COVID-19 Resources & Guidance for Outfitters & Guides
Develop Your COVID-19 Operating Plan
Outfitters & Guides have sufficient guidance and the necessary tools and experience to operate responsibly
State and federal authorities have provided as much guidance to outfitters as they can on formulating corona virus operating plans. In many cases, where concrete answers could not be provided they have pointed to general or specific guidelines from CDC, OHA or the Governor’s office and have indicated that we use those to make the best possible decisions regarding how to operate. State and federal authorities understand that outfitter and guide businesses are unique, and outfitters and guides themselves are best qualified to develop a responsible operating plan.
Neither the Oregon State Marine Board or any BLM districts will be requiring you to provide them with a COVID-19 operating plan. Some forest service districts will require an update to your operating plan, but are not interested in a highly detailed plan.
In developing a plan, outfitters should look to the wide variety of resources and guidance already provided. Most importantly outfitters should consult with their fellow outfitters to develop the best operating practices for their particular activity or area. It's important for outfitters operating within a given region, activity or permitted area to generally follow the same standards.
Again, state and federal authorities are not in a position to provide detailed guidance for how to operate, nor will they require outfitters to file a comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation plan. Seeking continued guidance from federal, state and local authorities may lead them to create guidelines that are unreasonable and unworkable for outfitters. The agencies know that outfitters and guides are best qualified to formulate their own operating plans.
To that end OOGA has developed a general document with considerations for developing your operating plan. It is necessarily broad to accommodate all outfitter and guide businesses. We have also included links to resources indicated by state agencies as the best guidelines to follow for issues like transportation, food service, face coverings and group size considerations.
If you have issues specific to the reopening of your river/trail/resource you'll need to talk to your local district. If you have questions about how to operate, talk to your fellow outfitters or contact us at OOGA and we'll direct you to the appropriate guidance or other operators who have addressed the same issues. We do not recommend bombarding the various agencies for additional guidance or clarification on specific "how to" issues.
Oregon Outfitters & Guides COVID-19 Operating Plan Considerations - General guidelines for formulating your plan.
Oregon State Marine Board Best Practices for Guides - General guidelines from OSMB
Governor's Guidelines for Outdoor Recreation - General considerations for groups in the outdoors.
Governor's Guidelines for Transit Agencies - Good information for transportation.
Governor's Guidelines for Summer Camps - Lots of useful information for handling groups, food service and transporting groups.
Governor's Guidelines for Employers - General workplace guidelines and resources for workers.
NRS Gear Cleaning & People Protection - Coronavirus - General guidance on cleaning and disinfection.
Miscellaneous Information
Group Size – It's been determined that the maximum group size is 25 - of which, there can be no household unit (or group travelling together) larger than 10 people. 6’ Social distancing protocol remains in place between those not travelling together.
Transporting Groups - The Transit Guidelines and Summer Camp guidelines have good information on transporting groups. In general, most outfitters are restricting van occupancy to household groups or groups traveling together and requiring face coverings.
Travel Restrictions - While Oregon does not have a quarantine protocol for inbound travel, the governor is generally advising the public to visit recreation areas close to home. Idaho does have a quarantine protocol for out-of-state travels, but there is an exception for those coming into the state to join an outfitted wilderness trip. For those who decide to travel to Oregon, outfitters should recommend that customers minimize their footprint both inbound and outbound.
Outfitters & Guides have sufficient guidance and the necessary tools and experience to operate responsibly
State and federal authorities have provided as much guidance to outfitters as they can on formulating corona virus operating plans. In many cases, where concrete answers could not be provided they have pointed to general or specific guidelines from CDC, OHA or the Governor’s office and have indicated that we use those to make the best possible decisions regarding how to operate. State and federal authorities understand that outfitter and guide businesses are unique, and outfitters and guides themselves are best qualified to develop a responsible operating plan.
Neither the Oregon State Marine Board or any BLM districts will be requiring you to provide them with a COVID-19 operating plan. Some forest service districts will require an update to your operating plan, but are not interested in a highly detailed plan.
In developing a plan, outfitters should look to the wide variety of resources and guidance already provided. Most importantly outfitters should consult with their fellow outfitters to develop the best operating practices for their particular activity or area. It's important for outfitters operating within a given region, activity or permitted area to generally follow the same standards.
Again, state and federal authorities are not in a position to provide detailed guidance for how to operate, nor will they require outfitters to file a comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation plan. Seeking continued guidance from federal, state and local authorities may lead them to create guidelines that are unreasonable and unworkable for outfitters. The agencies know that outfitters and guides are best qualified to formulate their own operating plans.
