CHRONICLE WIRE SERVICES
Two bills – one signed by the governor in July (HB 2829), and one recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 3742) – offer the most significant opportunities to fund fish and wildlife conservation in a century.
This year, the 2019 Oregon State Legislature passed HB 2829 to create the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund to conserve and manage Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats. The bill puts $1 million of the General Fund aside, to be matched by $1 million in private money raised by ODFW, as seed money towards an alternative, sustainable funding source. It also creates an Oregon Conservation and Recreation Advisory Committee to recommend how to spend the money.
Among other uses, the new fund will be used to implement the Oregon Conservation Strategy, a blueprint for conservation in Oregon that supports voluntary actions to conserve species and their vital habitats before they become more rare and costly to protect.
Another significant funding source on the horizon is the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742), introduced July 12 by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rep. Fortenberry (R-NE). The bill would dedicate approximately $1.3 billion annually to state fish and wildlife agencies and an additional $97.5 million for tribal fish and wildlife managers to implement science-based wildlife action plans.
Also …
Hunters who purchase a 2020 OHA Gun Calendar will be entered intoa raffle for a chance to win one of 53 guns. Visit oregonhunters.org/store or call 541-772-7313 for more information. .… The Fish & Wildlife Commission meets Aug. 2 at 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem. The meeting starts at 8 a.m. and the agenda is online at dfw.state.or.us. …. Fall bear season opens Friday, Aug. 1 and hunters must purchase their bear tag before Sept. 27.
