Responding to the Montana Sportsmen Alliance
Helena IR
JEAN JOHNSON
Mar 27, 2017 Updated 20 hrs ago
The Montana Sportsmen Alliance op-ed piece in the 3/22 IR begs correction, starting with the charge that the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association seeks to turn the Board of Outfitters into a rubber stamp with SB264. At issue is the decades-old requirement that outfitters report their client’s harvest data (species, gender, location, guide).
Two important points about the harvest report: First, the nexus for that requirement was passage of SB334 (1999), which connected Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Board of Outfitters through the guaranteed license issued to contracted clients of outfitters and Board regulations. When MSA joined in the successful effort to eliminate that license with I-161 (2010), that nexus was severed and the report was no longer authorized by law.
Second, by a majority vote last December, the Board of Outfitters under Chairman Robin Cunningham, eliminated that requirement. Prior to that vote, the administrator of the Business Standards Division (Dept. of Labor and Industry) cautioned the Board about straying off into “resource management.” All Montana’s licensing boards are charged with specificity (§37-1-131, MCA), which does not include “resource management.”
HB290 sought to restore the harvest data requirement and increase laws for an unlicensed position. Further, a transcript of MSA spokesman’s testimony at the hearing clearly shows an animosity for the industry and a duplicitous spin of the facts. Mr. Cunningham also strayed from total accuracy in support of the bill. The committee saw through the effort and tabled a bad bill.
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Jean Johnson is a lobbyist for the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association.
(2) comments
Joe Perry Mar 28, 2017 10:58am
Jean Johnson's response to the Montana Sportsmen Alliance op-ed begs significant correction. Moga's effort to control the Board of Outfitters (Boo) is well known. The shameful show they staged against Fishing Outfitter and Chair Robin Cunningham highlights those efforts. They have both the past president and president of Moga on the board....conflict of interest?? They most certainly do not represent the outfitting industry except for a small wealthy group of primarily private land outfitters. Secondly, MSA was not even formed when I-161 was passed. Ms. Johnson has been reminded of this. We have members who supported and members who didn't. Ms. Johnson has persisted in giving legislators false information even when she was called on it. Thirdly, we stand by our testimony. We resent her feeding legislators false information and her behind-the-scenes accusations. We have no disdain for the outfitter industry and work well with many outfitters and FOAM, but we do have disdain for the leaders of Moga! And lastly, MSA members have had to endure Ms. Johnson screaming at us during testimony at Boo, from the floor, disrupting the meeting. Moga president Tabor has made false accusations about MSA , on the record, in Boo meetings. He has been called on it. The industry has a lousy public image and it is almost entirely because of Moga's antics. A shame for the industry. Rest assured that MSA will continue to support Montana's Sportsmen/women and in holding Moga responsible for false statements and lousy self-serving legislation!
Montana Sportsmen Alliance
Leadership Team
John Borgreen, Great Falls
Steve Schindler, Glasgow
Sam Milodragovich, Butte
Jeff Herbert, Helena
Joe Perry, Conrad
JW Westman, Park City
Robert Wood, Hamilton
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