In June and July of 2025, I traveled across Idaho’s Snake River Basin to work with guides and outfitters on one simple but powerful idea: the people who spend their lives on these rivers are uniquely positioned to be advocates for their future. Over the course of five workshops—in Salmon, McCall, Lewiston, Riggins, and Stanley—I connected with more than 150 guides to share updates on salmon and steelhead recovery, the Lower Snake River dams, and the policies shaping the lands and waters we depend on.
This project was born from the belief that guides and outfitters are more than small business owners and service workers. They are trusted, powerful voices in their communities. They see firsthand what’s at stake when salmon don’t come home, when runs collapse, and when public lands are put at risk. My goal was to give them tools and confidence to step into advocacy, whether that’s talking with their clients on the river or speaking directly to decision-makers.
Five Towns, Many Conversations
The workshops took different shapes in each town. In some places, we had formal presentations; in others, it was a round-table conversation. In Riggins, the River Rendezvous offered a chance to hear stories from seasoned guides whose advocacy is now inseparable from why they guide. In Stanley, the local fly shop filled with a mix of veterans and first-year guides, all united by a shared passion for protecting Idaho’s fisheries. On the Payette, younger guides at Bear Valley spoke with energy about taking up the mantle of conservation—proof that the next generation is ready to lead.
Challenges That Shaped the Work
It wasn’t without challenges. Timing these workshops during the busy summer guiding season meant staying flexible. Sometimes that meant shrinking a planned agenda down to what the group needed most in the moment—or adapting a meeting around a hectic morning of packing for the river. But those adaptations often made the conversations stronger, more grounded, and more memorable.
Another challenge was measuring follow-through in concrete terms. While I heard from many guides about their advocacy efforts on the river, getting video or photographic evidence proved difficult, despite offering a variety of prizes. Additionally, organizational changes meant losing access to our outreach software for the second summer in a row, limiting our ability to facilitate or measure letters to policymakers.
Impact Already Taking Root
Despite those challenges, the impact of this project is already showing. More than 150 guides took part in these workshops. Several businesses opened their doors and lent their credibility to the effort. A Middle Fork guest—moved by her guides’ passion for salmon recovery—reached out afterward with a donation to IOGA, showing how RFC’s investment is rippling outward in ways we couldn’t have planned.
Other river companies collected thousands of dollars in donations to continue support for advocacy efforts. We’ve also driven considerable engagement on our Instagram account for anadromous fish, with a recent video outpacing engagement on our other posts by an order of magnitude.
The numbers tell part of the story—five towns, ten workshops, over 500 miles traveled, and a community of 150+ guides engaged. But the real measure of success was the sense of connection that emerged: between seasoned guides and new ones, between outfitters and their communities, and between the guiding profession and the future of Idaho’s rivers.
Looking Ahead
The lessons from this project point to clear opportunities. We need to expand to more towns and provide follow-up so momentum doesn’t fade. We need to invest in online resources—a refreshed website, advocacy toolkits, podcasts, and digital media—so guides have support year-round, not just when we gather in person. A major focus for IOGA moving forward, shaped in part by this experience, is better engaging and meeting guides where they are—whether in online or physical spaces.
We also need to keep telling these stories together, with partners like Rivers for Change, to show how deeply conservation and guiding are intertwined in Idaho.
Just the Beginning
This summer’s project was just the start. It proved that guides are ready to speak up, that their voices carry weight, and that when given the chance, they’ll step into leadership. With continued collaboration, we can build on this foundation and ensure Idaho’s rivers—and the salmon and steelhead that define them—remain at the heart of our work.
