State: OR

Contact: Keely Hopkins, Pacific States Assistant Manager Why It Matters: Oregon’s hunters, anglers, and trappers have long played a vital role in funding conservation and wildlife management efforts throughout the state. Under the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a unique “user pays-public benefits” structure, Oregon’s sportsmen and women generate tens of millions of dollars…

Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator On November 13, the Oregon Fish and Game Commission (Commission) denied a petition to ban beaver trapping on federal lands across the entire state. The initial motion to accept the petition to ban beaver trapping on federal land was denied by a 3-3 vote of the Commission. Following subsequent Commission…

Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator In September, a petition was brought before the Oregon Fish and Game Commission (Commission) to initiate rulemaking to amend OAR 635-050-0070 to permanently close commercial and recreational beaver trapping and hunting on federally managed public lands and waters in the state. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and a coalition…

Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator On June 12, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Commission (Commission) reviewed and updated their furbearer management regulations, as they do every two years. Following release of the Commission meeting agenda, a citizen-proposed amendment to the beaver trapping regulations was submitted which would ban recreational and commercial…

Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator On Friday, April 8, Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus – Representative Brad Witt and Representative Sherrie Sprenger – submitted a letter to Governor Kate Brown requesting that she retain, to the greatest extent possible, opportunities for Oregonians to responsibly enjoy the outdoors in response to COVID-19, because hunting,…

Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted an updated Wolf Conservation and Management Plan during a Commission meeting on June 7. The Commission heard testimony from 44 people and reviewed thousands of public comments before making its decision to allow controlled take of wolves though limited, regulated…

Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator On May 31, the Oregon Senate voted unanimously to pass HB 3035, an anti-poaching bill, that increases the maximum penalty for certain wildlife law offenses. The legislation increases penalties for offenses committed without a culpable state of mind to a Class A misdemeanor ($2,000 fine) and increases the maximum…

Contact Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator On May 25, the Oregon Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hosted the annual Youth Fishing Day at the Capitol. Pools with trout and bass were brought to the steps of the Oregon State Capitol building to provide a quality experience and unique opportunity for…

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…

Contact: Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator The Oregon House of Representatives passed HB 3035, an anti-poaching bill championed by Oregon’s Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair and National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses Executive Council member Representative Brad Witt and Caucus member Representative Ken Helm. This bill was also sponsored by Caucus Co-Chair Representative Sherrie Sprenger and several other Caucus…

By Aoibheann Cline, Western States Coordinator On March 26, the Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted its first Caucus meeting of 2019. The breakfast meeting was well attended by Caucus members eager for updates from Caucus leadership and a plan of action for the year to come. Co-Chair Representative Sherrie Sprenger remarked, “I am thrilled with the…

By Zach Widner, Northwest States Senior Manager On March 5, the Oregon House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass a bill that would require cervid (deer, elk, moose) attractant products derived from cervid urine to come from a herd demonstrated to be free of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). It now awaits committee assignment in the…