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Supporters press for shorter extension, more oversight as committee hears bill to renew Columbia Basin fishing endorsement
Summary
At a public hearing April 17, supporters and fishing‑industry representatives told the Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Committee that extending the Columbia Basin endorsement is warranted but urged greater accountability and a shorter renewal horizon to ensure the program meets its conservation and recreational goals.
The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire held a public hearing April 17 on House Bill 23‑43A, which would extend the Columbia River Fisheries Enhancement Fund surcharge — often called the Columbia Basin endorsement — and continue the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s authority to collect an endorsement fee to fish for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon in the Columbia Basin.
Sean Clements, senior staff with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Tucker Jones, Columbia River program manager, described the complexity of managing the Columbia River fishery and the uses of the endorsement. Clements said the endorsement generates “just shy of $2,000,000 a biennium” and…
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