Guide outfitters will enjoy a reprieve in paperwork with recent changes to government licensing.
New five-year guide outfitter licences are aimed at saving guides time and money, while lowering the administrative burden of government, says the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources.
There are approximately 245 licensed guide outfitters in the province who guide about 5,000 non-resident hunters every year.
As an incentive for guides to sign up for the new extended licence, the cost for a five-year licence will be set at $2,000 – $500 less than if consecutive one-year terms were purchased.
The new regulation will also eliminate the $25 late payment fee currently in place for licences purchased after May 31 to accommodate guides who only operate in the fall.
Some of the many other changes made to regulations for guides includes amendments to allow corporations to hold guiding territories, lowering the minimum age of the assistant guide to 18 and removing the requirement of Canada citizenship for assistant guides as well as allowing the guide outfitter to authorize an assistant guide rather than government issuing a licence.
Regulations enacting the most recent changes are being developed for implementation for the 2015/16 season.