May 11th, 1792

He named the river after his ship, the Columbia Rediviva. Prior to that time it was known as the Oregon, an Indian name meaning "River of the West."

1805-06 - Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition reveal that salmon and steelhead in Snake and Upper Columbia Rivers were more impressive than any other wildlife. They grew so tired of eating salmon that they purchased dogs from the Nez Perce Indians to vary their diet. Not much mention of deer and elk until they reached Astoria where they lived for five months on a solitary diet of elk meat.

1821 - Hudson Bay Company established headquarters at Vancouver under leadership of John McLaughlin. Responsible for early exploration in search of fur. Established first conservation policy based on limiting fur catch to natural increase, probably accounting for the successful tenure of the Company for over half a century.

1848 - Oregon became a territory. Section 12 of the Territorial Constitution declared that rivers and streams supporting salmon shall not be dammed or otherwise obstructed unless fish passage is provided.

1866 - First cannery built by Hume Brothers on Columbia at Eagle Cliff, Washington. Packed 4,000 cases the first year at a value of $64,000.

1872 - First game laws provided for a closed season on deer from February 1 - June 1. Prohibited taking deer or elk for hides and horns. Closed season on certain waterfowl from April to July. Protected upland game birds during spring months. Prohibited use of explosives or poisons in taking fish. Fish ways required over dams. Legislature adjourned without appropriating money or assigning anyone responsibility to enforce the laws.

1877- First fish hatchery built by U.S. Fish Commission on Clackamas River and operated by Livingston Stone.

1878 - First state Fish Commission. No information available but it apparently was not recognized legally until 1887.

1882 - First successful introduction of Chinese pheasants in North America near Peterson Butte in Linn County.

1887 - Three men State Board of Fish Commissioners set up by Legislature with $1,000 budget to enforce fish and game laws and operate hatchery for two years. The board leased a hatchery at the mouth of Clear Creek on the Clackamas River in April for one dollar from the Oregon and Washington Fish Propagation Company. The first season resulted in 15 million eggs being taken and 1.3 million fry being released. Lacking funds for the second season, the board turned the operation over to the U.S. Fish Commission.

1893 - The first combined fish and game administration in the state's history resulted when the Legislature appointed Hollister McGuire as the State Game and Fish Protector. McGuire proved to be progressive, initiating the first fish marking program in 1895 by clipping the adipose fin on 5,000 Clackamas Hatchery salmon of which 32 returned. He also enforced several new game laws, including a limit of 20 game birds which could be sold during the season.

1898 - Fish and game programs split by action of a special session of the Legislature which abolished the Fish and Game Protector position and created a Board of Fish Commissioners consisting of the Governor, Secretary of State and Fish Commissioner with Hollister McGuire named to that position.

Shortly thereafter McGuire drowned on the Umpqua River while in search of a hatchery site but not before submitting a report on his activities to the Governor. In that 1897-1898 report McGuire outlined some concerns which reflected his ability and grasp of problems which were developing.

He was troubled by the lack of protection for salmon, particularly on the upper Columbia and Snake, and recommended several actions to be taken by the Legislature.

The 1898 special session did respond to many of those concerns, passing a salmon law which included, among other things, the following provisions:

• Licensed industry to support hatcheries.
• Prohibited fishing on spawning tributaries to Columbia.
• Authorized Fish Commissioner to remove fish passage barriers.
• Divided the state into six fishing districts with all fines and license fees to be spent on hatchery programs in district where collected.
• Provided for enforcement through gear registration.
• Required screening of irrigation ditches.
• Prohibited planting of fish not indigenous to state.
• Delegated Commissioner authority to close streams stocked with fish.
• Established reporting system for canneries, dealers, and others.
• Required an annual report system for canneries, dealers, and others.
• Authorized the Commissioner to appoint a deputy in each county to enforce fish laws and to be paid from one half of all fines collected.
• Authorized the Board of Fish Commissioners to purchase and build fish hatcheries and audit all claims in connection with fisheries department.

