[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6363534,"mediaKeyId","2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea","parentId",2166154,"title","Water resources department seeks carryover authority for Harney Basin conservation payments","audioSeconds",296,"startMs",1291720,"endMs",1588250,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea&start=1291&end=1588","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea/thumbnail_1291720.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6363534/Oregon/Water-resources-department-seeks-carryover-authority-for-Harney-Basin-conservation-payments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363534-224376b1c6c1304fea474011e6af99a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184357&Signature=Qo2IWz5zNx7VK4gCpkvku5nPCsTdapQ4sj6dm6kS-0TG3cKhovHOCBW1rxYsV2aSemWH6p5hVnpsP-Pl9VsZJOwO1dR0A67daYA9xTJfnRJaIwy3YPKgh3-m6WPVlxU2nXpR7GXcklOt9HZIYraAYhg1PBUNZ1rS3Ej~Vrq0Pfs94ayLPsKqHN~A1-5EAvta~DFPndhsv9-ZUX049YWusLf1VlH3Z~Y11-0grhCYAWzQ6h0WTwCwyZynehb2fh~kCnS1D41wGXypZMGwcjSEuxpDI-8VMxDLJXUVTYI1lVXLVJfsG6TnS7QMxy8Qq3vsvY26vSkDZiVA~TWAHHnihg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","article","The committee opened a public hearing Jan. 29 on House Bill 2813, an agency-sponsored technical change to the Harney Valley Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. Ivan Gahl, director of the Oregon Water Resources Department, said the program helps retire groundwater rights in the Harney Basin through voluntary enrollment and financial compensation, with federal funds expected to cover 80 percent of payments and a 20 percent state match.

Gahl told the committee the legislature previously authorized the program in 2021 and the Department expects to begin accepting applications this winter; the Legislature has allocated $500,000 per biennium in continuous funding. Under current budget rules, unspent general fund dollars revert to the general fund at the end of the biennium, which can limit the department's ability to build the fund and enroll more groundwater users. HB 2813 would allow unspent general fund dollars to roll into an other-funds account at the end of each biennium so the department can increase payments to enrollees and expand enrollment.

Co-chair Owens told the committee a friendly amendment is being developed to allow the program framework to be used statewide in basins that meet specific conditions, including that the basin be a critical groundwater designation where no new groundwater allocations would occur and that the basin establish a federal credit program before qualifying for state funds. Gahl cautioned that establishing a federal credit program typically requires an environmental impact statement and federal approvals and may be years before other basins are prepared to enroll.

Committee members asked about timing of federal funding and whether interest on rolled funds could be used to stretch the program. Gahl and Brynn Hudson, legislative coordinator for the department, said federal payments are expected to flow as enrollees enter the program and that some accounts may accrue interest but the department is limited to spending amounts specifically appropriated by the Legislature. Representative Levy asked the department to research whether interest-bearing structures are possible and report back.

No formal committee action or vote was recorded during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water 01/29/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Oregon Water Resources Department asked the Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee on Jan. 29 to approve a technical change allowing unspent general fund dollars for the Harney Valley Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to carry into an other-funds account.","taxTitle","Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17399,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6363520,"Committee considers extending Columbia River endorsement fee to support hatchery production, monitoring and enforcement",4241,4247120,5295,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea&start=4247&end=5","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea/thumbnail_4247120.jpg","/articles/6363520/Oregon/Committee-considers-extending-Columbia-River-endorsement-fee-to-support-hatchery-production-monitoring-and-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363520-ca8e4e81542597d6a6e3f838945b674c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184357&Signature=KIm5w36vUAbKKpXB52oApwB2xqjvyfi46VOlNwvC6tMggouRcZdAHYJ4xeVIH3mucQLftsNN90o4kOD0TRRhKtdUTU~60wVls2r8MaT3oHaZ1hcioOY4~5lyFe8iLz7EswS8iP~EukonN29KBKxSiDApMtQBhEf-S-GB6icYzcptYWTDTrRDSdI9hVN-VQSDMcQwxswLXhss-t-WfnY5afDOFn9ucQN1KhysNM0kQ3lt0gn-zg1vcvPQlpJiKdP2ZjC8P1CxDRitx7xl2u3osX9UhQa0ghetUiTWKgjK8Dfins18~YHFJ-VBg~mIiTrcSXll-nlLwQAtD3Y4xYbpUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee opened a public hearing Jan. 29 on House Bill 2343, which would extend to 2036 the Columbia River Basin endorsement that the Legislature created in 2013. The endorsement is an additional fee (about $9.75 annually) for anglers fishing in the Columbia River Basin; it was designed to fund management reforms intended to move much of the commercial gillnet fishery into off-channel areas and to support hatchery production, monitoring and enforcement.

