Say No to HB 3086 to Protect Public Interest in Wildlife

Urge your legislator to vote NO on HB 3086 a bill which would completely restructure the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission while silencing the voices of the majority of Oregonians. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is drawn from each of the state’s congressional districts. The new addition of a 6th congressional district seat requires the legislature to fix the language for the Fish and Wildlife Commission. Bill proponents have proposed a wholesale restructuring that would increase land and industry representation and decrease the voice of the public at-large.

Please advocate for maintaining a congressional district structure based on proportional representation to ensure that the public interest in fish, wildlife, and habitat will be represented and that we have a diverse candidate pool that reflects Oregon’s rapidly changing demographics.

Cooper's Hawk perched on a downed tree.
Cooper's Hawk, photo by Adam Stunkle

Take Action

Please send an email to democrats on the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water no later than Sunday, April 2!

See their email addresses and a sample letter below.

Email Members of the Committee

Representative Ken Helm, Committee Chair: rep.kenhelm@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Annessa Hartman, Committee Vice-Chair: Rep.AnnessaHartman@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Mark Gamba: Rep.MarkGamba@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Pam Marsh: Rep.PamMarsh@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Susan McLain: Rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov

Sample Letter

Example subject line: Say no to HB 3086 – instead support either -1 or -3 amendments

Dear House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water,

As a concerned Oregon resident I urge you to vote no on HB 3086, a bill which would completely restructure the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Commission while silencing the voices of the majority of Oregonians. Supporters of this bill are trying to minimize the voice of the majority in favor of specific interests. Instead please support either the -1 or -3 amendments to the bill which were introduced recently. We believe that proportional representation based on people – not land or industry – is the best way to ensure the public interest is served.

The bill proponents have proposed a wholesale restructuring based on river basin management districts that would dilute the voices of the majority of Oregonians and reduce diversity on the Commission. Please go with a simple fix and maintain the existing model based on proportional representation to ensure that the public interest in fish, wildlife, and habitat will be represented and that we have a large and diverse candidate pool that reflects Oregon’s rapidly changing demographics.

It is the duty of the Commission to represent the public interest — they are the voice for all Oregonians in overseeing the agency. Proportional representation based on people – not land or industry – is the best way to ensure the public interest is served.

Thank you,

Your Name
City Name