The Fish and Wildlife Commission has moved to hybrid meetings, meaning that you have the option to attend in-person or virtually. Those who would like to provide virtual testimony on an Exhibit scheduled on this agenda must REGISTER no less than 48 hours in advance to receive a testimony link to the meeting. To provide testimony on an agenda item in-person, registration will also be available at the meeting.

To be added to the March 15 agenda to provide testimony virtually or in-person during Public Forum you must contact the Director's office no less than 48 hours advance of the meeting for approval.

This meeting will be live streamed to YouTube and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/IEODFW/videos

Field Reports – in written form only

Attachments: (pdf)

• Field Report
  
  

Shannon Hurn, Deputy Director of Administration

Attachments: (pdf)

• Financial Report
  
  

Dr. Debbie Colbert, Deputy Director of Fisha and Wildlife Programs

Attachments: (pdf)

• FWC 2024 Leg Update
  
  

Advancing Resiliency of Species in the Face of a Changing Climate: Natural and Working Lands – Agricultural and Range Lands

Dr. Debbie Colbert, Deputy Director of Fish and Wildlife Programs
Davia Palmeri, Acting Lands Program Manager
Nick Myatt, East Region Manager
Kregg Smith, ODFW Senior Policy Analyst
Hilary Doulos, NRCS Conservation Liaison

Attachments: (pdf)

• Adapting to climate change and ocean change report
  

Josh Smith, Mule Deer Coordinator
Dr. Don Whittaker, Ungulate Species Coordinator
Brian Wolfer, Wildlife Division Deputy Administrator

Attachments: (pdf)

• Mule Deer Management Plan Revision Update 3-15-24
  
  

Shaun Clements, Fish Division Deputy Administrator

Attachments: (pdf)

• ODFW Hatchery Presentation
  
  

Jane Bacchieri, Executive Director, Elakha Alliance

Attachments: (pdf)

• ODFW Commission_Elakha Alliance Update_15mar2024
  
  

Curt Melcher, Director

Attachments: (pdf)

• Temp Rule Report
  
  

1. 635-023-0101
   Set recreational retention fishery for sturgeon in The Dalles Pool and adjacent tributaries
   Adopted 2/23/2024: effective 2/24/2024 through 3/31/2024.
   This amended rule establishes two retention days for the white sturgeon recreational fishery on the mainstem Columbia River in The Dalles Pool (The Dalles Dam upstream to the John Day Dam) and all adjacent tributaries. Retention will be allowed on Saturday February 24 and Wednesday February 28.
   
   
2. 635-023-0125
   Set recreational spring salmon season in the Columbia River
   Adopted 2/27/2024: effective 3/1/2024 through 6/15/2024.
   This amended rule sets the Columbia River recreational spring salmon fisheries and modifies the daily bag limit for Select Area recreational salmon fisheries from March 1 through June 15.
   
   
3. 635-017-0500
   Scappoose Bay Marina angling closure
   Adopted 2/27/2024: effective 3/1/2024 through 6/30/2024.
   The rule will temporarily close all angling within the boundaries of the Scappoose Bay Marina from March 1 to June 30.
   
   
4. 635-041-0063
   Modifications to allow sales in Bonneville and John Day pools treaty setline fisheries
   Adopted 2/28/2024: effective 3/2/2024 through 4/30/2024.
   This amended rule allows the sale of white sturgeon landed during treaty setline fisheries in Bonneville Pool (March 2-4) and John Day Pool (March 7-11).
   
   
5. 635-023-0101
   Close recreational sturgeon retention in the John Day Pool
   Adopted 3/13/2024: effective 3/15/2024 through 12/31/2024.
   This amended rule will close the recreational white sturgeon retention fishery on the mainstem Columbia River in the John Day Pool (John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam) and all adjacent tributaries.
   
   

Attachments: (pdf)

Southern Resident Orca Uplisting Related Delegation – Commission consideration of delegation authority to the Director to perform certain duties imposed by ORS 496.182 and associated rules.

Attachments: (pdf)

Note: This part of the agenda is for comments on topics not scheduled elsewhere on this agenda. Please contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of the Director before 8:00 AM, Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to be included in the public forum).

Native Fish Conservation

Leonard Krug, Oregon Anglers Alliance

Recognizing Director Melcher & Comments on the Hatchery Evaluation 

David Moskowitz, The Conservation Angler

Winchester Dam

Mike McCoy

Winchester Dam Fish Passage and continued Wild Steelhead Harvest on the Lower Rogue.