Hollister McGuire did not forget his responsibilities for wildlife as his report included a section on the Mongolian pheasant and the care of these birds in captivity. A statistic of interest is the mention that 10,000 birds were marketed in Portland from October 15 to November 15, 1896.

Another law passed at the special session prohibited elk hunting until 1910; that closure was later extended.

1899 - Game again received consideration when Legislature created Game Board with position of Game and Forestry Warden to which L.B.W. Quimby was appointed. A budget of $2,200 was approved for the biennium with $1,500 alloted for Quimby's salary, $500 for deputy wardens. New laws were also imposed, including a closed season on beaver, a 5-deer bag limit, and a duck season from September 1 to January 1 with no limit.

Quimby wanted to spend $500 of his budget for printing copies of the fish and game laws but was refused permission so he printed 5,000 copies at his own expense. He was also concerned about increased pressure and commented that there were 20 fishermen in Oregon where there was one 10 years ago.

A commercial fishing license was required for the first time.

1901 - First bag limit for trout of 125 per day and first duck limit with 50 allowed per day. A $10 license was required of non-residents for the first time.

1903 - First record of concern over water quality when Deputy Warden Webster filed a complaint against Rainier Mill and Lumber Company for allowing sawdust to enter the Columbia River. The fine was $50 and court costs. The budget approved by the Legislature included General Fund appropriations of $15,000 for Columbia River hatcheries, $5,000 for coastal hatcheries, and $5,000 for constructing a fishway over Willamette Falls.

Water bailiffs were appointed for fishery law enforcement purposes.

1905 - State Game Fund established. Resident Hunting license costing $1 required. Selling of game prohibited.

1907 - First fishway completed over Willamette Falls at a cost of $2,600. After completion, gradient of upper portion proved too steep for fish to pass.

Lower Klamath and Malheur Lake refuges established by Presidential Proclamation.

1909 - Central Hatchery (Bonneville) completed, including hatchery house, several nursery ponds, one rearing pond, and superintendent's residence.

Resident angler license fee of $1 imposed.

Arrangements made to transport fish and fish eggs on all steam railways free of charge if accompanied by messenger with first class ticket.

Legislature appropriated $1,000 for sea lion control on Columbia. Total of 288 seals and 670 sea lions killed the first year. According to report of H.C. McAllister, Master Fish Warden, the reaction of many fishermen was to blame control programs for poor fishing. The rationale was that seal and sea lions normally drive salmon to stay outside longer and disperse to other streams.

Law passed requiring ditches and mill race intakes to be screened. The first buck law was passed.

1911 - Fish and game activities merged for the second time with the new organization being known as the State Board of Fish and Game Commissioners. The three members were appointed by the Governor with power to protect and propagate fish and game and expend game and hatchery funds.

William L. Finley was appointed the first game warden and one of his initial actions was to audit the funds of the merged organization. That audit disclosed $28,000 in the Game Fund, $14,000 in the Game Fish Hatchery Fund. Outstanding bills of $11,000 left little to function on.

State leased Gene Simpson's bird farm at Corvallis and employed Simpson to run the operation.

Legislature established refuges totaling one and half million acres.

1912 -Liberated elk from Wyoming at Billy Meadows in Wallowa County.

1915 - Abolished Board of Fish and Game Commissioners and created Fish and Game Commission. Governor Withycombe served as chairman of the three member group while R.E. Clanton was Master Fish Warden and Carl Shoemaker served as State Game Warden.

1917 -The Fish and Game Commission's biennial report talks about World War I and its impact, including revenue decline of $30,000 and a reduction in enforcement from 30 to 17 wardens. William L. Finley, state biologist at the time, reported giving 200 lectures to schools granges and other groups during the biennium. Eastern cities were toured to drum up interest in Oregon's outdoors. Since antelope in Lake County were scarce, Finley proposed creating a refuge from public lands in the area.

