Friday January 7, 2022

President Biden ordered outfitters operating on federal lands pay their guides a $15 minimum wage. And outfitters aren’t happy, including those here in Moab. There’s even a lawsuit by an industry association to stop the order. Today on the news, we speak with guides about their pay, an outfitter about their costs, and whether our rivers can provide workers with real careers.

Plus, the Weekly News Reel where we check in with reporters on their latest stories of the Moab area. Doug McMurdo of The Times-Independent discusses new leadership in local government, the eviction of 10 families from trailer homes in downtown Moab, and Northern San Juan County getting its own fire department. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News talks policy violations at the Moab City Police Department, development near Looking Glass Arch, and a local student publishing vaping research.

Show Notes:

Photo: Rafters paddle down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Courtesy Flickr user Al_HikesAZ/Creative Commons

4/27/21 White House Brief: Biden-Harris Administration Issues an Executive Order to Raise the Minimum Wage to $15 for Federal Contractors
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/27/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-issues-an-executive-order-to-raise-the-minimum-wage-to-15-for-federal-contractors/

8/27/21 U.S. Outdoor Rec Industry Letter
https://www.americaoutdoors.org/assets/1/27/Affiliated_Outfitter_Association_comments_on_DOL_federal_contractor_min_wage_NOPR_comments_-_Aug_27_2021.pdf

Music Featured in Today’s News:
Day Bird by Broke For Free

Weekly News Reel Mentions –

The Times-Independent: A new era at City Hall
https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/a-new-era-at-city-hall/
The Times-Independent: County commission opens 2022 session
https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/county-commission-opens-2022-session/
The Times-Independent: 10 families evicted to make room for townhouses
https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/10-families-evicted-to-make-room-for-townhouses/
The Times-Independent: Northern San Juan County will get its own fire dept.
https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/northern-san-juan-county-will-get-its-own-fire-dept/
Moab Sun News: Investigation finds Moab officers violated body camera, mask, coarse language policy in February incident
https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_6c52c026-7015-11ec-97d9-93c7aaa8354f.html
Moab Sun News: Under Canvas development near Looking Glass Arch quietly continues
https://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_feb0bf58-7016-11ec-92a1-1faf0c5a5e6a.html
Moab Sun News: Local GCHS graduate, Jenna Hawks, publishes vaping research
https://www.moabsunnews.com/get_out_and_go/article_4c2e52e2-701a-11ec-bdc5-734ec473c439.html