Sean Clements, deputy director at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Tucker Jones, Columbia River Program Manager, explained that the endorsement supports three broad buckets of work: hatchery production (the Lower Columbia program produces roughly 12 million salmon), fishery monitoring (daily creel surveys and other monitoring are needed to stay within ESA-impact limits across many stocks) and enforcement (two full-time enforcement officers based in Astoria and St. Helens account for about 3,400 enforcement hours). Clements said the endorsement currently funds 18 positions and a portion of below-Bonneville monitoring and that recreational fisheries account for about 80 percent of allowable ESA impacts in spring and summer under current sharing arrangements.

Testimony raised concerns about the proposed 10-year extension. Heath Heichler of the Coastal Conservation Association of Oregon and other stakeholders said the reforms that the endorsement was intended to fund have not fully delivered a complete removal of main-stem gillnetting and that a 10-year extension is too long; they suggested a four- or six-year reauthorization with additional performance checks. Other witnesses, including representatives of the guides-and-angling industry, supported extension on the condition that statutory protections adopted in 2021 remain intact to prevent an increase in main-stem gillnetting. No committee vote was taken at the hearing.","House Bill 2343 would extend the Columbia River Basin endorsement fee through 2036 to fund hatchery production, monitoring and enforcement supporting management of the Columbia River fishery.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6363540,"Committee hears bill to allow assistance for anglers with intellectual or developmental disabilities",1306,28440,1335210,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea&start=28&end=1335","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea/thumbnail_28440.jpg","/articles/6363540/Oregon/Committee-hears-bill-to-allow-assistance-for-anglers-with-intellectual-or-developmental-disabilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363540-f31c00f4a5fd2e77dbd55313f2cbdc1e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184357&Signature=Lezp-0ivmbKXalpGNhx~laGgw85qsAegLj~RaVKkDCC-yGvQjOAUWwrqnR2pYkFkTTdwUxvj4On5H69NCgG9IpZ34XHyNpQtDwO-TsRJbliM1OECr7RDdi5TZj5YR31M9EOA5YaYZEChhHzpALzbBWzE45JkDZBcS~BecUwuUy91~Fpf8xeiHEntJ9u8e8jq6adKrrJphUN1JFS8V8x3zudqbV5CvYK6QVfSxKxjOyrJRHxIh5iu84D9gcDGLepm9W9Or81uSb2O-mn2XiC4DOBWeQvJVEbOXXvsQJQ8kd7ocbY-OAU8eL3CpKl9SDvKKNDUKdBx~fE4hmOEIaMSGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee opened a public hearing Jan. 29 on House Bill 2163, which would amend the definition of \"disabled\" under Oregon's wildlife laws to include an intellectual or developmental disability that prevents a person from holding or operating angling or shellfish-harvesting equipment. Ken Loffink, chief operating officer for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the committee the department is neutral on the bill and could accommodate the change within existing resources.

The bill targets recreational angling and shellfish harvesting only; it does not address big-game hunting. Under current statute, Oregon Revised Statute 496.18 defines eligibility for the state's hunting and fishing disabilities permit around physical conditions such as cardiac conditions, lung capacity, mobility and visual acuity. Loffink said the permit is free but not a substitute for required licenses; it allows accommodations such as assisted digging for razor clams or having someone help operate gear.