The Master Fish Warden reported releasing 68.7 million salmon and 15.6 million game fish despite curtailment due to the war. Problems were still evident at Willamette Falls and plans were being made to improve the fishway with funds appropriated by the Legislature. An interesting sideline concerns the status of Columbia River fish run which declined from the late 1800's until 1913. The Fish Department decided in 1910 to listen to some of the more enterprising cannery men who pointed out that 30-50 million yolk sac fry were being planted yearly with no results and who demanded that the young fish be held and released as fingerlings. That suggestion was followed with the result that the 1914 salmon pack jumped to 454,000 cases compared with 266,000 in 1913.

1920 - Another reorganization change occurred with the Board of Fish and Game Commissioners being abolished at a special session of the Legislature and replaced by a three member Fish Commission and a five member Game Commission. That organization remained in effect pretty much without change until the 1975 merger, although Commission members were later appointed by the Governor rather than the Legislature. The major operational change involved divorcing all commercial activities from sport interests.

Carl Shoemaker abandoned the game business to serve as Master Fish Warden while R.E. Clayton became the Director of Hatcheries. A.E. Burghduff was appointed State Game Warden and was assisted by Matt Rykman who was to serve many years as Superintendent of Hatcheries.

Headquarters of the Game Commission remained in the Oregon Building while the Fish Commission moved to the Gasco Building. The Tumalo, Union Creek, Klamath, Butte Falls , and McKenzie hatcheries became the responsibility of the Game Commission while the Fish Commission had jurisdiction over Bonneville, Klaskanie, Alsea, Umpqua , Siuslaw and Coos hatcheries. It was decided to operate Oakridge, Lower Santiam , Nehalem, and Trask hatcheries jointly as salmon and trout production stations.

In his first report, Hatchery Superintendent Clanton credited the increased Columbia River salmon run to Oregon hatchery methods and mentioned that cannery men in Puget Sound and British Columbia asked for the services of the hatchery department to install a similar program on the headwaters of the Fraser River . Fish food was a problem but a three-year supply was reported on hand, including 25,000 cases of condemned salmon, 46,400 lbs. of rejected mild cured salmon, 112,000 lbs. of salmon eggs, 15,000 lbs. of spent salmon.

1925 - The annual report of the Game Commission expressed concern about water shortages, increased pressure due to the automobile, and the demands for more fish, more game, more patrol, and more protection. Problems are increasing and becoming more difficult to solve each year.

1928 - Mike Hoy became Master Fish Warden and remained in that position until 1945.

1931 - Fish and Game law enforcement transferred to Oregon State Police. Closed season on beaver. Frank Wire became State Game Supervisor, a position he held until 1947. John Veatch became chairman of the Fish Commission and served in that capacity until the depression was in full swing and pay was both low and irregular. Although rates varied, $80 to $90 per month was the going rate for a hatchery man who worked six days a week with no overtime pay. Checks arrived at irregular intervals, dependent on availability of funds, and could be three to five months late.

1933 - Elk season reopened for the first time since closure in early 1900's.

1937 - Pittman-Robertson Act passed providing for an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition to be used for state fish and wildlife programs.

1938 - First class of fish and wildlife students graduated from Oregon State.Fish Commission established Department of Research.

1941 - Legislature delegated authority to the Game Commission to set sessions and bag limits and to install screens in ditches under 8 feet wide.

Stream and lake survey program underway with biologists in charge.232,000 hunting and angling licenses sold and receipts totaled $719,000.

5,622 commercial licenses of all types sold, including 1,167 gillnet and 61 troll, and receipts from all sources totaled $162,000.

War clouds were gathering and some employees were leaving for the service. Production of food fish considered an "essential activity," delaying the departure of some Fish Commission personnel.

1942 - South Twin Lake chemically treated, marking first lake rehabilitation project.

1944 - Summer Lake was purchased with Pittman-Robertson funds, becoming the first wildlife management area.

