1.25 Percent for Oregon's Wildlife

Surfrider Foundation is working in Oregon this year to advance a legislative effort, 1.25% for Wildlife (HB 4134), that would provide significant revenue for wildlife and conservation programs at the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. In particular, Surfrider is playing a key role in lifting up critical ocean and coastal programs like Oregon's Marine Reserves and Protected Areas, climate monitoring programs and key adaptive management efforts for building climate resilience. With coastal wildlife and habitats being central to Oregon's coastal and ocean economy - from recreation and tourism to fisheries and climate resilience, we're proud to play a role in this monumental effort. The 1.25% for Wildlife bill will increase Oregon's statewide tourism lodging tax by this small percentage, dedicating more sustainable funding essential programs in Oregon's Statewide Wildlife Action Plan.

With dwindling federal dollars dedicated for state conservation management programs, particularly those that protect and conserve critical habitats such as marine reserves and protected areas, it's important now more than ever to establish dedicated state revenue and funding lines, independent of federal and state political swings. Even prior to federal funding threats, these conservation programs were regular subject to the politics of Oregon's state budget, regularly being reduced during each legislative budget cycle. This bill will establish strong and sustainable funding sources from Oregon's tourism, which is inexplicably connected to healthy species and habitats. 

This heat map shows the areas where critical species and conservation, identified in Oregon's Statewide Action Plan, are in need of recovery and resilience strategies. That dark blue line along the coast is in the ocean nearshore, where critical species and habitats are most in need of improved funding and management. This underscores the importance of coastal and ocean voices like Surfrider members to lift up their voices.

Surfrider Foundation has played a significant role in communicating, educating and lobbying coastal Representatives and Senators in support of the bill. Joining a powerful and broad Statewide Wildlife Coalition that has been working for years on this effort, our staff and volunteers have been essential in building ocean and coastal voices. Through the establishment of a smaller Oregon Ocean Alliance priority, we've strengthened the coastal and ocean representation on the issue in particular influencing our coastal legislative leaders. Through our strategic testimony in legislative hearings, ocean lobby day efforts in the Capitol with our volunteers and signature "lunch and learn" efforts to educate legislative leaders, we're excited to push forward this monumental effort for Oregon's wildlife and ocean habitats.