Commission meets June 25-26 in Redmond to adopt fall salmon seasons, furbearer regulations

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon's Fish and Wildlife Commission meets June 25-26 in Redmond. View the agenda online.

On Thursday, Commissioners will visit projects showcasing the landscape scale work underway with partners to protect and restore sagebrush habitat for mule deer in central Oregon. To join the tour, meet at Comfort Inn Suites, 2243 South Yew Avenue in Redmond at 8 a.m. The tour is expected to cover a large area (see the tour route and tour agenda.) Members of the public must provide their own transportation and lunch on the tour.

Friday's business meeting starts at 8 am at the Redmond Grange #81, 707 SW Kalama Ave. and will be livestreamed on the meeting agenda page and at ODFW's YouTube channel.

To testify in front of the Commission about a topic not on the agenda register for public forum online at least 48 hours before the meeting (by Wednesday, June 24 at 8 a.m.). Sign up at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to testify online for an agenda item or in public forum. Use the forms found on the agenda page to sign up. To testify in person, sign up using the paper forms provided at the meeting.

Written comments can also be submitted until 72 hours before the meeting (by Tuesday, June 23 at 8 a.m.) using the links provided with each agenda item on the agenda page.

The following topics are on the agenda for Friday:

2027-29 Agency Requested Budget: ODFW is working with a wide range of stakeholders and partners to develop its 2027–29 Agency Request Budget (ARB), which will be submitted to the Governor by August 31. The agency's budget is supported by a combination of Lottery Funds, General Fund, Federal Funds, and Other Funds.

The department will provide an overview of the 2027-29 Agency Request Budget, including new investments to support species resiliency, resilient agency infrastructure, and connecting Oregonians. A highlight for the 2027–29 budget cycle, Oregon now has a dedicated funding source for conserving at-risk species thanks to the passage of HB 4134 during the 2025 legislative session.

This historic, bipartisan legislation increases the state's transient lodging tax by 1.25 percent beginning January 1, 2027, and directs a portion of the new revenue to wildlife and habitat conservation efforts statewide. In addition to supporting at-risk species, these funds will also provide dedicated resources for wildlife connectivity initiatives, OCRF (Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund) grants, and wildlife stewardship efforts in urban areas.

According to a 2024 report, outdoor recreation in Oregon generated $16 billion in consumer spending and supported 192,000 full and part-time jobs. Many visitors come to Oregon specifically for outdoor recreation. With the passage of HB 4134, these visitors will now contribute directly to conserving the natural resources that make Oregon such a special place to explore.

The ARB outlines how the new funding, along with existing revenue streams, will be used to improve understanding of at-risk species, plan conservation actions, and implement large-scale projects that benefit both at-risk and other wildlife species.

Once the Fish and Wildlife Commission approves the 2027–29 ARB, it will be forwarded to the Governor for consideration. The Governor will then submit her recommended budget to the 2027 Oregon State Legislature, which has final authority to adopt ODFW's budget.

2026-28 Furbearer regulations: Proposed changes would implement HB 3932 passed by the 2025 Oregon State Legislature. The bill prohibited recreational or commercial take of beaver within areas classified by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality as Category 4 or Category 5 waters under the federal Clean Water Act, when those waters occur on, flow through, or adjoin public land.

The department is required to identify these areas in statewide maps, which will be updated every two years in consultation with DEQ. The first such publication is the 2025–2027 Oregon Beaver Harvest Closure Map.

2026 Coastal fall salmon seasons: Each year, the Commission sets seasons and bag limits for wild fall Chinook and wild coho in coastal rivers. Anglers can also fish for hatchery Chinook and coho in many basins, with seasons and bag limits set separately in the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

This year, wild Chinook retention is proposed to be open in 18 coastal basins. Wild Chinook bag limits would increase relative to 2025 in the Necanicum, Nehalem, Tillamook, Siuslaw, and Umpqua basins and decrease in the Nestucca Basin. The Coquille River and Elk River will be open for hatchery Chinook retention only due to conservation concerns.

Wild coho fisheries are proposed for 10 coastal basins in addition to the three lake populations (Siltcoos, Tahkenitch, and Tenmile lakes). The 2026 forecasted ocean abundance of Oregon Coast Natural (OCN) coho is 218,600 fish, down from a forecast of 289,000 fish in 2025. All basins open to wild coho retention in 2025 are proposed to be open in 2026 in some capacity, except for the Alsea basin. The Alsea and Umpqua basins did not meet criteria for implementing a wild coho fishery.

Visit the Fall Coastal Salmon Management Page for more details on proposed bag limits and season dates and subscribe to the page for updates.

Commercial coastal pelagic species: Adopt proposed rule amendments to ensure that state regulations are consistent with federally adopted limits and management measures for Pacific sardine. The federal regulations will maintain the primary directed fishery closure and continues very low bycatch allowances across other West Coast fisheries due to the depressed stock status.

Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund (OCRF) funding: Approve OCRF Advisory Committee's recommendations to fund 19 projects that protect and enhance the species and habitats identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan and create new opportunities for wildlife watching, urban conservation, community science, and other wildlife-associated recreation.

Restoration & Enhancement funding: Approve funding for projects recommended by the R&E board including a large wood placement project to improve fish habitat and an egg counter for a STEP facility.

Access & Habitat funding, chair appointment, and raffle allocations: Approve funding for projects recommended by the A&H Board including renewal of several access areas that provide hunters access to private land. The Commission will be asked to appoint an A&H Board Chair and allocate 2027 auction and raffle tags. Host organizations receive 10 percent of the sales price for the tag sold at auction, which they can use to fund their own grant programs benefiting wildlife.

Executive session: An Executive Session will be held 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). The executive session is closed to the public. Media wishing to attend should contact the Director's office at (503) 947-6044.

Reasonable accommodations, 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.