1945 - Arnie Suomela named Master Fish Warden. Legislature reorganized Fish Commission into four divisions of Fish Culture, Engineering, Research, and Administration.

Employees on military leave began returning from service. Phil Schneider became Game Coordinator, and Bob Holloway was placed in charge of lake and stream surveys for the Game Commission. Don McKernan was named Director of Research for the Fish Commission, assisted by Don Johnson.

1946 - Game Commission Bulletin (now Oregon Wildlife) began publication. Game Commission moved from Oregon Building to new headquarters at SW 17th and Alder. Game Division organized with biologists assigned to districts.

1949 - Legislative reorganization of Game Commission. Little change other than appointing new commissioners and renaming position of State Game Supervisor to State Game Director.

1950 - Mountain goats planted in Wallowa Mountains . Dingell-Johnson Act passed providing for excise taxes on fishing tackle to finance sport fisheries programs. Environmental concerns prompted establishment of Basins Investigation Section in Game Commission. Organization decentralized with creation of five regions.

1951 - Phil Schneider became State Game Director. Fishing and hunting license sales totaled $400,000. Game Commission operated on $5,000,000 biennial budget.

Title of Fish Commission Administrative Head changed from Master Fish Warden to State Fisheries Director.

Research expanded to include studies on the Columbia River , troll salmon, coastal rivers, hatchery management, marine fisheries, and shellfish. 357,000 chinook passed Bonneville Dam. Commercial fishing licenses totaled $7,026, only 91 being issued for trolling. The biennial budget totaled $2,000,000. 

1954 -California bighorns re-introduced to Hart Mountain.

1956 - Troll license sales nearly doubled from 486 in 1955 to 866 in 1956. Water Resources Section organized in Fish Commission. Governor Holmes appointed new Commission, and John Veatch ended 25 years of service as Chairman. Commercial fishing in coastal rivers ended by initiative petition.

In 1957 Celilo Falls was flooded by the completion of the Dalles Dam

1960 - Bob Schoning became State Fisheries Director. After initial testing, the Oregon Moist Pellet received widespread use and proved successful in salmon rearing.

1961 - Successful introduction of the Merriam's turkey. 670,000 hunting and angling licenses sold. Game Commission operated on a $7,500,000 biennial budget.

Commercial licenses of all types totaled 8,368 and the Fish Commission operated on a $5,000,000 biennial budget.

Legislature delegated responsibility for non-food inter tidal forms of aquatic life to Fish Commission.

Egg taking crew loads snow cat for trip into Diamond Lake egg station. Deep snow during some years necessitated this form of travel.

1966 - Russian trawl fleet appeared off Oregon coast

1969 - John McKean named State Game Director. Marine laboratory constructed at Newport.

1971 - Gene Kruse replaced Bob Schoning as State Fisheries Director. The Fish Commission's biennial budget totaled $8,000,000 and commercial licenses of all types numbered 11,338.

The Legislature delegated responsibility for 235 non game species of wildlife to the Game Commission. Basins Investigation Section renamed Environmental Management. Biennial budget of $15,000,000.

1973 - Game Code re-codified by Legislature. Game Commission renamed Wildlife Commission.

Growing concern over foreign fishing off Oregon coast and Indian treaty issues on Columbia River.

1975 - Merger of Fish and Wildlife Commissions effective July 1. Seven man Commission appointed for staggered four year terms. Qualifications for Commission membership excluded anyone holding office in sport or commercial fishing organization or having interest in a commercial fish processing company. The law established fish and wildlife divisions with the remainder of the organization determined by the Director. The Director is appointed by the Commission for four years and serves as executive head of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. John McKean was appointed the first Director.

