Sporting Groups Support Final Southeast Oregon Resource Management Plan

February 26, 2024

The BLM’s final plan secures safeguards for over 400,000 acres of backcountry

Today, the Bureau of Land Management officially announced the release of the Record of Decision for the Southeast Oregon Resource Management Plan Amendment, marking a pivotal moment for conservation in Oregon. This final plan, set to guide land management across more than 4.6 million acres of an iconic Oregon landscape, strikes a thoughtful balance between habitat conservation, outdoor recreation, grazing, and development.

This significant milestone represents the culmination of over 20 years of dedicated planning and collaborative stakeholder engagement. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership joins hunters and anglers in celebrating the 420,000 acres within the plan’s jurisdiction that will now be managed to maintain their wild, backcountry character.

“Today’s announcement is a testament to the power of collaborative and persistent stakeholder engagement with a shared commitment to conserving our state’s wild and diverse landscapes,” said Tristan Henry, Oregon field representative for Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We are particularly proud of our role in shaping a management strategy that recognizes the importance of these lands for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing.”

The finalized plan reflects the recommendations of the Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council, a diverse group of stakeholders—including hunters, anglers, and ranchers—who have provided invaluable insights throughout the planning process.

“To help guide the development of this plan, a broad-based BLM resource advisory council, made up of 15 appointed individuals, rolled up their sleeves to create a well-rounded alternative within the Southeast Oregon RMP amendment,” said Michael O’Casey, deputy director of forest policy and northwest programs for the TRCP and a current Southeast Oregon RAC member. “We are thrilled to see the BLM utilize many of the recommendations provided by the RAC to conserve special places from development, while providing for public access, habitat restoration, and ranching to continue.”

The ROD emphasizes the significance of the Owyhee and Malheur River regions as vital habitats for wildlife and as premier destinations for outdoor enthusiasts. By prioritizing conservation and balanced land use, the BLM’s plan ensures that these areas will continue to support Oregon’s rich traditions of fish-and-wildlife-based economy, which is integral to the state’s $2.5 billion outdoor recreation industry.

The conservation community and outdoor recreation advocates have long championed a balanced approach to land management that safeguards wildlife habitat while allowing for sustainable use. The TRCP, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Oregon Hunters Association, Trout Unlimited, and members of the Owyhee Sportsmen’s Coalition have been instrumental in advocating for these principles throughout the planning process.

“We applaud the BLM’s foresight in preserving the vitality of the Owyhee and Malheur regions. This plan is a testament to the power of collaboration and dedication of organizations and individuals who stand for balanced land use,” affirmed Chris Hagar, northwest coordinator for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “It’s a significant step forward in ensuring our public lands continue to flourish for future generations of Oregonians and wildlife alike.”

The TRCP and the Owyhee Sportsmen look forward to continued collaboration with the BLM, state officials, and all stakeholders to implement this plan and further the legacy of conservation, restoration, and stewardship for future generations.

Photo Credit: Brian Grossenbacher

3 Responses to “Sporting Groups Support Final Southeast Oregon Resource Management Plan”

He is m March 3, 2024

Seems good but no idea what does it entail in terms of habitat mngt

March 3, 2024 at 1:37 pm

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Richard M March 3, 2024

I am a central Oregon native, as a child we camped and fished most of eastern Oregon. I have spent last 35 years working long hours and raising great kids. I have been looking forward to traveling and camping through this area. I would even be interested in participating in some of these meetings to see that public access continues, and common sense policies to protect resources. I see these terms such as stakeholders, often for interest groups and not always for the average public. Interesting as an Oregonian I had not heard of this 20 year collaboration.

March 3, 2024 at 8:45 pm

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temp mail March 5, 2024

I’m grateful. I have spent a long time looking for information on this subject, and yours is the greatest I have come across so far. However, what about the revenue? Are you positive about the source?

March 5, 2024 at 11:17 am

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by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

February 23, 2024

What is the Environmental Quality Incentives Program?

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is a crucial Farm Bill program focused on helping farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into their working lands. But what exactly is EQIP and how does it benefit hunters and anglers?

In this short video, we demystify a crucial Farm Bill conservation program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and shed light on its benefits to hunters and anglers.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that allows farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to enhance water quality, strengthen wildlife habitat, and reduce soil erosion and sedimentation.

The benefits of EQIP for fish, wildlife and agriculture are significant.

