Your Help Needed to Restore Wildlife Coexistence Package

As people and wildlife come into more frequent contact, it is critical that Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) have the resources to promote wildlife stewardship, humanely resolve conflicts, and engage new audiences in wildlife conservation.

This need was identified by a taskforce last year that included ODFW staff, Commissioners, Oregon State Police, conservation groups, wildlife rehabilitators and others (including Bird Alliance of Oregon). As an outcome to the taskforce recommendation, ODFW submitted a 3 million dollar Wildlife Coexistence Funding Package to the Governor’s office (see pgs 786-799 of the ODFW Agency Request Budget). Unfortunately it was not included in the budget that was submitted by the governor to the legislature. We need your help to ensure that the legislature restores the Wildlife Coexistence Funding Package to the ODFW Budget.

Red-tailed Hawk Release, photo by AshlieRené Gonzales

Please send an email to members of the Joint Ways and Means Committee (listed below) and urge them to restore the Wildlife Coexistence Funding Package to the ODFW Budget. Talking points and email addresses are below.

Key Talking Points:

Please restore the Wildlife Coexistence Funding Package (Policy Option Package 113) to the ODFW Budget
A 2022 task force of diverse stakeholders including ODFW Staff, Oregon State Police, wildlife rehabilitators, and conservation groups identified this as a priority need
As the human population continues to grow in Oregon, particularly in the Willamette Valley, there is a growing need to advance humane solutions when wildlife – human conflicts occur, expand resources for wildlife rehabilitation, and educate communities on the value of urban wildlife
The funds would support Living with Wildlife Campaign, wildlife rehabilitation centers, implementation of communications and materials to promote wildlife stewardship and wildlife-human conflict prevention
If you have experience as a wildlife rehabilitator or related field, you can include your own direct testimonial as to the need for this funding package