The Fish and Wildlife Commission meets June 7-8 at the Geiser Grand Hotel, 1996 Main Street, Baker City. See the agenda for both days at following link. The meetings begin at 8 a.m. https://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes/18/06_june/index.asp Thursday’s business includes: Approval of the 2019-21 ODFW budget. Allocation of 2019 auction and raffle tags and project funding for several Access and Habitat projects, which open private land to hunting access or improve wildlife habitat. Adoption of 2018-20 furbearer regulations. Changes proposed include dates and areas for the red fox season (from open in certain northeast Oregon counties the entire year to open statewide Oct. 15-Feb. 28) and restriction of certain trap sizes to water sets only. Adoption of new rules to allow off-reservation hunting for subsistence and ceremonial purposes as outlined in Memorandum of Agreement between the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation (CTWS) and the State of Oregon. The hunt area would primarily include federal public lands throughout the CTWS ceded lands as described in an 1855 Treaty with the Tribes of Middle Oregon. Reclassification of the marbled murrelet as endangered under the Oregon Endangered Species Act and adoption of survival guidelines. Survival guidelines are new rules to protect the seabird on state-owned, managed, and leased lands; they do not apply to private lands or other non-state public lands. Survival guidelines will be superseded by future Commission-approved endangered species management plans once developed by affected state agencies. Friday’s business includes: Adoption of sardine harvest limits in keeping with federal recommendations. Briefing on the results of a technical review and public process regarding the potential establishment of thermal fishing sanctuaries in the Columbia River. Briefing on proposals to simplify big game hunting regulations (more info on proposals). Final consideration of these proposals will happen Sept. 14 in Bandon. A public forum will be held on Friday morning at the start of the meeting. Anyone seeking to testify on issues not on the formal agenda may do so by making arrangements with the ODFW Director’s Office, at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, by calling 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044.