At the time of merger, the Department of Fish and Wildlife employed approximately 750 people, operated 31 hatcheries and four rearing ponds, raised 3.6 million fish yearly, operated one game farm with an annual capacity of 20,000 pheasants, owned and managed 22 wildlife areas encompassing approximately 140,000 acres, controlled 82 fish management areas totaling 6,000 acres, accommodated 766,000 anglers and 390,000 hunters who enjoyed 10 million days of recreation annually and spent $190,000,000 in the process, issued 5,570 licenses to commercial fishermen who harvested $102,000,000 worth of fish and shellfish products annually, and operated on a biennial budget of $40,000,000 of which 50 percent was provided from user fees, 33 percent by the federal government, and 17 percent from the State General Fund.

1976 - Congress passed the Fishery Conservation and Management Act which claimed responsibility for fishery management from 3 to 200 miles off the coast. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is represented on both the Pacific and North Pacific Regional Councils, providing a voice in and responsibility for managing fisheries over a million square miles of ocean.Jack Donaldson became Director.

1977 - A five-year fishery management plan for the Columbia River was signed, following months of negotiations between the State of Oregon , Washington , and the four treaty Indian nations. The Five Year Plan, as it soon became known, provided a real break- through for both user groups and fisheries managers and was the first step in joint management of the rivers fisheries resources.

The bobcat received legal protection as a furbearer by legislative action. The Legislature also elevated certain game and commercial fish violations to Class C felonies, giving the courts authority for tougher punishment options for repeat and major law violators.

1979 - A new fish hatchery on the Clackamas-River brought the number of state operated hatcheries to 32. A totally reconstructed McKenzie Hatchery and an expanded Bonneville Hatchery also came on-line. Oregon borrowed a good idea from Colorado and became the second state in the union to allow its taxpayers to donate a part of their income tax refunds to help non game wildlife. The Wildlife Check-off earned $337,000 for non game animals and habitat in its first year.

1980 - Limited entry began for Oregon 's commercial offshore fisheries. For the first time salmon trollers, groundfish, and shrimp trawlers had to procure permits to land their catches in Oregon and had to maintain evidence of fishing activity each year to keep these permits active. Congress passed the Northwest Power Planning Act. For the first time ever, management of fish and wildlife resources became an equal partner with power generation, irrigation and flood control in the Columbia Basin . The act set up the Northwest Power Planning Council for administration, which provided funding for fish and wildlife mitigation.STEP, Oregon 's Salmon-Trout Enhancement Program, became a reality with the Legislature's blessing.

1981 - "Herman the Sturgeon" officially opened the 1982 Oregon State Fair. The 8 foot fish had been with the Department for 50 years, making it to nearly every state fair during that time.

1982 - El Nino, an environmental imbalance that caused a general warming of the Pacific Ocean and other climate changes created severe conflicts with salmon and other ocean fish populations. The results were economic impacts on the commercial and sport fisheries and coastal communities dependent on tourism.

The Department received six mountain goats from Idaho and released them into the Elkhorn Mountains of Baker County with hopes of establishing a population of the goats in Northeast Oregon .

The Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation organized a fund-raising drive, providing the needed support for acquisition of the lower 13 miles of the Deschutes River banks for public access. The land became the Lower Deschutes Wildlife Area, under department management.

Lookingglass Fish Hatchery, located 18 miles from Elgin on Lookingglass Creek, a tributary of the Grande Ronde River , was completed and dedicated.

1983 -The first annual Oregon "Plague of Plastics" beach cleanup was sponsored by Oregon Fish and Wildlife. During four hours on a Saturday morning, volunteers collected and bagged 23.6 tons of solid waste from Oregon 's public beaches. The first Oregon Migratory Waterfowl stamp was issued by the department.

1984 - The U.S.-Canada Treaty for management of Pacific salmon was ratified by both countries. Under the treaty, each country gained general management control of stocks originating in its own rivers. Treaty goals include prevention of over fishing, increased production of salmon, and ensuring that each country receives the benefit of its own production.The first French red legged partridge eggs were shipped from Canada to the department game farm on the E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, north of Corvallis . This was the beginning of extensive changes for the state's game bird propagation program, which centered around raising and release of ring neck pheasants.

