77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in an amended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minus signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within { + braces and plus signs + } . LC 1130 Senate Bill 400 Sponsored by Senator GEORGE (at the request of Oregon Sportsmen Association) (Presession filed.) SUMMARY The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's brief statement of the essential features of the measure as introduced. Extends landowner preference hunting tags pilot program throughout Oregon. Delays sunset on pilot program. A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to the Oregon Landowner Preference Pilot Program; amending section 1, chapter 461, Oregon Laws 2003. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. Section 1, chapter 461, Oregon Laws 2003, as amended by section 1, chapter 8, Oregon Laws 2007, and section 1, chapter 832, Oregon Laws 2009, is amended to read: { + Sec. 1. + } Notwithstanding any other provision of the wildlife laws, the State Department of Fish and Wildlife shall create and implement { - a Southwest - } { + an + } Oregon Landowner Preference Pilot Program during the period beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, { - 2014, - } { + 2016, + } that: (1) Addresses damage caused by elk on privately owned lands { - in Jackson, Josephine, Coos, Curry and Douglas Counties - } { + throughout Oregon + }. (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) Establishes a $30 fee for landowners to register for participation in the program. (10) Establishes a $15 fee for landowners to modify the landowner's tag distribution. (11) Authorizes department biologists to sell and exchange tags. (12) Authorizes department biologists to establish the period of validity for tags through negotiation with landowners. (13) 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. ----------