Shane Stalling, Wild Steelhead Coalition

Summer Steelhead and the North Umpqua River

Kirk Blaine, Native Fish Society

Status of North Umpqua summer steelhead

Jeffrey Dose

Winchester Dam; Trophy Trout Stocking in the Roseburg area; Take of Browns and Tiger trout at Diamond Lake

Wayne Spicer

Damage Tag Program

John Nichols   

Marine Reserve Bill impact on ODFW Budget

Annie Merrill

The Commission will be asked to approve draft Commission meeting minutes from February 16, 2024

Attachments (pdf)

• Exhibit A
  
  

The Commission will be asked to amend two rules relating to the methodology used to determine fair market value of food fish in the event the Commission institutes suit for the recovery of damages for commercial fishing violations. These changes are necessary to implement changes made by Senate Bill 887 (2023).

John Seaborne, Fish Division Operations Manager
Public Testimony: 48-hour Advance REGISTER required for virtual participation.
Rulemaking

Attachments (pdf)

• Cover
• Att 1 Agenda Item Summary
• Att 2 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Damages
• Att 3 Draft Oregon Administrative Rules
• Att 4 SB 887
• Att 5 No Public Correspondence
• Presentation Fair Market Value
  

*Written public comments for future Commission Topics can be submitted in writing prior to the meeting date at ODFW.Commission@odfw.oregon.gov or mailed to 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE Salem, OR 97302.  

April 19, 2024 - Tillamook

*Written public comment period will open February 15, 2024

• Annual Wolf Report – Director's Report
• Oregon Game Bird Regulations -Rulemaking
• Pacific Halibut Fisheries -Rulemaking
• Ocean Salmon Fishery- Rulemaking
• Bay Clams- Rulemaking
• Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Plan Rule Revision – Rulemaking
  

May 10, 2024 - HOLD - No meeting scheduled.

June 14, 2024 - Klamath Falls

*Written public comment period will open April 15, 2024

• A&H Project Funding – Approval
• OCRF Project Funding- Approval
• 2024 Auction Raffle Tag Allocations – Approval
• Furbearer Regulations -Rulemaking
• Take Permits and Disposition for Beavers – Rulemaking
• Coastal Pelagic Species -Rulemaking
• Mule Deer Plan-Rulemaking

July 12, 2024 - HOLD - No meeting scheduled.

August 9, 2024 -Salem

*Written public comment period will open June 15, 2024

• Sage-Grouse Conservation Assessment and Strategy Plan- Rulemaking
  

September 13, 2024 - The Dalles

*Written public comment period will open July 15, 2024

• A&H Project Funding – Approval
• Big Game Regulations- Rulemaking

October 11, 2024 - Albany

*Written public comment period will open August 15, 2024

November 15, 2024 - HOLD - No meeting scheduled.

December 13, 2024 - Salem

*Written public comment period will open October 15, 2024

• A&H Project Funding – Approval
• OCRF Project Funding- Approval
• R&E Project Funding and Board Appointment - Approval
• 2024 Groundfish Fisheries Regulations- Rulemaking

HOW TO REGISTER TO SPEAK AT THE COMMISSION MEETING

Public Comment and Public Hearing Testimony: Regular Commission meetings allow for in-person, virtual, or written public comment.

Comment and testimony are limited to three minutes or less. All parties interested in providing public comment or testifying as part of a public hearing shall participate using one of the following methods:

• In-Person Comment: Parties interested in providing in-person verbal public comment shall fill out a “Witness Registration” form available at the meeting.

• Video or Audio Conference Call: If you wish to give virtual testimony on Exhibits scheduled on the Friday, March 15 agenda, YOU MUST REGISTER BEFORE 8:00 AM WEDNESDAY March 13, 2024; a minimum of 48 hour prior to the meeting. Staff will collect contact your information and provide information on how to access the meeting to provide comment.

• Written Comment: Send to ODFW.Commission@odfw.oregon.gov or 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, Oregon, 97302. Materials delivered to the Director’s Office sufficiently in advance of the meeting, 72 hours or more, will be distributed to the Commission prior to the meeting day. Any correspondence or materials received less than 72 hours prior to the meeting will be entered into the record and when reasonably possible, will be provided to the Commissioners the day of the meeting.

PUBLIC FORUM: If you wish to give testimony virtually or in-person on any item not listed elsewhere on the agenda, please contact the Director’s Office, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 503.947.6044, or ODFW.Commission@odfw.oregon.gov.  YOU MUST REGISTER BEFORE 8:00AM WEDNESDAY March 13, 2024; a minimum of 48 hour prior to the meeting. Please provide written summaries or other materials to the Commission Assistant prior to your testimony. The Commission is unable to act on items brought to their attention in this forum.

If you have questions regarding this agenda, please contact Michelle Tate, Director’s Office, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, Oregon, 97302, or call 503- 947-6033.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION OF DISABILITIES