The Farm Bill is the largest piece of conservation legislation that will come before the 118^th Congress. You can help ensure that habitat and wildlife remain central to sensible farm policy in the United States here

Learn more about Farm Bill Conservation Programs here

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

February 16, 2024

TRCP’s Ian Nakayama Elected to National Fish Habitat Partnership Board

Nakayama will serve a 3-year term representing marine recreational anglers on a diverse board of stakeholders focused on conserving fish habitat across all 50 states.

(Washington, DC) – The National Fish Habitat Partnership held their inaugural Board meeting of 2024 on February 6, with the primary focus being to appoint new members to the Board, filling seats that had expired or were vacant. Ian Nakayama of Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) was elected to a three-year term on Board, representing marine recreational anglers. Also newly elected were John O’Keefe of Yamaha Motor Corporation, representing corporate industry; Peter Micciche, mayor, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, representing local government involved in fish habitat restoration; and Chris Horton of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, also representing marine recreational anglers.

Nakayama has served as the government relations manager at TRCP since June of 2021 and has focused on advancing the Forage Fish Conservation Act, increasing adoption of natural infrastructure, increasing funding for Everglades restoration, and increasing funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System. A native Virginian, Nakayama graduated from the University of Virginia in 2019 and worked in legislative offices from 2019 until 2021.

“In the face of declining fish populations and fish species diversity, protecting and restoring fish habitat is more important now than ever,” said Ian Nakayama, government relations manager at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “I’m honored to join the Board and I look forward to contributing to the advancement of these crucial fish habitat conservation projects.”

“The National Fish Habitat Partnership appreciates the continued strong and enduring interest from the conservation community to want to serve on the Board,” said Robert Boyles, Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. “We had a very strong group of candidates vying for membership on the Board, which I think will strengthen the Board with diverse expertise for the future. I would like to thank all the departing Board members for their contributions to the National Fish Habitat Partnership and for being an integral part of the team.”

Since its inception in 2006, the National Fish Habitat Partnership has been a driving force behind the successful implementation of 1,300 projects aimed at safeguarding, restoring, and enhancing fish habitat across all 50 states. This collaborative effort is committed to the conservation of fish habitat on a national scale, effectively leveraging federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources. By strategically focusing on priority conservation projects through 20 regionally based Fish Habitat Partnerships, the NFHP has been able to achieve remarkable results in bolstering fish populations. The recognition of the NFHP by Congress in 2020 through its inclusion in the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act serves as a testament to the organization’s invaluable contributions.

To find out more about the NFHP and its endeavors, please visit fishhabitat.org.

TRCP works to maintain and strengthen the future of hunting and fishing by uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices in conserving and restoring wildlife populations and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve.

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

February 15, 2024

What is the Conservation Reserve Program?

Since its introduction in the 1985 Farm Bill, the Conservation Reserve Program has been one of the nation’s most important conservation programs. But what is the CRP and how does it benefit hunters and anglers?

In this short video, we demystify a crucial Farm Bill conservation program, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and shed light on its benefits to hunters and anglers.

Introduced in the 1985 Farm Bill, the Conservation Reserve Program incentivizes landowners to put a portion of their land into conservation cover, particularly on acres that would be more productive as wildlife habitat than they are for crops.

Many of the species we love to pursue find habitat in farm country thanks to the CRP. Without the CRP, pheasant numbers would plummet, the northern plains states would lose much of their duck breeding habitat, sage grouse in the West would be at even greater risk, and brook trout would decline in Eastern headwaters. Put simply, without the CRP, 40 million sportsmen and women would lose hunting and fishing opportunities across rural America.

Learn more about Farm Bill Conservation Programs here

by: Jaclyn Higgins

posted in: Habitat and Clean Water

Louisiana Issues Regulations to Protect Nearshore Habitat from Menhaden Industry

In the most significant Gulf menhaden conservation outcome to date, the state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approves half-mile coastwide buffer prohibiting pogy boats from netting, increases fish spill penalties

(BATON ROUGE, La.)— Louisiana’s coastline, gamefish, and recreational angling opportunities will now receive greater protections from the industrial menhaden fishery, after the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a revised Notice of Intent (NOI) at a Special Commission Meeting today in Baton Rouge.

The NOI expands the current ¼-mile no-fishing buffer zone, which prevents industrial menhaden harvest near the coast, to ½-mile coastwide, with a broader 1-mile buffer added off Holly Beach. It also establishes more stringent penalties and reporting requirements for future fish spills.

