Author: Arran Robertson

SALEM, OR – A landmark bill to fund wildlife conservation in Oregon is being held up in the State Senate, despite passing the House with strong bipartisan support and clearing Senate Rules. HB 2977, backed by a broad and diverse coalition across Oregon (listed at the bottom of this release), is now stalled due to obstruction by two Republican senators, Daniel Bonham and Cedric Hayden, who are using procedural tactics to try to kill the bill.

“This bill has support from every corner of the state,” said Amy Patrick of the Oregon Hunters Association. “It’s a smart, fair solution to address a wildlife funding crisis, and it’s been shaped by everyone from hunters and anglers to birders and business owners. The House did its job. The Senate Rules Committee did its job. I urge the two senators attempting now to derail it to respect the extensive work done by stakeholders and legislators alike, and allow the bill to move forward.”

The so-called “minority report” being wielded to delay the bill has already been written and is available to view, but Senators Bonham and Hayden refuse to officially submit it. 

According to the rules of the Oregon Legislature, Senate President Rob Wagner has the ability to put HB 2977 for a vote on the floor. 

“Senate President Rob Wagner has the power to put HB 2977 on the floor today—and Oregonians from across the state are calling on him to do so,” said Danielle Moser of Oregon Wild. “This is not a party-line issue. Our wildlife, the habitats they depend on, and the democratic process deserve better.”

Over 70% of the submitted testimony available on the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) is in support of the bill.

“Oregon’s fish and wildlife is big business in Oregon, and this incredible resource is in jeopardy of blinking out,” said Bob Rees of the Northwest Guides and Anglers Association. “The Oregon Legislature is on the precipice of passing its first meaningful funding to turn the tide of these imperiled species through a bipartisan wildlife funding bill. If this bill doesn’t pass, those imperiled species will continue down the path to extinction and, along with it, our community of outdoor enthusiasts that represents one of the greatest transfers of wealth from urban to rural communities in Oregon. We’ll hold those obstructing the passage of this bill personally responsible for its demise, the first real opportunity to recover Oregon’s troubled fish and wildlife species.”

“Rarely has a bill brought a more diverse stakeholder coalition together like HB 2977 has, and with strong bipartisan support in both chambers of the legislature, the bill was set for success,” said Dr. Sristi Kamal, Deputy Director of the Western Environmental Law Center. “But now it is being held hostage by gimmicky tactics such as a minority report by a few Senate Republicans who want to kill HB 2977. They have no interest in unifying rural and urban Oregon and instead thrive by dividing us. We urge the Senate Democratic Party to save HB 2977, and honor the democratic process that got the bill this far.”

Stakeholders are particularly frustrated that genuine compromise and broad consensus are being undermined by obstruction.

“HB 2977 is the result of ranchers, guides, hoteliers, birders, business owners, and sportsmen all pulling in the same direction,” said Tristan Henry, Oregon Field Representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The Senate has an opportunity now to finish what this broad coalition started and deliver a lasting wildlife-funding solution for Oregon. We urge President Rob Wagner and Senate leadership to use every tool available to move HB 2977 forward and pass it into law.”

HB 2977 would increase Oregon’s statewide transient lodging tax—currently one of the lowest in the nation—to provide long-overdue funding for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The agency has identified nearly 300 species in decline, yet lacks the resources to protect and recover them.

A recent economic analysis found that the bill would not deter tourism and could actually boost outdoor recreation spending in Oregon by improving visitor experiences and protecting iconic species and landscapes.

Supporters say the bill is a win-win: funding from tourists to protect the wildlife and landscapes they come to see, and economic benefits for rural communities that rely on outdoor recreation.

“The passage of HB 2977 would be one of Oregon’s most significant environmental achievements in decades,” said Colin Reynolds, senior advisor to the Northwest program at Defenders of Wildlife. “This bill would deliver long-awaited and necessary sustainable funding for Oregon’s essential wildlife conservation programs that support our iconic species like the marbled murrelet, Southern Resident orca and fisher. On behalf of Defenders of Wildlife’s over 40,000 members and supporters in Oregon, I call on the Oregon legislature to pass this bipartisan bill before the end of the legislative session.”

SUPPORT FOR HB 2977

Dismantling the Roadless Rule Would Put Clean Water and Wildlife at Risk, Increase Fire Risk

Portland, OR — In a sweeping rollback of one of America’s most broadly supported and legally durable conservation measures, the Trump administration today announced it is eliminating the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This move puts nearly 2 million acres of Oregon’s most intact national forest lands at risk, including areas around the Metolius River, the Sandy River, the Oregon Dunes, Mount Hebo, Hardesty Mountain, Tumalo Mountain, and the Upper Hood River Valley.

Oregon Wild strongly condemns this short-sighted decision, which ignores decades of public input, legal precedent, and the irreplaceable ecological value of Oregon’s remaining wild forests.

