This statewide program is one of four principle programs within the Wildlife Division of the agency. Program objectives are to protect, maintain, and enhance wildlife habitat to meet Oregon’s Wildlife Policy by: 1) manipulating habitat, 2) acquiring land, 3) developing habitat management and restoration techniques, 4) providing technical assistance to state, federal, tribal, and local agencies and individuals; and, 5) providing funding through grants for habitat protection, restoration and enhancement.
Five subprograms are contained within the Wildlife Habitat Program
The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration also known as the Pittman-Robertson (PR) program supports the operation and maintenance of 14 major wildlife areas across the state. Two additional wildlife areas funded by license dollars are also managed by this program and together the 16 areas encompass approximately 200,000 acres where over 2 million recreational use-days are recorded annually. The program also supports seven regional habitat programs designed to provide technical assistance to public land managers and private landowners to enhance and protect wildlife habitats on public and private lands across the state.
The Access and Habitat Program (A&H) is an incentive based program aimed at improving wildlife habitat and public hunting access on Oregon’s private lands. The A&H Program’s motto, “Landowners and Hunter Together for Wildlife,” conveys the program’s basic mission to foster partnerships between landowners and hunters for the benefit of the wildlife they value. Funding for the A&H Program is generated through the auction/raffle of special big game tags and a $2 surcharge on hunting licenses. A&H Program funds are used on a wide range of habitat projects, including wetland restoration, forest stand improvement, riparian area protection, wildlife forage seeding, controlled burns, water development, juniper removal, and noxious weed control.
The Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program (WOSRP) provides direct technical support to Watershed Councils and private landowners in western Oregon to implement Oregon Plan measures directing the restoration and enhancement of Oregon’s salmonid habitats in the region. This includes projects to increase instream habitat complexity by adding large wood or boulders, enhancing riparian areas by protection or planting, and correcting fish passage problems. The program is the continuation of the productive public-private partnership, which has been ongoing since 1995.
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is required to mitigate for the loss of wildlife habitat from the construction and operation of hydro projects such as federal dams. The BPA provides funding through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for habitat acquisition, restoration work, and monitoring and evaluation of habitat enhancement programs. Currently, the primary focus of mitigation work is in the Willamette Basin, a region identified by the Governor of Oregon as the state’s top environmental priority.
Land Resources Program
The Land Resources Program helps guide land-use activities in Oregon that affect fish and wildlife habitats. The program offers tax incentives, grants and technical assistance to private and public landowners, businesses and governments to promote conservation of fish and wildlife habitats, and to ensure environmental protection standards are met:
- Technical advice and assistance to local, state and federal agencies regarding land-use activities and proposed developments
- Technical expertise to other natural resource agencies on removal-and-fill actions, energy facility siting, mining, transportation and forest management issues
- Statewide consistency and application of natural resource protection statutes
- Coordinate of ODFW’s responses to hazardous material spill events that affect fish, wildlife, or habitat, and obtain compensation for damages under state or federal Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) statutes.
Oregon Columbia Plateau Ecoregion Wind Energy Siting and Permitting Guidlines
The Wind Energy Siting and Permitting Guidelines (Guidelines) for Oregon's Columbia Plateau Ecoregion, including areas within Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow and Umatilla counties is now available. Until separate regional guidelines can be developed, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends using these Guidelines for the entire State as a process roadmap during each step of a potential wind project’s development, construction, and operation. The Guidelines are the culmination of a unique collaboration between state and federal resource agencies, wind energy industry representatives, counties, environmental organizations and consultants. The Guidelines provide recommendations for siting, designing and permitting wind projects in a manner that supports both the conservation of important wildlife and habitat resources and the realization of the multiple environmental and economic benefits of wind energy.
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