House Bill May Establish Committee for Property Damages caused by Elk and Deer
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, April 12th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – Wolves may be a contentious part of Oregon’s wildlife ecosystem, but, according to the Oregon Legislature, are not the only animals capable of causing property damage worthy of financial compensation by the state. House bill 3052 would, if passed, create a task force to investigate damages cause by deer and elk in Eastern Oregon for the purposes of establishing a unique compensation fund. As of the latest revision of 3052 publicly listed by the Oregon State Legislature, which can be found here, this task force would examine cases of damage caused by elk and deer in Baker, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa counties and be comprised of one representative from each county’s respective board of commissioners. A full description from a fiscal impact analysis report published on April 2, which can be found here, reads as follows:
“HB 3052 – 1 creates the 15-member Task Force on Elk and Deer Damage Compensation Funding, which is to investigate elk and deer damage on private, agricultural lands in certain counties, and make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly concerning a three-year elk and deer damage compensation funding pilot program to be overseen by the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). The task force is to report to a committee or an interim committee of the Legislative Assembly related to natural resources no later than September 15, 2024. Members of the task force who are not members of the Legislative Assembly are not entitled to compensation or reimbursement for expenses and serve as volunteers on the task force. The bill directs the Legislative Policy and Research Office to provide staff support for the task force, and the task force sunsets on January 2, 2025. The measure declares an emergency and takes effect on passage.”
As of the time of writing, the bill is currently listed as within the House Committee, though was referred to Ways and Means on April 10. For more information on the bill, visit HB3052 2023 Regular Session – Oregon Legislative Information System (oregonlegislature.gov)