The commission initially decided to take action last October, suggesting a 1-mile buffer after 18 separate fish spills, accounting for over 2.5 million wasted menhaden and at least several hundred dead, breeding-sized redfish, occurred in 2023 alone. Most notably, three spills in early September fouled popular beaches and exacerbated user conflicts with recreational anglers and boaters, and again raised public concerns over the damage being caused to shallow waters by the menhaden industry. The industry firmly opposed the initial NOI.

Following a public comment period and a public hearing at the Feb. 1 meeting, the commission voted to again ask representatives from the menhaden industry and recreational fishing advocacy and conservation organizations to reach a compromise. The compromise modified the NOI to ½ mile, while retaining new penalties and reporting requirements for future net spills from the original NOI. The commission also voted to allow the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to implement the new regulations immediately, ahead of the menhaden season’s start on April 15.

“We were asked by the Commission and Governor Landry to get in a room with the industry and work on a compromise, so that’s what we did. As with any compromise, there is some give and take,” said Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana Chairman Charlie Caplinger. “That said, these new regulations on the industry are a very positive step forward for Louisiana’s coastal zone that will provide much-needed protections for our fragile shorelines and the fish and wildlife that live there. CCA and our coalition partners would like to thank Governor Landry, the Commission, and the new leaders at Wildlife and Fisheries for helping to facilitate this agreement.”

Gulf menhaden, also known as pogies, are a critical food source for iconic Louisiana sportfish like redfish and speckled trout. Approximately 1 billion pounds of pogies are harvested by the industrial Gulf of Mexico menhaden fishery each year, mainly from Louisiana waters. To date, pogy boats have been allowed to fish closer than 500 yards from Louisiana’s shorelines, where the boats often make contact with the water bottom while stirring up sediment with their massive purse seine nets, affecting feeding and spawning for a host of sportfish, birds, and dolphins.

A coalition of recreational fishing, wildlife and habitat conservation, and boating organizations has been working for five years to expand public awareness about the impacts of the Gulf’s industrial menhaden fishery and advocate for some basic conservation measures, such as the ones included in the NOI.

“Conserving and protecting Louisiana’s vast but diminishing coastal fisheries and critical barrier islands, beaches and marshes has been the goal of our coalition for the last five years,” said Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We have consistently worked with the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries staff, concerned anglers, charter captains, conservationists, lawmakers at every level, and the menhaden industry to enact meaningful regulations that can help accomplish that goal while recognizing the importance of commercial fisheries to Louisiana’s economy and culture. The Commission deserves a lot of credit for recognizing the validity of our coalition’s concerns and taking a big step forward in protecting Louisiana’s coast.”

In 2021, Representative Joe Orgeron (R-54) first introduced a bill in the Louisiana Legislature which proposed a nearly identical buffer to this NOI (HB 535). Due to industry opposition, the bill ultimately did not pass, but it did jumpstart a dialogue between the public, legislators, and other decision-makers about the impacts of intensive purse seine netting activity along Louisiana’s fragile coastline, and the impacts of bycatch on economically important species for other user groups, particularly redfish and speckled trout.

“For over three years, efforts have been made with little progress to get some common-sense regulations and policies put into place for the Gulf of Mexico reduction menhaden industry,” said Representative Joe Orgeron (R-54). “It now appears that these actions by the commission going forward will provide both increased scientific gathering on Louisiana’s largest fishery segment, as well as a better balance between the involved stakeholders for the upcoming 2024 season.”

“We commend the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission for this important step forward to increase the menhaden harvest buffer zone, as well as address the conservation and user conflict benefits that will come with it,” said Richard Fischer, CEO for the Louisiana Charter Boat Association, the nonprofit trade association that represents the best interests of Louisiana charter captains. “We also thank Governor Jeff Landry for exhibiting strong leadership by overseeing the brokering of this agreement, as well as Representative Joe Orgeron for being such a strong and vocal buffer zone champion in the Louisiana Legislature.”

The NOI will now go through a 30-day oversight period, where the joint Legislative Oversight Committees may choose to review it and make alternative recommendations. If they take no action, the NOI will be formalized as a final rule ahead of the 2024 menhaden fishing season.

Gulf Menhaden Coalition members include the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), CCA Louisiana, CCA Mississippi, CCA Alabama, CCA Texas, CCA Florida, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Louisiana Charterboat Association, American Sportfishing Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, International Gamefish Association, Angler Action Foundation, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Audubon Delta, Guy Harvey Foundation, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Mississippi Wildlife Federation, and Wildlife Mississippi.

Learn more here about the recreational fishing community’s push for better management of forage fish in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Chesapeake Bay.