Complex rules can be a factor in drop-off for hunters, anglers That can hurt the Department of Fish and Wildlife budget H&N View One of the subjects that may come up when the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife holds a meeting in Klamath Falls to discuss its budget is the complexity of Oregon Fish and Wildlife rules. The budget and difficulties in following the rules are related because the less attractive hunting and fishing become, the less likely people are going to be willing to pay for the licenses and other costs associated with hunting and fishing. We also think a long-term drop in the number of hunters and anglers reflects a culture that is moving away from hunting and fishing. The department has been looking at a phased-in program of fee increases with a staff cutback of 50 positions statewide in its 2015-17 budget. It’s purely anecdotal, but an issue that often seems to come up in relation to Oregon fish and game regulations is how complicated they are. There can be scientific and ethical validity to complex rules that deal with strict geographical, age and species specifications and rely on the ability of people to know exactly where they are while hunting and fishing, but the effort to stay legal can be a problem that degrades the overall experience. The combined mass of regulatory weight on hunters or anglers can turn them off. When that happens, it also turns off part of the flow of revenue into the agency, which relies on fees for about 50 percent of its budget. The department will hold a meeting to take public input on its 2015-17 budget from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. May 29 in the Mt. Bailey Room at the Oregon Tech College Union Building. Some good news for hunters did come out of a May 7 meeting on regulations held by the ODFW in Klamath Falls. It was announced that the department’s local office is recommending that the number of deer tags be increased from 850 to 950 for the Klamath Falls Unit. That’s not the final word, but if it gets approved that means increased opportunity for hunters. In its efforts to meet its budget needs, we hope the department also reviews its regulatory structure with an eye to making them less intimidating. The easier the rules are to follow, the more reason people have for buying licenses. — The H&N view represents the opinion of the Herald and News editorial board: Publisher Heidi Wright, Editor Gerry O’Brien and Forum Editor Pat Bushey, who wrote this editorial. Community advisers to the board are Tracey Liskey, Jeff Ball, Chip Massie and Ernie Palmer.
Posted on: Wed, 21 May 2014 15:36:33 +0000
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