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Committee advances governor’s Board of Outfitters nominees after industry support
Summary
The Senate Fish and Game Committee heard proponents and unanimous praise for five governor appointees to the Board of Outfitters and recommended sending the confirmations to the full Senate.
The Senate Fish and Game Committee on Tuesday heard testimony in favor of five nominees the governor submitted to the Board of Outfitters and moved the confirmations toward the full Senate.
Hannah Slusser, the governor’s boards and appointments adviser, described the board as a five‑member licensing board attached to the Department of Labor and Industry and requested confirmation for the nominees: Ernest Barker, Chris Gentry, Matthew Greenmore, Wagner Harmon and John Way. "The Board of Outfitters is one of our licensing boards attached to the Department of Labor and Industry," Slusser said, outlining the board's composition and role.
Multiple industry groups and individual outfitters offered strong support. Mike Bias, executive director of the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, told the committee the board had been "the most functional and most efficient and most effective board of outfitters we've had" in his 25 years as a guide and urged confirmation. Will Israel, executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, and representatives from regional outfitters groups noted the board's work on the Red Tape Reduction Act and prudent fiduciary management.
Individual nominees who addressed the committee described their backgrounds in outfitting and conservation. Wagner Harmon said his family has been in the state since the early 1900s and he has operated licensed outfitting on his ranch since 1987. Ernest Barker emphasized his experience in Bob Marshall Wilderness outings and federal and state permitting knowledge.
Kevin Bragg, bureau chief for professional licensing at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, and board members who provided written comments reiterated that the board conducted targeted and effective rule work while attending to public safety and licensing adjudication duties.
The committee closed the hearing and asked that the resolution move to the Senate floor for confirmation votes.