1985 - An angling license was required for all species, not just game fish. The salmon-steelhead tag changed from a yearly 20-fish limit to a separate fee for each unit of ten fish. A new separate tag was created for sturgeon. Peregrine falcons were reintroduced into the Columbia Gorge, where they had not nested for 30 years. Wildlife Check-off money helped fund the cooperative project between ODFW and the U.S. Forest Service.A portion of the state's share of income from the first Oregon Migratory Waterfowl Stamp was given to Ducks Unlimited to build 400 nesting islands on the Copper River Delta in Alaska for dusky Canada geese. Oregon Trout issued its first edition trout stamp to generate funding for wild fish projects in the state.

1986 - The Department and Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation jointly released the first game farm red legged partridges on the White River Wildlife Area.

The Legislature eliminated funding for two hatcheries. The north coastal Siletz Hatchery was closed and demolished. But central Oregon residents strong opposition to closing Fall River.

Hatchery near Bend stayed the facility's closure when trout production from northeast Oregon was temporarily moved there.

The first "Governor's sheep tag" was sold at auction during the annual convention of the Oregon Hunters Association. The tag went for $56,000. An additional $13,000 for Oregon 's sheep program was raised during the convention.A blood virus epidemic infected bighorn in the area of the Lostine River . More than 100 animals died including one large ram, known as spot. Later measurement of his horns set a North American record with the Boone and Crocket Club.

1987 - Extreme forest fire danger in western Oregon caused the state forester to close ten million acres of public and private lands to recreational access for two weeks in October. Fish and Wildlife Commissioners extended the black tail deer season by three days in response to the closure.

1988 - Governor Neil Goldshmidt lent his support to a department legislative proposal to launch a major effort to restore aging hatcheries, improve natural fish production and increase angling access. The Legislature passed the Fish Restoration and Enhancement Act, which placed a $2 surcharge on sport fishing licenses and increased the commercial salmon permit and poundage fees to fund the program. The fee increases were expected to raise more than $4 million dollars. The first major hatchery restoration project was at Cedar Creek Hatchery in Tillamook County.

This was the last department steelhead facility that was not able to fin clip fish because of old pond structures. Several ponds were replaced or lines as part of the project.The 1989 Legislature approved a $5 upland game bird stamp, and also decided that the department could receive the interest of the Wildlife Fund. Proceeds from this interest would be split between non game management programs and fish hatchery maintenance.

1989 - The department sponsored its first statewide Free Fishing day on June 9 as part of National Fishing Week. The U.S. Forest Service also participated, offering free camping in some forest campgrounds.The year turned out to be a very good one for peregrine falcons in Oregon . During the year, biologists found five wild nest sites, bringing the statewide nest total to 16. This compares to just one known site in 1985. The department also "hacked" 26 young birds in five additional sites and placed two foster chicks in a southwest Oregon nest. The Central Region hired the department's first female district (field) biologist.

1990 - This started as a big year of transition for fish and wildlife management and state governmental in general. November 1990 voter approval of a tax limitation measure forced heavy general fund budget cuts.The Fish and Wildlife Commission approved wildlife division proposals to go to full limited entry for mule deer hunting and first period Rocky Mountain elk bull seasons in 1991.

Governor Barbara Roberts started a process to review state government operations and seek alternative methods of organizing natural resource agencies, and developing different funding approaches for agency programs. Without new funding sources to offset losses to Measure 5 cuts, state agencies could face 25 percent cut from base budgets in the 1993-95 biennium.

This year was one that focused heavily on species and agency planning. The Mule Deer Management Plan was approved by the commission and the process started on an elk plan. On the fish side, the Coastal Chinook Management Plan was headed for commission review while a public process to update the Coho Plan was started. A budget note in the 1991 agency budget also called on the department to develop a strategic plan for future fish and wildlife management by 1993.

Contributions in history made by Robert Mace, Bob Kuhn, & Lisa DeBruyckere.

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