Fish and Wildlife Commission heads to Redmond for two-day meeting
Redmond, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission is heading to Central Oregon next week for a two-day meeting that will put mule deer habitat, salmon seasons, funding decisions and other wildlife issues on the table.
The commission will meet June 25 and 26 in Redmond, with a Thursday field tour focused on sagebrush habitat restoration for mule deer in the Crooked River herd range and a Friday business meeting at the Redmond Grange.
Tour focus
Thursday’s tour will start at 8 a.m. at the Comfort Suites in Redmond and will take commissioners to several projects tied to mule deer habitat work across the Crooked River region. The agenda says the tour will look at landscape-scale restoration efforts and the partnerships behind them, including ranchers, conservation districts, federal agencies and scientists working to improve habitat in sagebrush country.
The tour is meant to show how development pressures, roads, fences, power lines and other land-use changes affect habitat connectivity, according to the agenda. Members of the public can attend, but they must provide their own transportation and lunch.
Friday meeting
Friday’s business meeting begins at 8 a.m. at Redmond Grange #81 and will also be livestreamed, according to ODFW. The commission will hear reports, approve meeting minutes, and take up a long list of action items that range from the agency budget to salmon seasons and wildlife funding.
Among the bigger items is the 2027-29 Agency Request Budget, which ODFW says will help guide state funding for the next two years. The agenda also includes proposed furbearer regulations, coastal fall salmon seasons, commercial coastal pelagic species rules, and funding decisions tied to the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund, Restoration & Enhancement, and Access & Habitat programs.
Budget and funding
ODFW says the new budget cycle comes as the state continues investing in wildlife and habitat work, including funds from a 2025 law that increased the transient lodging tax and set aside money for wildlife conservation. The agency says that revenue will help support at-risk species, wildlife connectivity, grants and stewardship work in urban areas.
The commission will also consider projects recommended through the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund, plus restoration and enhancement funding for fish habitat work and Access & Habitat money for projects that give hunters access to private land. The commission is also expected to appoint an Access & Habitat Board chair and approve auction and raffle tag allocations for 2027.
Public input
People who want to testify on agenda items must register at least 48 hours before the meeting, by Wednesday, June 24 at 8 a.m. Written comments for agenda items are also due by Tuesday, June 23 at 8 a.m.. Public forum comments on topics not on the agenda must also be registered in advance.
The commission says the meeting is open to the public in person or virtually, with livestreaming available through ODFW’s YouTube channel. Members of the press who want to attend the closed executive session must contact the director’s office for instructions.
