HB 4134 – 1.25% for Wildlife

Why you should support HB 4134 – 1.25% for Wildlife

• What HB 4134 does

  HB 4134 – 1.25% for Wildlife would create a long-term, dedicated funding source to protect Oregon’s most vulnerable fish, wildlife, and their habitats. By raising the statewide lodging tax (TLT) by 1.25%, from 1.5% to 2.75%, the bill ensures that visitors who are enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty are also investing in its future. The funds raised by the tax will go directly to imperiled fish, wildlife, and habitat recovery efforts. With nearly 300 species at an elevated risk of extinction and 11 habitats of greatest conservation need, these additional investments would be life-saving.

   

• How will the bill impact tourism in Oregon?

  Over 60% of lodging tax revenue comes from out-of-state visitors. Even with the proposed 1.25% increase, Oregon would remain the third-lowest taxed state in the country.

  In 2025, an independent economic assessment of the “1.25% for Wildlife” proposal found no correlation between modest tax increases like the one proposed in HB 4134 and visitor spending. The analysis concluded that neighboring states with lodging tax rates two to five times higher than Oregon’s consistently show comparable or stronger growth in lodging revenue, with no negative impacts on their outdoor economy.

  

  Read the 2025 Economic Analysis

  • HB 2977 Economic Analysis
• Who supports HB 4134?

  Wildlife conservationists, hunters, anglers, recreationalists, and businesses associated with tourism from across Oregon support this legislation. In the 2025 legislative session, over 70% of the written testimony was in support of “1.25% For Wildlife.” These numbers are reflective of Oregonians’ deep commitment to preserving and protecting their natural heritage. According to a May 2025 poll from Mason-Dixon Polling, 71% of Oregonians believe protecting the biodiversity of Oregon should be a priority for state and national politicians and 81% of Oregonians say that biodiversity (the variety of plants, animals, and other living things) is important in their everyday lives.

   

  Read the Wildlife Coalition Support Letter

  • HB 4134 – 1.25% for Wildlife Coalition Support Letter
• What you can do to show your support

  Sign the petition

  Our legislators work for us, helping us build the Oregon we want to live in. By adding your voice to the growing community of wildlife supporters, you help move the needle on their opinion.

  • Sign the petition

  Write a letter to the editor

  Writing Letters to the Editor is an important and impactful way to advocate for issues you care most about – published pieces provide an additional line of communication with decision-makers and help to raise awareness of the issues and encourage the public to take action.

  • How to Write a Letter to the Editor (LTE)

  Sign on as a business

  Oregon’s economy is heavily dependent on our natural landscapes, native wildlife, and healthy waters. However, Oregon is currently failing to invest meaningfully into these resources, many of which are significant drivers of tourism and critical to the state’s economy. There is a growing coalition of businesses willing to support this commonsense legislation.

  • Business sign-on

  Write to your legislator

  Let’s tell our politicians to pass Oregon’s most significant conservation opportunity in decades – a historic action for fish, wildlife and habitats, and our growing tourism industry that depend on them.​

  How to contact your legislator:

  1. Find your legislators. Follow this link, type in your address, and voila! You’ve got your state senators and representatives phone numbers, emails, and mailing addresses.

     1. Please consider sending the same message to Governor Kotek as well. Find her contact info here.

     2. Emails, phone calls, and physical letters all work well, and you can use a similar script for each. Just pick whichever works best for you. Want to chat face-to-face with your rep? Join our Day of Action!

  What to Write:

  1. Identify yourself as a constituent. This will hold more weight if they know they represent YOU specifically. Consider thanking them for being your representative after you identify yourself.

  2. Explain why wildlife matters to you. Are you worried about biodiversity loss? Pollinators supporting crops? The overall health of our wild spaces? Oregon’s responsibility to care for our wild neighbors? Scroll down for talking points.

     1. Get personal here! Politicians hear the facts and figures from our teams frequently; they want to hear why it matters to you. Tell a story of when you started birdwatching, or showing visiting family gray whales. Make your letter or call stand out.

  3. Specifically ask them to support HB 4134 (1.25% for Wildlife). Don’t be vague, and remember that they work for you!

  4. Sign off by thanking them for considering your request. It never hurts to be polite!

  … and you’re done! This doesn’t have to be a long essay, a brief letter or call (think one or two sentences per point above) is also considerate of the legislators’ time.

  HB4134 Talking Points:

  • Investment into Oregon’s Natural Legacy: It will conserve and restore Oregon’s 300+ vulnerable species and their habitats that support Oregonians livelihoods, quality of life and recreation needs.

  • Diverse Stakeholder Support: It will solve a long-standing funding gap for wildlife and habitats, and is widely supported by a diverse group of stakeholders with a presence in all parts of Oregon.

  • Investment in Wildfire Risk Reduction and Workforce Development: It includes stable funding for the Oregon Conservation Corps to keep Oregon’s communities safe from wildfire and help build Oregon’s workforce.

  • Reinvestment in Oregon’s Tourism: Outdoor recreation is an $8 billion industry in Oregon and makes up 2.6% of the state’s GDP. This concept would reinvest in our natural resources, a major draw for out-of-state tourists, which helps attract more visitors (“if you build it, they will come”).

  • Not a Cost-of-Living Increase: The majority (65%) of those who pay the tax are visitors from other states and countries.

  • Establish Stable Funding: It would make these programs more resilient in an uncertain funding environment.

  • Doesn’t Change Low Tax Ranking: Oregon has the third-lowest state lodging tax rate out of all 50 states, and raising the rate by 1.25 percentage points would not change that ranking. Even considering local lodging tax rates, Oregon’s communities are still below, or significantly below, similarly situated out-of-state communities.