Big Game Commercial Services

FROM THE BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD

APHA members and supporters, If you haven’t been following the progress the BGCSB has been making over the last few months it has been tremendous! We are excited to welcome four new board members, Aaron Bloomquist (Guide-Outfitter), Martin Boniek (Transporter), Jerry Burnett (Board of Game) and Ely Cyrus (Private Land Owner). They all have extensive resumes and experience which was supported through meaningful input during our board meeting in March. For those who have not been involved in the regulatory process and BGCSB functions, I welcome you to begin. Your knowledge and experience are valuable to this Board who is charged with regulating activities of providers of commercial services to big game hunters in the interest of the state’s wild life resources.

The following is a recap of the most recent March board meeting.

Licensing Costs

• The board reviewed licensing costs. They will continue to remain the same for the next licensing period.

Education

• The board provided a “Business Administration” seminar which was extremely valuable. For those of you who want to brush up on your business checklist, it will be posted on the BGCSB website.

Investigations

• Biggest trend: Guide use area registration. Check your guide use area registration every December.

Put it on your annual checklist. • Disciplinary actions: additional education has been added for administrative violations.

• New licensing and renewal applicants: when in doubt, disclose any violations. If not, they have a way of catching up with you. SPRING FORWARD! { {Proposals • The subcommittee for professional development submitted their proposal for renewal test requirements for all licensees. It has been moved to the regulations specialist and will be public noticed for an upcoming meeting. • The subcommittee for “survivorship” regulations continues. There are many statutory road blocks but they are being addressed. We should see a recommendation from them soon. • A proposal for buffer areas was submitted for review. The board does not have authority to regulate land use however we do recognize the issues surrounding the proposal and are working with the department of law to address those issues. • A proposal to extend supervision requirements for contracting guides was submitted for review. The board moved the proposal to subcommittee to address supervision regulations. Their first meeting will be public noticed. • A proposal to change species specific requirements for licensing was reviewed. The board understands the intent of the proposal and decided to address

Caribou licensing criteria only. It has been moved to the regulations specialist and will be public noticed for an upcoming meeting. • A proposal to add game processing equipment as a legal accommodation for transporters to provide was submitted for review. The board moved it to the regulations specialist and will be public noticed for an upcoming meeting.

New business

• New sub-committees: “Partnerships” for legal business construction and “Supervision” regulation for contracting registered guide outfitters. Watch the website for public notice.

Ongoing Business

• Survivorship, Disciplinary Matrix and Registered

Guide Testing Sub-committees continue. We invite you to check the BGCSB website often for updates, reach out to us with questions or concerns and know your input is valuable as a licensee, future client or member of the public.

JASON BUNCH

REGISTERED GUIDE; KODIAK, ALASKA CHAIRMAN, BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES