Why It Matters: Interim committee meetings provide valuable insight into the legislative priorities for the coming legislative session and offer sportsmen and women an opportunity to engage with legislators on policies impacting hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational shooting, and other conservation issues. Early stakeholder involvement can help shape outcomes that support science-based wildlife management and access to outdoor traditions.
Highlights:
- The Oregon Natural Resources Committee convened in mid-November and addressed issues such as wildlife recovery, agriculture, water use, and ungulate populations.
- The Washington Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees met in early December to review governance options for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), following a recent Ruckelshaus Center organizational review.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) attended these meetings and worked closely with caucus members in each state on upcoming sportsmen’s policies and future educational events.
As lawmakers in Oregon and Washington gear up for their respective 2026 legislative sessions, interim committee meetings on natural resources are signaling key priorities that could influence sportsmen’s issues from wildlife management to agency structure reform.
In Oregon, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery met on November 18, 2025, while the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water convened the day prior. These interim sessions focused on information briefings and work sessions related to ongoing challenges in natural resources, including wildfire impacts, land use planning, and water resource planning. One key highlight during the Senate Committee meetings was an agenda item on ‘Oregon’s Ungulate Population and its impacts on Working Lands and Rural Landscapes, which included presentations from Amy Patrick (OHA) and Tristan Henry (TRCP), Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Advisory Council members, and members of the Oregon Sportsmen’s Conservation Partnership (OSCP).
Across the border in Washington, the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee is poised to delve into significant structural questions for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. A major focal point stems from the William D. Ruckelshaus Center’s organizational review released in December 2024, following a 2023 legislative directive. The report, based on extensive interviews, identified the citizen-led Fish and Wildlife Commission as “dysfunctional,” amid recent polarization and conflicts. The Ruckelshaus study outlined three primary governance options: retaining the current structure, implementing reforms to the commission, or transitioning WDFW to a Cabinet-level agency. That review has sparked debates, leading the WA Legislature to begin exploring reforms and a possible structural transition, the outcome of which could impact how sportsmen and women engage on hunting and fishing seasons and regulations.
These interim activities underscore the importance of proactive engagement and our sporting coalitions. CSF is closely monitoring committee schedules, providing input during public comment periods, and working with our respective sportsmen’s caucuses to host educational events for legislators as they work to build policies rooted in the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Highlighting the benefits of sportsmen-led wildlife management at these events and through outreach efforts.
