Help advocate for funding to support Oregon’s natural habitats, fish, and wildlife!
Breaking News!
HB 4134, i.e. the 1.25% for Wildlife bill, passed out of the House Committee on Revenue on Monday.
The next stop for HB 4134 is the House Floor for a full vote on the bill. This could happen as soon as tomorrow — Wednesday, Feb. 18th — so please weigh in NOW with your Oregon representative and ask them to VOTE YES and pass this bill! Scroll down for details.
Background on HB 4134
Our state’s rivers and streams provide vital habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife, including salmon and steelhead, along with beavers, bears, insects, birds, and much more. At WaterWatch, our work is focused on protecting and restoring the streamflows that power Oregon’s rivers and make them some of the most spectacular in the world.
But with ongoing federal assaults on our nation’s conservation policies, likely rollbacks to the federal Endangered Species Act, and fish and wildlife pushed to the brink by habitat loss, climate change, and persistent development, over 300 at-risk Oregon species and their habitats are in decline — and in danger of being pushed further toward extinction.
As Oregonians, we count on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to conserve our state’s habitat and species, but the agency doesn’t receive dedicated funds from the state to fully implement the recovery and conservation strategies needed to preserve fish, wildlife, and habitat. To fill this hole, a broad coalition of 60 organizations are working to pass HB 4134 during this legislative session.
A bold, proactive investment in Oregon’s current and future prosperity, HB 4134 will help at-risk Oregon species and habitats, and serve as a reinvestment in one of the reasons so many visitors travel to Oregon in the first place. Increasing Oregon’s statewide lodging tax, currently the third lowest in the country, will provide a sustainable source of funds to ODFW to recover Oregon’s most imperiled species and habitat, enhance our state’s biodiversity, and protect our natural legacy — all while keeping the state’s lodging tax one of the lowest in the country.
Protecting Oregon’s wildlife and habitats also bolsters Oregon’s robust outdoor tourism economy, which supports 192,000 jobs, $16 billion in consumer spending, and makes up six percent of Oregon’s gross domestic product (GDP). Investing in these resources will continue to generate greater economic opportunities for Oregon communities and preserve our tourism and outdoor recreation economy. And again, the bill will keep Oregon’s lodging tax one of the lowest in the country.
Now, as HB 4134 heads for a floor vote in the full House of Representatives, it will serve as a model for other states to build similar bipartisan, statewide coalitions of legislators, organizations, and citizens, and stand as a monumental win for Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and habitat if passed. With your advocacy, we have a real shot at passing this historic funding bill and putting Oregon’s most vulnerable wildlife on a more sustainable path for survival.
Take Action Today
Help ensure passage of HB 4134 by contacting your state legislators NOW — specifically, your Oregon state respresentative in Salem — and ask them to support HB 4134 when it comes up for a vote.
Look up the email of your state representative here and copy, paste, and share the letter below with them. Feel free to add why Oregon’s fish, wildlife, and habitats are important to you and your family:
Dear Representative ____________ ,
I am writing as your constituent to urge you to support HB 4134, the 1.25% for Wildlife bill.
The funding facilitated by HB 4134 would provide dedicated funding for fish and wildlife conservation throughout our state. Oregon is home to a wide array of fish and wildlife and habitats that support them, but these are under threat from habitat destruction, climate change, and other factors.
Now more than ever, it’s important we safeguard our habitat and wildlife for future generations.
Please support HB 4134!
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[ your name ]
Across Oregon, rivers and streams make life possible for hundreds of native fish and wildlife species. Help us advocate for the funding of conservation efforts needed to ensure the survival of Oregon’s fish and wildlife by supporting passage of HB 4134 today.
Steelhead banner photo courtesy of Will Boucher, Cascades frog footer photo courtesy of Michael Brawner.
