ODFW News: Fall Big Game tag numbers

[Pete]

For Immediate Release Wednesday, May 28, 2003

Commission to set tag numbers for fall big game hunts

PORTLAND - The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet in open session Friday, June 6, in Pendleton to consider the number of tags available for this fall's controlled hunting seasons for deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and pronghorn.

The Commission is the rule-making body for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The seven-member panel meets monthly in locations throughout the state to set policy and adopt administrative rules for ODFW to implement.

In connection with the formal meeting, the Commission will tour the Stateline Wind Energy Facility and the Walla Walla River Basin, and host a reception to meet with local residents and discuss fish and wildlife issues. The tour is scheduled to begin at 7:45 a.m. and the reception will begin at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 5.

Both the reception and the formal meeting will be held at the Pendleton Red Lion Hotel, 304 S.E. Nye Avenue. The tour will begin in the hotel lobby.

On Friday, June 6, the formal meeting will begin at 8 a.m. The following items are on the agenda:
· Director's report on regional activities and rule development for 'in-water' work periods;
· Informational briefing on the relicensing process associated with the Hells Canyon Complex Hydroelectric Project;
· Approval of funding requests under the Access and Habitat Program;
· Approval of the proposed allocation of controlled hunt tags for the fall 2003 hunting season and preliminary approval of proposed regulations for the 2004 hunting seasons; and
· Approval of membership for Wolf Advisory Committee.

Public testimony will be taken on each agenda item. Sign-up sheets will be provided at the meeting. Agenda item exhibits may be requested by calling the ODFW Director's Office at (503) 872-5272. The exhibits also will be posted to the ODFW Web site at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/...n_meeting.html by May 30, 2003.

Persons seeking to testify for up to five minutes on other issues not on the formal agenda may do so by making arrangements at least 24 hours in advance. "Unscheduled testimony" must be arranged by calling Mike Lueck, ODFW Director's Office, (503) 872-5272. Unscheduled testimony occurs around 1 p.m. and is limited to about six speakers.

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Information and Education Division
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 872-5264 ext 5528