Oregon BHA Legislative Session Recap

The Oregon Chapter of BHA has worked diligently with partners and legislators to advance two priority bills during the 2026 legislative session. The chapter was successful in helping to secure passage of HB4134, which will secure long-term dedicated conservation funding in the state––a huge victory for Oregon's wild public lands, waters and wildlife.

BHA also helped to advance a corner crossing bill, SB 1545, which has garnered broad support from a variety of stakeholder groups. While this bill was tabled to allow for more robust discussion during next year's legislative session, Oregon BHA will continue working closely with partners to help to advance this keystone issue for the organization.

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HB 4134 – 1.25% for Wildlife

Oregon BHA is proud to celebrate the passage of HB 4134, a landmark conservation funding bill and the biggest win for fish and wildlife in a generation. After three sessions in the Capitol—and more than a decade of steady work by hunters, anglers, landowners, and conservation partners—Oregon has delivered a durable, long-overdue investment in the resources that define this state. HB 4134 will generate about $38 million per year for fish, wildlife, and habitat across Oregon and now heads to Governor Kotek’s desk.

Beginning January 1, 2027, HB 4134 modestly increases Oregon’s statewide transient lodging tax by 1.25% (from 1.5% to 2.75%). Oregon will still remain among the lowest lodging-tax states in the nation, and because roughly two-thirds of this tax is paid by out-of-state visitors, it is a fair way to create stable, dedicated conservation funding without relying on one-time budget fixes.

The new revenue is dedicated to nine defined conservation and natural resource priorities—led by major support for implementing Oregon’s science-based conservation blueprint (including the State Wildlife Action Plan and nearshore strategy). It also invests in wildfire risk reduction through the Oregon Conservation Corps, wildlife connectivity, anti-poaching enforcement, wolf conflict tools and compensation, community conservation and recreation grants, wildlife stewardship and rehabilitation, invasive species response, and prosecution capacity for wildlife crimes.

For too long, Oregon’s wildlife system has leaned heavily on license dollars and federal grants while core conservation work has been patched together with temporary funding. HB 4134 broadens the funding base in a fair, transparent way, helps Oregon leverage matching dollars, and finally delivers predictable support at the scale of today’s conservation challenges.

Oregon BHA is especially grateful to the conservation partners who championed this bill from day one and kept pushing when it would have been easy to move on. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership played a critical role in holding the coalition together, doing the behind-the-scenes policy work, showing up session after session, and helping organize the hunting and fishing community into an effective, bipartisan force for conservation funding. We also thank the bipartisan champions who carried this bill, the broad coalition that showed up, and the thousands of hunters and anglers who sent emails, made calls, and testified. This is what persistence looks like—and it’s a major step toward a stronger future for Oregon’s fish, wildlife, habitat, and our shared outdoor heritage.

BHA Position: Support

Bill Status: Passed

 

SB 1545 – Corner Crossing

Oregon BHA supports SB 1545, bipartisan legislation that brings long-overdue clarity to corner crossing—stepping precisely from one parcel of public land to another at a shared corner. The bill reflects what BHA has long maintained: corner crossing is not a crime, and responsible public-land access can and should go hand in hand with strong private property protections. SB 1545 reduces unnecessary legal exposure on both sides by shielding landowners from liability claims tied to lawful corner crossing and protecting public land users from unlawful trespass allegations and related litigation, so long as the crossing occurs at the exact corner and does not cause damage. Just as important, SB 1545 does not create an easement across private property and does not weaken longstanding trespass laws—its purpose is to replace uncertainty with clear, common-sense rules that help prevent conflict and give landowners, sportsmen, and law enforcement the guidance they’ve been missing.

During the 2026 short session, SB 1545 was temporarily paused to allow for more robust stakeholder engagement. While the bill includes landowner liability protections that don’t currently exist in Oregon statute, some landowners and county representatives asked for additional time to work through remaining concerns. The chief sponsors have committed to convening a workgroup and bringing the bill back for passage in the 2027 session, and the momentum remains strong and bipartisan. Oregon BHA testified in support of the bill and will stay at the table to ensure Oregon law is clear: corner crossing is not a crime, private property is respected, and lawful access to public lands is protected.

BHA Position: Support

Bill Status: Paused until 2027 Legislative Session