Why It Matters: Facing a $500 million revenue shortfall and priorities set by Governor Tina Kotek, the 2025 legislative session in Oregon left little room for sportsmen’s issues. Still, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) fought vigorously to protect hunting, trapping, and firearms rights while advocating for conservation funding to protect Oregon’s outdoor heritage into the future. While legislative sessions that are dominated by other unrelated topics can be challenging, CSF remained steadfast in our efforts to protect and advance our time-honored traditions.
Highlights:
- The 2025 legislative session has come to an end. While CSF and members of the sporting-conservation community worked hard in support of our time-honored outdoor traditions, this session’s challenges mean that there remains much work ahead as we continue our efforts in support of sportsmen and women.
- CSF championed a funding increase for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife by supporting the agency’s budget and working with a broad coalition on innovative solutions like the effort to update the Transient Lodging Tax to bolster wildlife conservation.
- CSF conducted education, outreach, coalition strategy, and letters of opposition to amend or remove restrictive bills like HB 3932 (beaver trapping ban on certain public lands) and SB 243 (sweeping anti-gun bill).
- CSF also remains committed to continuing our advocacy efforts throughout the remainder of the year, including through the annual legislative fishing trip in September, to share educational information with policymakers and ensure sportsmen’s voices shape future conservation and heritage policies.
The 2025 Oregon legislative session, constrained by a $500 million revenue shortfall and other priorities set forth by Governor Tina Kotek, created many challenges in our efforts to advance opportunities for sportsmen and women. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation faced early exclusion from firearms legislation discussions, particularly SB 243, an omnibus package consolidating several other pieces of legislation into one large package. SB 243 banned rapid-fire devices, allowed local governments to restrict concealed carry in public buildings, and much more. CSF and our coalition partners advocated for the removal of a proposed under-21 firearms possession ban that would have strongly impacted youth hunting, shooting sports, and firearms educations, but these efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Firearms were not the only arena in which sportsmen and women faced challenges. House Bill 3932, which bans beaver trapping on public lands with impaired waterways, was signed into law late last month. CSF’s education efforts in connection with this bill highlighted trapping’s role in managing populations of a species that can have a tremendous negative impact on its ecosystem, but the bill’s passage underscored the session’s challenges.
In addition to these efforts, CSF advocated for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) by supporting the agency’s budget and working on innovative funding solutions like updating the Transient Lodging Tax proposed by HB 2977 to fund wildlife conservation. These efforts were aimed at ensuring critical resources for healthy fish, wildlife, and habitats, sustaining Oregon’s outdoor heritage but were also ultimately unsuccessful this session
Despite these setbacks, the sporting community remains steadfast. CSF’s coalition-building continues, with the annual legislative fishing trip in September providing a platform to educate policy makers on hunting, angling, trapping, and shooting sports. CSF will keep fighting for sportsmen’s heritage and conservation across Oregon. The passage of HB 3932 and SB 243 highlights the need for persistent advocacy to protect fish, wildlife, and habitats, ensuring Oregon’s sporting traditions thrive in future rulemaking.
