Oregon's wildlife is in trouble, and for once, Republicans and Democrats, ranchers and environmentalists, hunters and conservationists all agree on the solution.
House Bill 4134 would raise Oregon's statewide lodging tax by just 1.25% and would generate an estimated $38 million each year to protect wildlife, restore habitat, reduce poaching, control invasive species, mitigate wildfire damage, and compensate ranchers for livestock losses due to wolves.
The coalition behind this bill is extraordinary: Oregon Wild, the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, the Oregon Hunters Association, the Oregon Farm Bureau, and bipartisan lawmakers from both chambers. This kind of alignment is rare, and shows us how important this issue truly is.
Sign now to tell Oregon lawmakers: pass House Bill 4134 and invest in our wildlife future.
Right now, most of Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife funding comes from hunting and fishing licenses. That means hunters and anglers shoulder nearly all the cost, while non-game species and habitat restoration go underfunded. Meanwhile, Oregon's most at-risk species list has grown from 294 to 321 in just a decade. Reptiles have declined by 40% statewide. Iconic species like golden eagles, sandhill cranes, northern spotted owls, and marbled murrelets face growing threats.
This bill creates a fair, sustainable funding stream, and most of it (about 63%) would be paid by out-of-state visitors staying in hotels. For Oregonians, it amounts to about the cost of a cup of coffee on the average hotel stay. That small contribution could transform conservation across the state.
This is not just about protecting wildlife, it's about protecting Oregon's identity, outdoor recreation economy, ranching communities, and future generations.
Sign the petition now and urge the Oregon Legislature to pass House Bill 4134 and secure a sustainable future for Oregon's wildlife.
