
Oregon's New Wildlife Tax Could Save 300+ At-Risk Species
Oregon lawmakers are taking another shot at a groundbreaking bill that would add just over 1% to hotel taxes to fund wildlife conservation. The money could save more than 300 struggling species while giving 49 other states a blueprint for protecting their own wildlife.
Oregon is about to try something that could change how America saves its endangered animals.
When state lawmakers return in February, they'll vote on a bill that would add 1.25% to hotel and lodging taxes to create nearly $30 million each year for wildlife conservation. The money would go straight to protecting over 300 species at risk of disappearing, from Crater Lake newts to California condors to North American porcupines.
The idea is simple but powerful. Out-of-state tourists already flock to Oregon for its stunning natural beauty. Now they'd help protect what they came to see.
Here's the problem the bill solves: Oregon's wildlife department currently spends just 2% of its budget on conservation. Most of its money comes from hunting and fishing licenses, which only fund game animals like deer and elk. That leaves hundreds of other species without help until they're so endangered that federal protection kicks in.
"We sometimes joke that state agencies have to offer bake sales to fund this work," said Mark Humpert from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Some states sell specialty license plates. Others scrape together pennies from outdoor equipment taxes.

Even with the increase, Oregon's hotel tax would still be just 2.5%, the third lowest in America. That's less than half what neighboring Washington, Montana, and Idaho charge.
The Ripple Effect
If Oregon succeeds, it could spark a nationwide movement. Forty-nine other states face the same funding crisis, and experts say they're watching closely.
Fully funding wildlife conservation across America would cost about $1 billion annually. But with federal funding drying up under budget cuts and Congress repeatedly failing to pass the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, states need to find their own solutions.
The money could fund wildlife crossings on Highway 82 in northeast Oregon, where hundreds of deer and elk die in collisions each year as they migrate between the Rocky Mountains and the Cascades. It could support studies of bird habitats after this spring saw only half the normal number of migrating birds passing through the state.
The bill already passed Oregon's House once, but two Republican senators blocked it. This time, it has bipartisan sponsorship from both a Democrat and a Republican, giving it better odds.
"A plan is only as good as the funding to implement it," said Sristi Kamal from the Western Environmental Law Center. Oregon has a detailed blueprint for saving its most threatened species. Now it just needs the resources to make it real.
States can't keep relying on hunters and anglers alone to fund conservation that benefits everyone.
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Based on reporting by Grist
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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