Supporters told the committee that the measure resolves a narrow but meaningful access issue. James Frazier, Oregon policy director at Trout Unlimited, said the bill \"removes existing barriers to fishing and shellfish harvesting opportunities for someone that has an intellectual or developmental disability that prevents the person from holding or operating their own angling or shellfish-harvesting equipment.\" Christie Reese, executive director of FACT Oregon, said thousands of Oregonians with intellectual or developmental disabilities could benefit and that the change affirms their ability to participate in community recreation.

Ben Gerwitz, testifying for Disability Rights Oregon, read a statement from bill originator Brandon Adams, who described being prevented from assisting his child on the coast under the current law and urged the committee to pass the bill to ‘‘allow an individual with an intellectual or developmental disability to receive assistance if they need and desire it when fishing or harvesting shellfish.\" Committee members emphasized that Fish and Wildlife officers are not reportedly aggressively policing family assistance on beaches but said clarifying the law would give families security.

No formal action or vote was recorded during the public hearing. The department said implementing the statutory change would require minor administrative updates to the electronic licensing system and application form.","The Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee opened a public hearing Jan. 29 on House Bill 2163, which would expand eligibility for Oregon's wildlife disabilities permit to include certain intellectual or developmental disabilities.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6363530,"Department seeks to extend temporary transfers authority for determined Klamath claims",496,1889060,2385850,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea&start=1889&end=2385","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea/thumbnail_1889060.jpg","/articles/6363530/Oregon/Department-seeks-to-extend-temporary-transfers-authority-for-determined-Klamath-claims","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363530-94e1fcd6fd9f2a4e3f8c49a4aeb6445a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184357&Signature=bR9Gufyaf1dlTWKr6X1Ofcsb~mCdA15TBm01swTBNKhDioBDHzl9dp62uq-lddCnRpjedOC4Q7IPVvd1UcPujBciPUdizDVLo3GSsDZ5BV3ZSAcJCO846FrcW0Kgh57D53KKzm5E43cXOqyeKfDp-3T4jdoEwJCkpG8ZGVk9Yrve7xYr1g-4gPgkaEJUMMqBUP9KzFnojb3eo4x4aERGEg6iTdKh80tf3YHsvRh5dpPLelq4Rs5wTaLZ~Lu9Laaz7Va8BM7RYPbxUZp4wVzaw6YlCvR2bbGqGhMXf4Lq6Pe67-M9vCsEVG~jSUCySoDeSx07XBgkiLPzjoGrz1CwUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee held a public hearing Jan. 29 on House Bill 2801, which would eliminate a January 2026 sunset date on the Oregon Water Resources Department's authority to approve temporary leases and transfers of \"determined claims\" in the Upper Klamath Basin.

Ivan Gahl, director of the Water Resources Department, said the comprehensive stream adjudication in the Upper Klamath Basin has been under way since 1975 and the department delivered a final order of determination to Klamath Circuit Court in 2013. Determined claims are the court's findings and currently cannot be transferred under the agency's normal transfer statutes. In 2015 the Legislature authorized temporary leases and transfers for those determined claims for up to five years, with renewals allowed; that authority includes routine review for injury and enlargement.

Gahl said HB 2801 would remove the sunset and allow the department to continue approving temporary leases and transfers until the adjudication is completed and the court issues decrees that trigger the normal permanent-transfer authority. He said the department has processed about a dozen transactions under the temporary-transfer authority. Committee members asked about safeguards, cross-border transfers and review criteria; the department said transfers do not allow changes in use and undergo injury and enlargement review. The committee requested further written information on the department's review process for transfers that move water out of state.

