Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator
On May 6, the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted its bi-annual banquet and auction at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem.
The Caucus hosts this event to bring together legislators, sportsmen’s partner groups, and the outdoor sporting community to celebrate Oregon’s rich sporting heritage, and support its mission to promote Oregon’s hunting, angling, and other outdoor recreation traditions; ensure reasonable access to public lands and opportunities for outdoor pursuits; enhance multiple-use habitat management for wildlife and fisheries; and recognize the importance of hunting and fishing for Oregon’s economy.
To support this mission, the Caucus hosts events, policy forums, briefings, and issues “Hunter Orange Alerts” for formal caucus positions on sportsmen’s legislation in Oregon throughout the legislative session.
This year’s event was made possible by its main sponsor PacWest Communications.
The Banquet kicked off with an impressive silent auction that was followed by an exciting live action as well as general raffle.
Representative Duane Stark served as the master of ceremonies and auctioneer – keeping the energy high throughout the evening.
To conclude the event, sponsor and event organizer Oregon Hunters Association presented Susan Coleman an award for her contributions to the success of the Sportsmen’s Caucus.
The next Caucus event will be a free youth fishing derby held on the lawn of the Oregon State Capitol on May 25. Youth will be able to learn the basics of fishing fish for free, while learning about the important role fishing plays in conservation efforts.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
