SALEM, Ore.—The Commission will meet Friday, Dec. 6 at ODFW Headquarters, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE in Salem. The meeting begins at 8 a.m. and follows this agenda, https://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes/19/12_Dec/index.asp The Commission will be asked to adopt Oregon’s Conservation Plan for Lampreys, which was developed through coordination with various stakeholders and partners. Interest in lamprey conservation has increased dramatically over the last two decades as concern has grown over their status. The Plan covers four of the state’s native species of lampreys: Pacific Lamprey, Western River Lamprey, Western Brook Lamprey, and Pacific Brook Lamprey and identifies limiting factors, management strategies and research needed to conserve these species. 2020 groundfish regulations (e.g. rockfish, lingcod, cabezon, greenling) are also on the agenda. State harvest guidelines are very similar to last year and ODFW staff are proposing a similar recreational season as last year, with a 5-fish daily bag limit. A new sub-bag daily limit of 1 copper, quillback or China rockfish is also being recommended, as the harvest guideline for these species was met early in 2019 and ended retention in late August. Fishing would be limited to shoreward of the 40-fathom line from June through August, and allowed at all depths from September through May. Commercial nearshore fishery landing limits will also be similar to 2019. Changes to the commercial Black Rockfish Management Areas, which have additional daily limits for black rockfish landings in the commercial fishery, will be considered. Other topics on the meeting agenda include: Amending roadkill salvage rules to allow deer and elk dispatched by wildlife law enforcement personnel after being roadstruck to be salvaged by people besides just the driver. Making corrections to minor errors in the big game controlled hunt tables and boundary descriptions from the September Commission meeting to accurately reflect the newly published 2020 Regulations. Formally approve the amended trapping regulations to prohibit the use of traps or snares suspended in trees in the Siskiyou and Siuslaw National Forests and prohibit trapping in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, per previous Commission decision and reflected in temporary rule. Consider funding for several Restoration and Enhancement projects to increase fishing opportunities or improve public access and approve some housekeeping updates for rules managing the program. A public forum will be held Friday morning after the Director’s report for people who wish to testify about an issue not on the formal meeting agenda. Call the ODFW Director’s office at least 48 hours before the meeting at (503) 947-6044 to schedule. On Nov. 7, the Commission received a petition to prohibit wild winter steelhead retention in the SW Zone. Formal consideration of the petition must occur within 90 days of receipt and is scheduled for the Jan. 17, 2020 Commission meeting in Salem. Several of the petitioners have signed up to speak to the Commission during the Dec. 6 public forum to advocate for a temporary rule prohibiting wild winter steelhead harvest in the SW Zone for the 2020 season.
