June 18, 2025 4:00 a.m.

A group of Oregon Republican lawmakers are applauding a decision by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to keep the Umpqua River open.

The ODFW adopted a limited fall Chinook season this year on the Umpqua River in the wake of the concerning salmon returns. This is the first time the Umpqua River has dropped below the Critical Abundance Threshold since the Coastal Multi-Species Conservation and Management Plan was adopted in 2014.

On Tuesday, Senators Dick Anderson of Lincoln City and David Brock Smith of Port Orford, along with representatives Boomer Wright of Reedsport and Virgle Osborne of Roseburg issued a joint statement in response to the commission’s decision made on Friday.

The lawmakers said, “We appreciate the commission’s decision to keep the Umpqua River open this season. The Umpqua River is a vital economic resource to the many communities it serves. We also want to thank Commissioner Boice, on behalf of the whole Douglas County Commission, for taking the time to travel to Pendleton to make the case to keep the Umpqua River open”. The statement continued, “This does not reflect the fact that federal forest management has lost its way when it comes to managing their forests in our state. Riparian areas devastated by wildfires must be managed and replanted to assist in cooling water temperatures keeping invasive species from coming up stream”.

The season will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays starting July 1st until a quota of 500 wild Chinook is reached. The bag limit will be one Chinook – either hatchery or wild – per day and per season.