OFWC to hear public testimony on plans
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meets March 20-21.
PORTLAND – The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet for two days in Newport, March 20-21, to hear staff reports and public testimony on wolf management, a draft hatchery policy and options for the 2003 ocean salmon seasons.
The regular March meeting of the Commission was extended to two days from one due to the volume of agenda items and expected public testimony. The Commission is the rule-making body for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The seven-member panel meets monthly.
The Thursday agenda will include a staff report on items related to wolf management. While wolves are not confirmed to live in Oregon at this time, biologists working with wolves in Idaho expect wolves to eventually establish themselves in Oregon. People seeking to speak on this agenda item will be asked to limit their testimony to three minutes due to the expected amount of public testimony.
“We really hope that the many Oregonians with a passion on this issue take time to prepare a three-minute summary of their recommendations and, if they havent already, provide us with written testimony that goes into more detail,’ said John Esler, chairman of the Commission.
The two-day meeting is slated to begin at 8 a.m. both days in the ballroom of the Embarcadero Hotel, 1000 SE Bay Boulevard, Newport.
The Commission also will host an informal reception for members of the public on Thursday, 5:30 – 7 p.m., in the Embarcadero Hotels Fireside Room.
The following items are on the agenda for March 20:
Access and Habitat Projects: Approval of funding requests.
Wolf Management Alternatives: Informational briefing on options used in other states.
Powerdale Hydroelectric Project: Approval of fish passage proposal.
Developmental Fisheries Board Appointments.
The following items are on the agenda for March 21:
Directors Report: Informational briefing on deferred maintenance, regional activities and agency logo.
Fish Passage Exemption Approval Process: Rule adoption.
Other Business: Briefing on construction of new ODFW headquarters building in Salem. Briefing will occur during Commission lunch around noon.
Public testimony is taken on each scheduled agenda item. Persons seeking to testify must sign up in the back of the meeting room the day of the meeting. Anyone wishing to provide written material to support their testimony is asked to bring 20 copies.
Persons wishing to speak on items not on the formal agenda must call Mike Lueck in the ODFW Directors Office at (503) 872-5272 by Tuesday, March 18. Unscheduled testimony will be heard about 1 p.m. on Friday, March 21.
More information on agenda items can be found at dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/commission-meeting.html as it becomes available.
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