“Once again, the Trump administration is siding with industry lobbyists and political insiders instead of the people of Oregon and the American public,” said Oregon Wild Climate Forests Program Manager Lauren Anderson. “This decision is an invitation for the most destructive commercial logging, roadbuilding, and development in some of the most remote, ecologically valuable, and unspoiled forests left in the country. These lands belong to all Americans, not just the industrial looters and billionaire donors who have the President’s ear.”

The Roadless Rule was established in 2001 after an unprecedented public process that included more than 600 hearings and 1.6 million comments. The vast majority of comments supported protecting roadless areas from logging and roadbuilding. The rule safeguarded 58.5 million acres of undeveloped national forests, including almost 2 million acres in Oregon, from most commercial development.

The Trump administration’s repeal of the rule comes amid a broader effort to ramp up logging on public forests in Oregon and across the West, as well as threats to sell off millions of acres of public lands, including in Oregon, to pay for Trump’s tax-cut and domestic militarization agenda. 

This effort is presented as “fire prevention,” but studies consistently show that roadbuilding and logging in backcountry forests do little to reduce fire risk near communities. In many cases, these activities increase fire risk while degrading clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

A recent poll showed that 74% believe the federal government should focus forest management on thinning small trees near homes and emergency services, rather than large-scale commercial logging in more remote areas like those currently protected by the Roadless Rule. Both state and federal policy heavily subsidize logging lucrative large trees in the backcountry in the name of ‘fire preparedness’ over effective ways to safeguard lives and communities.

“Oregon’s roadless forests are not only home to ancient trees and endangered wildlife. They are vital sources of clean drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people and support the state’s outdoor recreation economy,” said Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager for Oregon Wild. “Removing protections for these forests is not fire management. It is environmental vandalism.”

From the remote forests of the Rogue River-Siskiyou to the high headwaters of the Blue Mountains, Oregon’s roadless areas are among the state’s last best places. These landscapes provide refuge for salmon, steelhead, elk, and eagles. They offer cold clean water for communities like Ashland and Salem. They also offer a haven for hikers, hunters, and anyone seeking solitude in nature.

“Oregonians have made it clear time and again that they value their wildlands, clean water, and wildlife. The Trump administration’s decision is not only an attack on our environment. It is an attack on our values,” said Anderson.

Oregon Wild and its partners will continue to fight this decision in the courts, in Congress, and in communities across Oregon to ensure that roadless forests remain wild for future generations.

Background:

• The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule protected 58.5 million acres of undeveloped national forests from new roadbuilding and most forms of commercial logging
  
• Nearly 2 million acres of Oregon’s national forests are protected by the Roadless Rule, including parts of Mount Hood, Hells Canyon, and the Siskiyou Mountains
  
• These areas safeguard drinking water for more than 800,000 Oregonians and provide critical habitat for species like salmon, marbled murrelets, and bald eagles
  
• Roadless lands support a robust outdoor recreation economy and are central to Oregon’s wild backcountry experiences

Broad coalition celebrates win for conservation, rural economies, and Oregon’s outdoor legacy

SALEM, OR – In a major victory for Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and outdoor heritage, the Oregon House of Representatives has passed HB 2977, a bipartisan bill that would raise the state’s transient lodging tax (TLT) to provide long-overdue funding for wildlife conservation. The bill passed with the required three-fifths majority and now advances to the Oregon Senate.

The bill comes at a critical time for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), which has identified nearly 300 species in decline, including some on the brink of extinction. Yet the agency lacks the funding necessary to proactively conserve these species and their habitats.

“This is a smart, fair, and urgently needed investment in the future of Oregon’s wildlife and the habitats that make this state such a great place to live and visit,” said Danielle Moser at Oregon Wild. “Hunters, anglers, birders, ranchers, and conservationists have all come together to say: it’s time to act.”

HB 2977 would modestly increase Oregon’s statewide TLT, currently one of the lowest in the country, so that visitors help fund the very natural beauty and biodiversity that draw them here in the first place. From elk in Eastern Oregon to seabirds along the coast, wildlife is one of the state’s biggest tourism assets.

A recent economic analysis found that the tax increase would not deter tourism and could actually boost outdoor recreation spending in Oregon by improving visitor experiences and protecting iconic species and landscapes.

“This is a win-win,” said Moser. “This proposal supports healthy ecosystems and rural economies, and it ensures that future generations will be able to enjoy the incredible wildlife that makes Oregon special.”

The legislation follows in the footsteps of Hawaii, which recently increased its hotel tax to help fund conservation and climate resilience. With similar broad support and momentum, Oregon is poised to lead the way in showing how tourism and wildlife can thrive together.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where its coalition of supporters hopes it will soon become law.