OWEB's budget hearing (SB 5540 and 5541) before the Joint Committee on Ways & Means, Subcommittee on Natural Resources is scheduled for 8:30 AM on March 9 in H-174. The Network will be working with OACD and COLT to provide supporting testimony, and we'll be calling on some individual councils, districts, and land trusts to join us.
If your council would like to submit brief written testimony that highlights how you work with partners to leverage OWEB funds to complete on-the-ground restoration, you should direct correspondence to the Committee's Co-chairs - Senator Richard Devlin and Representative Dan Rayfield. Correspondence should be submitted to the Committee Assistant, Risa Chuman (WaysandMeans.NaturalResourcesSub@state.or.us), by the morning of March 9.
Feel free to contact Ryan Gordon (ryan@oregonwatersheds.org) with any questions about letter composition or submission. Some additional resources that may be useful:
The Network continues to work with a group of councils on a coordinated strategy to communicate importance of the Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program, which has been eliminated from the Governor's budget for ODFW. ODFW's budget will be heard before the Joint Committee on Ways & Means, Subcommittee on Natural Resources the week of March 30. More details as they become available.
Changes at the Governor's Office
Unless you've been overly focused on uploading your council workplan for the March 2 deadline, you know Kitzhaber resigned and has been replaced by Kate Brown. This is uncharted territory, but thus far no major or immediate changes are expected in agency leadership or key natural resource advisor positions under Brown’s Administration. Kitzhaber's budget has already permeated the legislature, so major changes are unlikely, though Brown may choose to prioritize some items over others, and the legislature will likely have more leverage.
Bills to Watch
SB 544: Eliminates limitation on liability for damages resulting from certain fish and wildlife habitat improvement projects and watershed or stream restoration or enhancement programs.
SB 194: "Education Funding Protection Act" - would allow counties to place limits on lands set aside for conservation or restoration purposes.
SB 439: Establishes Outdoor Education Account for purpose of providing outdoor school programs. Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Oregon Department of Administrative Services for deposit in account.
Others: We expect shortly legislation related to use of revenue collected from Salmon Plates, as well as legislation around funding for Sage Grouse restoration, which may impact OWEB.
