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January 10, 2020
SALEM, Ore.—The Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Friday, Jan. 17 in Salem at ODFW Headquarters, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem.
The meeting starts at 8 a.m. and follows this agenda https://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes/20/01_Jan/index.asp
Meetings are also livestreamed at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/
The Commission will consider a petition it received asking them to adopt a temporary rule (in effect for 180 days) that would prohibit the retention of wild winter steelhead in rivers throughout the SW Zone. ODFW staff are recommending Commissioners deny this petition as they do not have a conservation concern for wild winter steelhead on the south coast at this time. The declines in wild steelhead in other parts of the state have not been observed in the SW Zone and current regulations are already conservative. Also, staff continue to work on a multi-species conservation plan for the Rogue and South Coast where concerns about wild steelhead are being addressed. Commissioners denied a similar petition in 2018.
Other Commission business includes:
- Approve a fish screening payment in lieu pilot program, where qualifying applicants in the SE fish district would have the option of paying a fee to the fish screening sub-account for use on other projects instead of installing a fish screen.
- Adopt schedule of damages for commercial fishing violations, which are updated based on food fish species market values.
Finally, the Commission will hear a briefing on ODFW’s draft Climate and Ocean Change Policy and a summary of public comments received to date. The Policy would provide overarching guidance on responding to changing climate and ocean conditions, including coordination of the response with other state, federal, local and tribal entities and incorporating climate and ocean change awareness into ODFW’s science and resource management. Public testimony will be taken on this agenda item. The Commission is expected to adopt a final Policy later in the year.
A public forum will be held at the end of the meeting, after other agenda items have been heard. People who wish to testify about an issue not on the formal meeting agenda need to call the ODFW Director’s office at least 48 hours before the meeting at (503) 947-6044 to schedule.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state.
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