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November 25, 2015
SALEM, Ore.—The Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Friday, Dec. 4 in Portland at the Embassy Suites Portland Airport, 79000 NE 82nd Ave in the Fir and Oak Room. The meeting starts at 8 a.m. and follows this agenda
ODFW staff will recommend that the Commission create a new rule division to deal exclusively with wildlife rehabilitation. Oregon has about 35 licensed rehabilitators who help care for and eventually return sick, injured or orphaned wildlife to the wild.
The proposed new rules will provide species-specific guidance for reporting, handling, holding and rehabilitating common mammals like black bears, and ungulates (deer and elk). They would also add language to make state rules consistent with federal guidelines for federally-listed or endangered species and prohibit certain taxa of wildlife from importation into Oregon for rehabilitation.
In other business, the Commission will be asked to:
- Adopt administrative rules for HB 3315, which requires ODFW to track services it provides to other state agencies as these agencies implement their own fee-funded programs.
- Amend Division 435 rules for wildlife control operators, private businesses that respond to wildlife damage and wildlife-human conflicts. New rules would require all employees doing wildlife control activities to pass a WCO test, charge a fee of $25 for the test and a $60 biannual permit fee, extend permit validation period from one to two years, and reduce some trap check times from 72 to 48 hours.
- Approve funding for 10 project proposals and one modified project recommended by the Restoration and Enhancement Board. Projects include replacing the Thief Valley Reservoir Boat Ramp, which has been damaged by ice, with a more weather-resistant boat ramp. All projects are designed to restore or enhance fisheries in Oregon.
Public testimony for topics not on the agenda will be held first thing Friday morning, just after the adoption of temporary rules. Persons seeking to testify on issues not on the formal agenda may do so by making arrangements with the ODFW Director’s Office, at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, by calling 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044.
Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed for individuals requesting assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters or large-print materials. Individuals needing these types of accommodations may call the ODFW Director’s Office at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
The Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state and it usually meets monthly.
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