Oregon Considers New Requirements for Outdoor Guides

Oregon officials are considering ways to better police outdoor guides to make sure they’re licensed and professional.

The Mail Tribune of Medford reports that the state Marine Board has been touring the state in recent weeks to meet with Oregon’s 1,300 licensed guides to discuss how to better manage the industry.

Under current rules, fishing enthusiasts need only to pay a $50 fee, gain CPR certification and obtain insurance to take customers fishing for as much as $200 per person per day.

But professional guides say unlicensed and unbonded guides are still chipping away at their client base. Marine Board policy analyst Randy Henry says illegal guiding is a top priority for the board.