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]
Hunting
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.[3]
Fishing
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.[3]
Shellfishing
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.[3]
Wildlife viewing
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.[3]
Volunteers
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]
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