Entering a new era of wildlife conservation: Passing 1.25% for Wildlife
This year, the Oregon Legislative Session was short, a 35-day flurry of activity. And at the end of the 35 days, history was made: 1.25% for Wildlife (HB 4134) passed! The passage of this bill represents a huge win for wildlife in Oregon and another significant achievement to add to our organization’s legacy. After decades of effort, the conservation community was able to secure dedicated funding targeting the protection of non-game wildlife.
1.25% for Wildlife is a clever win-win for tourism and wildlife. By increasing the statewide tourism tax by 1.25%, Oregon is expected to generate approximately $37 million annually, which will fund a slew of much-needed wildlife conservation programs.
In addition to providing revenue to uplift the SWAP, the bill supports wildlife conservation in other ways:
- Creates a new Wildlife Stewardship Program at ODFW that will reduce human-wildlife conflicts
- Sets up a $100K/year competitive grant fund to support wildlife rehabilitation centers
- Creates stable funding for ODFW’s Wildlife Connectivity efforts
- Adds $1.5 million annually to a grant fund (Oregon Conservation Recreation Fund) that supports wildlife conservation through a lens of recreation.
- The bill also supports wildfire risk reduction, anti-poaching enforcement, and invasive species management, and sets up a wolf compensation fund to pay ranchers for loss of livestock to wolf predation.
All told it was a successful legislative session for Oregon conservation efforts. We are entering a new era of wildlife conservation in Oregon that holds much promise. Without you, we could not have had so much success.
By Joe Liebezeit and Karly Chin. For more information on this or other bird topics, visit www.birdallianceoregon.org .