To that end OOGA has developed a general document with considerations for developing your operating plan. It is necessarily broad to accommodate all outfitter and guide businesses. We have also included links to resources indicated by state agencies as the best guidelines to follow for issues like transportation, food service, face coverings and group size considerations.
If you have issues specific to the reopening of your river/trail/resource you'll need to talk to your local district. If you have questions about how to operate, talk to your fellow outfitters or contact us at OOGA and we'll direct you to the appropriate guidance or other operators who have addressed the same issues. We do not recommend bombarding the various agencies for additional guidance or clarification on specific "how to" issues.
Oregon Outfitters & Guides COVID-19 Operating Plan Considerations - General guidelines for formulating your plan.
Oregon State Marine Board Best Practices for Guides - General guidelines from OSMB
Governor's Guidelines for Outdoor Recreation - General considerations for groups in the outdoors.
Governor's Guidelines for Transit Agencies - Good information for transportation.
Governor's Guidelines for Summer Camps - Lots of useful information for handling groups, food service and transporting groups.
Governor's Guidelines for Employers - General workplace guidelines and resources for workers.
NRS Gear Cleaning & People Protection - Coronavirus - General guidance on cleaning and disinfection.
Miscellaneous Information
Group Size – It's been determined that the maximum group size is 25 - of which, there can be no household unit (or group travelling together) larger than 10 people. 6’ Social distancing protocol remains in place between those not travelling together.
Transporting Groups - The Transit Guidelines and Summer Camp guidelines have good information on transporting groups. In general, most outfitters are restricting van occupancy to household groups or groups traveling together and requiring face coverings.
Travel Restrictions - While Oregon does not have a quarantine protocol for inbound travel, the governor is generally advising the public to visit recreation areas close to home. Idaho does have a quarantine protocol for out-of-state travels, but there is an exception for those coming into the state to join an outfitted wilderness trip. For those who decide to travel to Oregon, outfitters should recommend that customers minimize their footprint both inbound and outbound.
Financial Resources & Information
FAmilies first Coronavirus response act - mandated sick & family leave pay
Starting on April 1st, employers with fewer than 500 employees will be required to provide up to two weeks of paid sick-leave to employees required to stay home due to COVID-19 related issues and up to 10 weeks of paid family leave to employees who must stay home to care for children due to school or childcare closures.
Employers with fewer than 50 employees may request an exemption from DOL if paying these wages would jeopardize the "going concern" of the business. The process for this is still to come but DOL recommends collecting materials supporting your request.
Employers will get a dollar-for-dollar credit to be reimbursed through refunds or by the employer's retention of payroll taxes owed. The dollar-for-dollar reimbursement will include employers portion of medicare and social security taxes. Guidelines for how to claim the reimbursement are still to come.
The DOL "Requirments" and "Q&A" below help to answer questions about who is eligible, how to calculate paid leave and how to claim tax credits.
Employers with fewer than 50 employees may request an exemption from DOL if paying these wages would jeopardize the "going concern" of the business. The process for this is still to come but DOL recommends collecting materials supporting your request.
Employers will get a dollar-for-dollar credit to be reimbursed through refunds or by the employer's retention of payroll taxes owed. The dollar-for-dollar reimbursement will include employers portion of medicare and social security taxes. Guidelines for how to claim the reimbursement are still to come.
The DOL "Requirments" and "Q&A" below help to answer questions about who is eligible, how to calculate paid leave and how to claim tax credits.
CARES ACT (PPP) - Coronavirus aid, relief and economic security act
This in includes the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP). For eligible small businesses, sole proprietors, independent contractors, and other self-employed individuals, the CARES Act provides $349 billion through federally backed loans under a modified and expanded Small Business Administration loan guaranty program. The CARES Act relaxes certain requirements which may have been grounds for denial in the past.
Allowable uses for loans included employee salaries, mortgage, rent and utilities payments, insurance premiums and other debt obligations. Furthermore, certain borrowers will be eligible for loan forgiveness equal to the amount spent during an initial 8-week period for expenses uncured for payroll costs, interest payments, rents and leases and utilities. Loan forgiveness is largely tied to payroll.
Allowable uses for loans included employee salaries, mortgage, rent and utilities payments, insurance premiums and other debt obligations. Furthermore, certain borrowers will be eligible for loan forgiveness equal to the amount spent during an initial 8-week period for expenses uncured for payroll costs, interest payments, rents and leases and utilities. Loan forgiveness is largely tied to payroll.
