Support Public Access to Federal Lands and Protect Outfitter Businesses from Federal Overreach!

The current United States Administration will put outfitting businesses out of business with an unreasonable Department of Labor (DOL) regulation that goes into effect TODAY.  By requiring seasonal outfitters to pay a $15 minimum wage and overtime at 40 hours, the Department ignores the realities of the outfitter economy.  Multi-day trips, whether river rafting or big game hunting, quickly exceed a 40-hour work week.  But employees of these outfitters do not consider themselves to be working overtime.

Worst of all, the DOL regulation reduces outdoor recreational opportunities for many Americans.  Few people have the experience or means to spend a week, on their own, whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River or hunting for elk in the Frank Church Wilderness.  Outfitters open the door to these experiences.  But the availability of these experiences is at risk.  The DOL regulation unnecessarily increases operating costs for outfitters, which will shut them down or force them to raise prices—shutting out most Americans.

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We strongly support H.R. 6128 and S. 2914, the “Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act.”  These bills would exempt employees engaged in seasonal outdoor recreational outfitting or guiding services from minimum wage and overtime requirements.  They would fix the problems with the DOL regulation, and appropriately group these employees with other seasonal industries like amusement parks, agriculture, and fisheries.

Join us in supporting this important legislation!  Without this exemption, most Americans will no longer have access to guided recreation on federal lands, especially guided hunting.  Protect public access to federal lands and protect outfitter businesses from federal agency overreach!