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April 14, 2025
SALEM Ore. – The Fish and Wildlife Commission meets April 17-18 for a field tour on Thursday and a regular meeting Friday in Winchester Bay.
See the agenda here. The meeting will also be livestreamed from the Commission page.
To testify on an agenda item virtually, register on the agenda page at least 48 hours in advance (by Wednesday, April 15 at 8 a.m.). Comments can also be emailed to ODFW.Commission@odfw.oregon.gov
To testify during the public forum section about an issue that is not on the agenda, use the form on the agenda page, at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
Thursday’s tour begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay STEP facility located on Hwy 101 between Gardiner and the Smith River bridge north of Reedsport. Members of the public may join the tour but must provide their own transportation and lunch.
On Friday, the Commission meeting starts at 8 a.m. at the Winchester Bay RV Resort at Salmon Harbor, Activity Center, 120 Marina Way, Winchester Bay.
At Friday’s meeting, the Commission will be updated on the 2024 Annual Wolf Report and asked to approve:
2025 Statewide Priority Fish Passage Barrier list: A list of the fish passage barriers with the greatest impact on Oregon’s native migratory fish which the Department updates every five years. This year, the list incorporates new scoring factors that account for current access to cold water and areas resilient to climate change.
2025-26 Game Bird Regulations: Changes proposed include increasing the bag limit for northern pintail from one to three daily, in accordance with the USFWS’s recently revised adaptive harvest management strategy. Changes to Northwest Permit Zone goose hunting and fall turkey hunting seasons are also proposed.
2025 Sport and Commercial Pacific Halibut Fishery Regulations: The International Pacific Halibut Commission set this year's fishery catch limit at 1.53 million pounds (for Area 2A – OR, WA, and CA) which is 60,000 pounds higher than last year. For a look at the proposed recreational season visit this map. The Commission will be asked to adopt matching permanent regulations.
Ocean Salmon Seasons: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) will adopt ocean salmon fishing regulations for federal-jurisdiction waters from three to 200 nautical miles offshore on April 15, 2025. The Commission will be asked to adopt matching permanent regulations for state jurisdiction waters (within three miles offshore). More information about the PFMC-approved seasons will be posted prior to the Commission meeting on Friday.
Private Forest Accord (PFA) Funding: The Commission will be asked to approve grants recommended by the PFA Advisory Committee which funds projects that provide conservation benefit to specific aquatic species that are impacted by forest practices.
During a work session, the Commission will also continue its discussion related to its roles and responsibilities and processes that support a successful statewide commission.
The Commission will hold an Executive Session pursuant to ORS 192.660 (2)(f) to consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection, as well as to consult with legal counsel concerning legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed as authorized by ORS 192.660 (2)(h). Members of the media can attend the Executive Session but may not report on anything heard during that session. Media wishing to attend should contact the Director's office at (503) 947-6044.
Reasonable accommodation, such as assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters, and materials in large print or audiotape, will be provided as needed. To ensure availability, please contact the Director’s Office at 503.947.6044 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting to make your request. TTY users can reach ODFW by using the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service. Please dial 711 and ask to connect to 503-947-6044.
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