Tomorrow, Friday, August 14, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission is holding its monthly business meeting to discuss several critical issues for sportsmen and women. Topics include salmon, steelhead, and lamprey rules, bear and cougar trap check times, and the director’s report.
The meeting will be held in a hybrid format. You can attend in person at the ODFW Headquarters (4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, OR) or tune in online.
Agenda Items:
- Ratification of Temporary Rules: A vote will be held on 20 emergency rule changes, including North Umpqua steelhead angling closures, Deschutes River wild summer steelhead protections, and adjusted sage-grouse controlled hunt permit numbers.
- Bear and Cougar Trap Check Times (Exhibit C): The Commission will vote on explicit rules regarding trap check times for bears and cougars taken on damage-control protocols.
- Director’s & Financial Reports: Briefings from ODFW leadership covering agency finances, climate policy, and state field updates.
- Public Forum: Comments from the floor regarding sporting and conservation issues not explicitly listed elsewhere on the formal agenda.
- Watch the Livestream: Stream the meeting live via the ODFW YouTube Channel or directly on the ODFW Commission Agenda Page.
- Testify In-Person Only: If you would like to testify in person you can register at the meeting tomorrow morning before the agenda items are called. Individual speaking limits are strictly enforced to 2 or 3 minutes.
- Virtual Note: Unfortunately, virtual testimony and public forum registration closed yesterday.
The Threat is Real
Animal extremist initiatives, such as the active signature push for Initiative Petition 28, which seeks to effectively criminalize hunting and fishing in Oregon, prove that our opponents never rest. We need to keep a watchful eye on every regulatory meeting to ensure the commission stays focused on sound science and hunter-backed conservation.
The Critical Need for Vigilance
Animal extremist groups are constantly searching for backdoors to lock us out of public lands, outlaw essential conservation tools, and choke our heritage with red tape. By showing up and participating online, you send a clear message to the commission: Oregon’s hunting and fishing community demands science-based management, transparency, and respect for our time-honored traditions.
History proves that when outdoor enthusiasts drop their guard, radical animal-rights groups capitalize on the silence. We cannot sit back and let a loud, highly organized minority rewrite the rules of our outdoor heritage.
Defending the Future of Our Wildlife
As sportsmen and women, we are the true frontline guardians of a lifestyle that is increasingly coming under political fire. While we are actively funding conservation and managing the land, anti-sportsmen groups are busy filling public hearings to erase our way of life. The threats we face today are unprecedented. It is time for our community to stand together, match their energy, and fiercely protect our right to hunt, fish, and trap. This is how we ensure the legacy we inherited is preserved for our kids, grandkids, and generations to come.
Please forward this alert to your family, friends, and fellow hunters. Urge them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance to defend our outdoor freedom in the Beaver State.
