I spoke against rules proposed by the Department of Inalnd Fisheries and Wildlife on Tuesday. The proposal was very far reaching and would have had a serious impact on many guides. I have had many positive comments here is what I had to say... (sorry it's pretty long for a blog)
My name is Don Kleiner and I must admit that this rule proposal as written does not affect me. I am here representing only myself. I have worked as a guide for most of my adult life except for a 4 year stint in state government that as you know ended in 2003. I currently offer a small business seminar developed specifically for guides.
I have been a guide since 1983, served as president of the MPGA for 4 years in the early 1990’s and their legislative liaison for several years as well. In that role I helped to develop the first guide complaint review process, the first sea kayak and tidewater guides licenses.
I received an outstanding service award and an award of appreciation from the MPGA. I have received a number of awards in my life but none is as meaningful as those two given to me by my fellow guides.
Maine guides have a long and storied past with over 100 years of tradition. Guiding has gone through a renaissance in the last 20 years, when I was licensed there were only a few guides in Knox County now I venture to say there are hundreds. Most of them granted are not working guides but all of them are proud to be a guide.
Guides are the folks who deliver the economic benefits of our fish and wildlife resources and oh by the way sell licenses for your agency. Indeed I have spent time with one guide who calculated that he has sold enough licenses to non residents to have purchased a new pickup truck for your agency.
Clearly guides are important to the state and to your agency. But they are ignored. You do not even know for sure who the licensed guides in the state are or where they live. I purchased your list of guides last spring for a mailing and was shocked to learn that nearly 1/3 of the addresses were not valid.
Guides deliver most of the marketing for hunting and fishing in Maine with little state support. Not that it was ever a big effort but your marketing efforts for hunting and fishing have diminished in the last three years from expenditure of over $100,000 to half of that number.
I cannot support the proposed rule as it is written.
We all want the reputation and reality of the Maine Guide to be of the highest caliber but making currently licensed guides submit to background checks seems like a punishment and not a move to improve the quality of those guides. I heard it said that imposing this level of scrutiny to guides would be an excellent marketing tool. I cannot imagine saying to any of potential client “oh by the way I am not a criminal”. That would really sign them up!
What is the problem that you are attempting to solve? Are there guides whose criminal behavior you must correct? Is the established revocation process or complaint procedure flawed?
I am also troubled by the fact that only one group is singled out in this proposal. The rule as written does not impact the whitewater guides or the camp trip leaders in our state. Any effort to “clean up” the business is disingenuous if it leaves out significant segments of the industry. Not to mention holding guides to higher standards than teachers or even your own law enforcement personnel.
The thing that I find most disconcerting about this proposal is the lack of dialog with the guides. I would hope dialog would take place before a proposal of this sort ever sees the light of day. Wouldn’t it be better to approach the MPGA, with nearly 1/3 of the states guides as members and ask for their thoughts and comments before you move forward with a proposal of this significance? Or perhaps a mailing to your list of guides to get their thoughts? At least you would have a chance to delete the returned addresses from your list.
I find this proposal disturbing in that it is a solution looking for a problem, is not even in its application and sets an offensive tone in a conversation with folks who you should consider to be your closest allies.
Again I cannot support this rule as written.
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