By Nephi Cole
Oregon’s natural resource culture and traditions are facing a direct threat from a proposed ballot initiative to dramatically rewrite the state’s laws. The proposal makes ranching, hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational shooting and most forms of animal husbandry a crime (they’re coming for you, too, Oregon Zoo, fishermen, and tribes).
Initiative Petition 28 titled the People for Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions Act by supporters, has moved closer to the November 2026 ballot after sponsors submitted more than 120,000 signatures for verification ahead of the July 2 deadline. The proposal would, without question, destroy Oregon’s rural communities and outdoor economy.
To be clear, Oregon already punishes animal cruelty. That’s not what this is about. IP 28 will remove legal protections for regulated hunting, fishing, ranching and other activities that are now lawful, critical for wildlife management, culturally rooted and economically important across the state.
A Sweeping Proposal
IP 28 amends Chapter 167 of the Oregon Revised Statutes by removing or narrowing exemptions that currently protect lawful hunting, fishing, trapping, livestock husbandry, commercial meat production, lawful research, wildlife management and other accepted practices. It reclassifies responsible and regulated activities as criminal animal abuse, neglect or assault.
Oregon’s current laws recognize the clear distinction between cruelty and regulated traditional activities such as hunting deer, catching salmon, raising livestock or conducting standard veterinary and animal husbandry practices. IP 28 blurs the distinctions and creates criminal liability where Oregon law now recognizes permitted conduct.
This is an anti-hunting measure. Sponsors argue wildlife should receive the same protections as companion animals, livestock and animals in research settings. But they are hiding the real meaning. It may sound reasonable, or even narrow to some voters, but the real effects are far broader. They are striking at the legal foundations permitting Oregonians to hunt, fish, manage wildlife, raise livestock and produce food.
Threat to Conservation
Proponents of this measure are ignorant of the harm it does to wildlife. Eliminating Oregon hunters will decimate wildlife conservation efforts. Hunters, anglers and recreational shooters are the state’s most reliable conservation partners. Sportsmen and women contribute directly to wildlife restoration, habitat restoration, public access, hunter education and shooting range development through license fees, tags, permits and Pittman-Robertson excise taxes paid by firearm, ammunition and archery equipment manufacturers. This “user pays” model is the most successful wildlife conservation system in the world.
That system continues to work, as it has for generations, because it links participation with stewardship. Hunters and anglers buy the licenses and equipment to participate, manufacturers pay the tax, and the result funds the agencies and programs to manage for healthy fish and wildlife and the habitats upon which they depend.
This proposed policy criminalizes and undercuts the funding structure that supports game and nongame species alike. In fact, 85 percent of Oregon’s wildlife money comes from the combination of license fees and Pittman-Robertson industry support. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) apportioned $1.3 billion to state wildlife agencies last year. Over $804 million of that is sourced directly from the excise tax paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers. Oregon received over $9.7 million from that apportionment. Cutting off these sources suffocates the funding mechanisms that benefit non-hunters as well. This political experiment has real and destructive consequences for habitat, wildlife management, and public access – all things that depend on this revenue source.
Outdoor Recreation is an Oregon Economic Engine
The damage extends to the Oregon outdoor recreation economy. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that hunting, fishing and wildlife watching accounted for $1.2 billion in spending in 2019. That is $1.47 billion in 2024 dollars when adjusted for inflation. That is 11,000 jobs. Those are real people. Those dollars flow through sporting goods stores, firearm retailers, bait and tackle shops, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, game processors, ranges, and every shop on main street in rural Oregon.
Outdoor recreation is one of Oregon’s most important economic drivers. National outdoor recreation numbers show Oregon’s outdoor recreation economy generating $9 billion in economic impact in 2024. That supports more than 76,000 jobs and accounts for 2.7 percent of state gross domestic product.
Those are more than just numbers. The figures represent people, their paychecks, small businesses and communities that rely on seasonal and year-round outdoor activity. Hunting season matters to rural retailers. Fishing trips matter to coastal and river communities. Recreational shooting supports ranges, training, youth programs and safe and responsible firearm use. All these things matter.
Oregon voters must understand what’s at stake. The proposed petition aimed at the November ballot has dire consequences for food production, wildlife management, conservation funding, rural jobs and the outdoor heritage shared by all generations of Oregonians. Those traditions predate statehood by hundreds of years. They are the culture upon which Oregon is built.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s signature verification process will determine if IP 28 qualifies for the November 2026 ballot. If it does, Oregon voters will face a choice. Defend lawful, regulated hunting, fishing, trapping and farming traditions or approve sweeping measures that criminalize the people and practices that sustain the state’s wildlife, working lands and rural economy.
Nephi Cole is Director for Government Relations – State Affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.