-regulated with unnecessary compliance requirements that take income away out of the free market and ultimately out of the general tax find of the state as well.

Ok, Im done. If you know someone that guides anglers throughout the country, ask them how many permits, licenses, and reporting logs they have to complete per 100 trips they offer.