Guides and Outfitters

Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, has authored a resolution in teh U.S. Congress to direct the Coast Guard to amend rules requireing a “six-pack” license of small fishing craft operating on inland lakes in Minnesota.

pineandlakes.com

Latest status: Fishing guides operating on federally navigable waters in Minnesota might not face enforcement of U.S. Coast Guard licensing requirements if they are “making strides toward gaining regulatory compliance and their vessels and operations are not considered hazardous,” according to Mike O’Berry of the Coast Guard’s district office in New Orleans.

The list of federally [...]

The United States Coast Guard has come under significant criticism in Minnesota for requiring small-time fishing guides to pass the extensive “six-pack” license certification.  Coast Guard officers are now saying that guides who cruise a limited number of inland waters can make due with a less-demanding “restricted” license.

See startribune.com for details, and Coast Guard tag [...]

Dennis Anderson of the Star Tribune interviews Dick (Griz) Grzywinski, who has guided for 35 years, but cannot guide because he did not pass the “sixpack” test mandated by the United States Coast Guard.

For more information, see the Star Tribune Web site and the below Coast Guard tag.

Dennis Anderson wrote an opinion piece about new U.S. Coast Guard efforts to license fishing guides who boat in navigable waters in Minnesota.  One flavor provided by this column is the lack of local experience of the CG personnel.  One admitted to being located in Minnesota for just a single year.  Anderson says the CG [...]

Federally-navigable waters in Minnesota will now be subject to active U.S. Coast Guard enforcement of licensing laws.  Such laws date back to 1968, but the Coast Guard has just recently received enforcement funding.