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To contact me, please click here: Rep.BoomerWright@oregonlegislature.gov

HB 2345 is a bad idea

HB 2345 renames the Oregon Hatchery Research Center to a Research Fund. Makes certain changes related to the fund. Repeals statutes establishing the Oregon Hatchery Research Center and the Oregon Hatchery Research Center Board. 

With HB 2345, which renames the Oregon Hatchery Research Center to a Research Fund and also repeals statutes that establishes the Oregon Hatchery Research Center, and the Oregon Hatchery Research Center Board. This is a bad idea for Oregon. The above picture of delighted children knowing the pleasure of catching a fish will be far and few between. The Oregon Hatchery Research Center and our hatcheries are directly responsible for the numbers fish and their varieties in the Oregon rivers, streams and ocean presently. 

Oregon Hatcheries have a long history (starting in the late 1800s) of providing best management practices to conserve both native and hatchery produced fish in response to the decline in some of our fish populations. Without the Oregon Hatchery Research Center and the research, it provides, our fisheries could fail. Without research to provide abundance, the loss of Oregon Fisheries is inevitable.

From ODFW website:  ODFW, Economic Impact

The Economic Impact to Oregon (for 2020 and 2021) created by the Oregon Commercial and Recreational Fishing industry was estimated to be $642 million, providing income to approximately 9200 jobs the statewide. Loss of the Oregon Hatcheries program and research will increase the possibility of decline in our Oregon's coastal economic future.  

FROM THE ODFW website: 

" How important are hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing to Oregon?

A study by Earth Economics produced in partnership with Travel Oregon, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), Oregon Office of Outdoor Recreation (OREC), and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) found that outdoor recreation in Oregon supported $15.6 billion in spending (including trip and equipment related expenditures). Adjusted for inflation this reflects approximately $19.1 billion in 2024 dollars. A portion of that spending is generated by participants engaging in fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching activities. Earth Economics' research indicated that in 2019 hunting, fishing and wildlife watching activities accounted for $1.2 billion ($1.47 billion in 2024 dollars) in spending and supported over 11,000 jobs. The Factsheet below shows the spending on each of these activities at a county level and the impact on jobs, wages, and state and local taxes."

Factsheet-Economic Impact OR Counties-Earth Economics 2019.pdf

Oregon can ill afford the loss of the Oregon Hatchery Research Center and the practical research it provides to create abundance in our rivers, streams and ocean. 

NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK:

• Oregon kids deserve access to a good, quality education, regardless of the zip code they live in.
• Oregon families know what is best for their children. We should put parents in the driver's seat to choose the best options for their kids.
• Oregon's education bureaucracy isn't delivering for students and there aren't adequate options for families. It's time to place students and their families at the center of the conversation.
• Great teachers change lives! Oregon's kids deserve to have great teachers that best fit their learning styles and will help them thrive.
• House Republicans have proposed legislation to bring school choice to Oregon, improve access to charter schools, grow career and technical education opportunities, and expand open enrollment so that families can chose the education option that best serves their students.
• Nearly 70% of Oregonians support expanding school choice.

NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH:

• January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. It’s important to learn about the dangers of human trafficking, what signs to look out for, and what to do if we see it in our communities.
• There are more than 27.6 million adults and children who are subjected to human trafficking around the world, including in the United States.
• Human trafficking is modern-day slavery - it exploits victims through force, fraud, or coercion in both sex and labor. It’s everywhere, often hidden in plain sight.
• In Oregon, the number of victims identified through the National Human Trafficking Hotline more than doubled between 2015 and 2023, rising from 116 to 248.
• Several counties in Oregon are experiencing a new form of forced labor nicknamed “narco-trafficking,” which amounts to forced labor in drug production and distribution.
• State data from 2022 shows Oregon ranks 17th in the nation for suspected Illicit Massage Businesses (IMBs), with 177 suspected facilities currently operating. 
• Oregon’s geography makes it more vulnerable to trafficking due to large swaths of rural lands and forests, and its proximity to shipping waterways and the Canadian border which provides access for international traffickers.
• Oregon needs to do more to combat human trafficking. The Oregon Department of Justice only has 1 position dedicated to supporting human traffic investigations. We need to invest in data collection and collaborate across jurisdictions to share information and prosecute traffickers. Global agencies including the UN and the U.S. State Department recognize prosecution as the #1 deterrent of human traffickers.
• To get help, report a tip, find services, and learn about your options, reach out to the National Human Trafficking Hotline:
• Call: 1-888-373-7888
• Text: "BeFree" to 233733
• Live Chat: HumanTraffickingHotline.org

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1409
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-372, Salem, OR 97301​​
Email: Rep.BoomerWright@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wright