The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats.[1] The agency operates hatcheries, issues hunting and angling licenses, advises on habitat protection, and sponsors public education programs. Its history dates to the 1878 establishment of the office of Columbia River Fish Warden. Since 1931, enforcement of Oregon's Fish and Game laws has been the responsibility of the Oregon State Police rather than separate wardens.[2]
A study was done in 2008 by ODFW and Travel Oregon to find the results of expenditures made throughout Oregon from residents and nonresidents that participated in the economic significance of fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, and shellfish harvesting in Oregon. Roughly 2.8 million residents and non-residents participated in either hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, and shellfish harvesting. 631,000 fished, 282,000 hunted, 175,000 harvested shellfish, and 1.7 million participated in wildlife viewing. During 2008 $2.5 billion in expenditures was made as a result of these activities. All regions of Oregon had benefited from the amount of expenditures made during 2008. Of this report fishing had a response rate of only 18%, hunting had a response rate of 26%, shellfishing had a response rate of 35% and wildlife viewing had a response rate of 62%.[3]
282,000 residents and non-residents participated in hunting in 2008 from this residents and non-resident made travel generated expenditures of $104,458,000, $31,574,000 was spent on local recreation and $381,908,000 was spent from equipment.
631,000 residents and non-residents participated in fishing in 2008 from those that participated they spent a total of $264,605,000 on travel generated expenditures. $76,905,000 was spent on local recreation and $441,356,000 was spent on equipment.
175,000 residents and non-residents participated in shellfishing in 2008 from those that participated they spent a total of $31,039,000 on travel generated expenditures. $5,256,000 was spent on local recreation and $135,688,000 was spent on equipment.
1,700,000 residents and non-residents participated in wildlife viewing in 2008 from those that participated they spent a total of $462,087,000 on travel generated expenditures. $33,173,000 was spent on local recreation and $527,980,000 was spent on equipment.
ODFW relies on about 4000 volunteers to support its programs and the management of wildlife areas. Volunteers lead public workshops about fish and wildlife, teach hunter education, help families learn to fish, teach archery and shooting skills, plant vegetation, build bird nesting boxes, monitor fish and wildlife populations, help biologists learn more about wildlife behavior by trapping, monitoring and recording animal patterns and activity, clean up at fish hatcheries, build sign kiosks, maintain equipment and more. [4]
0. Warm Springs Indian Res. 10. Saddle Mountain 11. Scappoose
12. Wilson 14. Trask 15. Willamette 16. Santiam 17. Stott Mountain
18. Alsea 19. Mckenzie 20. Siuslaw 21. Indigo 22. Dixon 23. Melrose
24. Tioga 25. Sixes 26. Powers 27. Chetco
28. Applegate 29. Evans Creek 30. Rogue 31. Keno
32. Klamath Falls 33. Sprague 34. Upper Deschutes 35. Paulina
36. Maury 37. Ochoco 38. Grizzly 39. Metolius 40. Maupin
41. White River 42. Hood 43. Biggs 44. Columbia Basin
45. Fossil 46. Murderers Creek 47. Northside 48. Heppner 49. Ukiah
50. Desolation 51. Sumpter 52. Starkey 53. Catherine Creek
54. Mount Emily 55. Walla Walla 56. Wenaha 57. Sled Springs
58. Chesnimnus 59. Snake River 60. Minam 61. Imnaha 62. Pine Creek
63. Keating 64. Lookout Mountain 65. Beulah 66. Malheur River 67. Owyhee
68. Whitehorse 69. Steens Mountain 70. Beaty's Butte 71. Juniper 72. Silvies
73. Wagontire 74. Warner 75. Interstate 76. Silver Lake 77. Fort Rock