No committee vote was recorded during the hearing.","House Bill 2801 would remove the Jan. 2026 sunset on the Oregon Water Resources Department's authority to approve temporary leases and transfers of determined water claims in the Upper Klamath Basin, a department official told legislators Jan. 29.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6363525,"Panel hears competing views on repurposing hatchery research surcharge for maintenance and monitoring",2122,2305140,4427870,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea&start=2305&end=4427","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166154-1c8cb915d209c32e1c8062657ff44aea/thumbnail_2305140.jpg","/articles/6363525/Oregon/Panel-hears-competing-views-on-repurposing-hatchery-research-surcharge-for-maintenance-and-monitoring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363525-20d32c82cdceb4dab3d8bda15cca030d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184357&Signature=hJMl6Hz2F7dO~IB6K~Warkag6iunXYm~FrKIiKNQKw03x761sxwJ~S-zYnEZaqJFIrxt1KF3foRzO4gbrhORmjt9t9tAZ1rxMzflOR7QmvXjVMO8Ww4EEW7~2yZVLu27C6ke4eQMRNlbywitGS5lmXffkqnpLeRHHDjn6FtRxTdsfPAMDf7hCg2Q5h-7TV-kdMEwKuiw2LEd4puzYW7hlCyade3OTv7j3BNvWA6mlP7YLeTGkK2ZZEn7CDnSJPUD1xCgJDD~fgOFVLswWh-MbgU6zP~~O4emMGxBakxvSyDqrrvz3j-rf-4rHWf5~CVdmUCt8jBbwH8Tlk5xHKPU8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee held a public hearing Jan. 29 on House Bill 2345, an agency-sponsored bill that would rename the Oregon Hatchery Research Center Fund to the Oregon Hatchery Monitoring and Maintenance Fund, extend the angling-license surcharge that supports it through 2036 and redirect revenue toward hatchery maintenance and monitoring.

Sean Clements, deputy director at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the committee the Hatchery Research Center facility on Fall Creek has been closed for about a year and a half after a large landslide upstream threatened the site and the facility experienced disease issues. ODFW said long-term multi-generational research projects funded by the center are either completed or near completion and that some research continues through Oregon State University and other regional research centers. The department said it is facing approximately $200 million in deferred maintenance across state hatcheries and that the surcharge brings in roughly $1.1 million per biennium; the department proposed splitting funds about 50/50 between hatchery maintenance and monitoring.

Public testimony sharply divided. Representative Carl Wilson Wright (testifying in opposition) said the fund's surcharge was dedicated to research vetted by the OHRC board and argued that shifting the surcharge to maintenance and monitoring would \"confiscate\" dedicated research dollars and weaken independent review. Several coastal and angling-industry groups, including the Northwest Guides and Anglers Association, Coastal Conservation Association Oregon and the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, urged support for HB 2345, saying deferred maintenance and monitoring shortfalls have reduced fishery opportunity and that research capacity exists elsewhere in the region (for example, USFWS Abernathy, NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and the Hagerman facility).

Supporters noted that ODFW has moved some research to Oregon State University under cooperative agreements and that maintaining hatchery infrastructure is critical to sustaining fisheries. Representative Levy and other committee members asked for additional detail about what projects would be funded and the future of the Fall Creek facility; ODFW said the facility is mothballed and staff are preparing contingency plans that could include decommissioning and sale of the property if the bill passes.

The hearing produced no committee vote. Several members said they remain conflicted and requested additional information for the work session.","The committee heard lengthy public testimony for and against House Bill 2345, which would rename the Oregon Hatchery Research Center Fund, extend an angling-license surcharge through 2036 and direct revenue to hatchery maintenance and fishery monitoring. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said the research center at Fall Creek was","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Water resources department seeks carryover authority for Harney Basin conservation payments

Committee considers extending Columbia River endorsement fee to support hatchery production, monitoring and enforcement

Committee hears bill to allow assistance for anglers with intellectual or developmental disabilities

Department seeks to extend temporary transfers authority for determined Klamath claims

Panel hears competing views on repurposing hatchery research surcharge for maintenance and monitoring