Chapter 461 Oregon Laws 2003

AN ACT

HB 2521

Relating to landowner preference tags.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of the wildlife laws, the State Department of Fish and Wildlife shall create and implement a Southwest Oregon Landowner Preference Pilot Program during the period beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2008, that:

(1) Addresses damage caused by elk on privately owned lands in Jackson, Josephine, Coos, Curry and Douglas Counties.

(2) Provides landowner preference tags only for areas where elk are currently causing damage, where there has been a history of elk damage coupled with actions to alleviate elk damage or where the department has designated the area as an elk deemphasis area.

(3) Limits the use of tags to taking antlerless elk.

(4) Limits the use of tags to taking elk on property owned, leased or rented by the landowner complaining of elk damage or on property owned, leased or rented by a business entity that includes the landowner as a principal partner or shareholder.

(5) Allows exchange of unused general season elk tags or controlled hunt elk tags for landowner preference tags.

(6) Does not impose a limit on the number of total tags available for each property, except that no more than five tags may be valid at any one time on a particular property.

(7) Does not impose a minimum acreage requirement for landowner participation.

(8) Allows landowners to register for participation in the program at any time prior to the issuance of tags.

(9) Authorizes department biologists to sell and exchange tags.

(10) Authorizes department biologists to establish the period of validity for tags through negotiation with landowners.

(11) Requires landowners to record the number of elk taken and, within 10 days after the end of a designated hunt period, to report to the local department biologist the number of elk taken.

Approved by the Governor June 24, 2003

Filed in the office of Secretary of State June 24, 2003

Effective date January 1, 2004

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