ODFW Commission, May 16

Commission hears about 2023-25 Budget Development, Drought Communication Planning, Beavers, Orcas, and votes to schedule a special meeting to consider comments on their recent North Umpqua Summer Steelhead decision. ODFW release – May 13, 2022 – SALEM — Commissioners heard presentations from ODFW staff Friday about the agency’s proposed 2023-2025 budget and policy option package prioritization. At the June 17 meeting, the Commission will vote on the final budget to be sent to the Governor’s office. The planned budget does not include a proposed fee increase for recreational hunting or fishing licenses, meaning the agency will have gone almost a full decade without asking for an additional fee increase. Typically, ODFW asks for a fee increase every six years, but the agency has been able to build up healthy operational reserves and can delay the increasing fees for another biennium. The increase in license sales during the pandemic also helped offset the need for a fee increase. The last fee increase request was approved in the 2015 Legislative Session and implemented incrementally in 2016, 2018 and 2020. The Commission also approved expenditures from the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund, heard a presentation from the Beaver Management Workgroup, as well as a presentation on southern resident killer whales. In other business, the Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to schedule a special meeting to discuss tribal and other comments regarding their recent North Umpqua hatchery summer steelhead decision. A video of Friday’s Commission meeting can be found here: https://youtu.be/2kuzMWHI2MU.