37-47-201. Powers and duties of board relating to outfitters, guides, and professional guides. The board shall:
     (1) prepare and publish an information pamphlet that contains the names and addresses of all licensed outfitters. This pamphlet must be available for free distribution as early as possible during each calendar year but not later than the second Friday in March. The pamphlet must contain the names and addresses of only those outfitters who have a valid license for the current license year.
     (2) cooperate with the federal government in matters of mutual concern regarding the business of outfitting and guiding in Montana;
     (3) enforce the provisions of this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter;
     (4) establish outfitter standards, guide standards, and professional guide standards;
     (5) adopt:
     (a) rules of procedure;
     (b) rules to administer and enforce this chapter, including rules prescribing all requisite qualifications for licensure as an outfitter, guide, or professional guide. Qualifications for outfitters must include training, testing, experience in activities similar to the service to be provided, knowledge of rules of governmental bodies pertaining to outfitting and condition and type of gear and equipment, and the filing of an operations plan.
     (c) any reasonable rules, not in conflict with this chapter, necessary for safeguarding the public health, safety, and welfare, including evidence of qualification and licensure under this chapter for any person practicing or offering to practice as an outfitter, guide, or professional guide;
     (d) rules specifying standards for review and approval of proposed new operations plans involving hunting use or the proposed expansion of net client hunter use, as set forth in 37-47-316 and 37-47-317, under an outfitter's existing operations plan. Approval is not required when part or all of an existing operations plan is transferred from one licensed outfitter to another licensed outfitter. Rules adopted pursuant to this section must provide for solicitation and consideration of comments from hunters and sportspersons in the area to be affected by the proposal who do not make use of outfitter services.
     (e) rules establishing outfitter reporting requirements. The reports must be filed annually and report actual leased acreage actively used by clients during that year and actual leased acres unused by clients during that year, plus any other information designated by the board and developed in collaboration with the department of fish, wildlife, and parks or the review committee established in 87-1-269 that is considered necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the hunter management and hunting access management programs.
     (6) hold hearings and proceedings to suspend or revoke licenses of outfitters, guides, and professional guides for due cause;
     (7) maintain records of actual clients served by all Montana outfitters that fulfill the requirements of subsection (5)(e).

     History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 221, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 38, Ch. 511, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 13, Ch. 417, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 26-911; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 490, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 545, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 277, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 528, L. 1987; Sec. , MCA 1985; redes. by Sec. 11, Ch. 528, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 220, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 328, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 543, L. 1999.