Tualatin Riverkeepers has been active during this long session in the Oregon Legislature, working with partners to advocate for bills that advance our work to protect, restore, and enjoy the Tualatin River watershed. We’ve written a number of letters advocating for or opposing bills primarily related to water quality. Our Executive Director, Glenn Fee, joined dozens of trails advocates for a day with at Capitol in early March, pressing lawmakers to support recreational immunity, among other recreation bills. At the late March legislative deadline, 1,444 of the 3,393 bills in Oregon's 2025 legislative session died, meaning these bills won't come to the floor of either chamber for a vote. For the bills that are still alive, they could either come to the floor for a vote, or – as is likely with the Landowner Living with Beavers bill – they could be included in the Governor’s budget.
HB 3143 – Landowner Living with Beavers
Our position: Support
Description: In 2023, with support from Tualatin Riverkeepers and dozens of statewide partners, the legislature passed HB 3464, removing the predatory animal status of beavers and shifted management on private lands from the Department of Agriculture to ODFW. This opened an opportunity to provide an alternative to beaver extermination. If it passes, HB 3143 will establish The Landowners Living with Beaver Grant Program Fund within Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife, where blocks grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded through the Oregon Conservation & Recreation Fund for projects that support beaver coexistence strategies for private landowners.
Status: The bill passed out of Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water on February 14 and has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee. We anticipate the need in the coming weeks for supporters to contact elected officials to help ensure that this work is funded in the budget. We’ll reach out via an Action Alert and on social media when this time comes.
HB 2982 – Addresses funding gap in Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention
Our position: Support
Description: This bill proposes to adjust state Waterway Access Permits and boating fees in order to address a funding gap in the state’s existing Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program. As one of a few bills intended to address invasive species, HB 2982 would utilize funds through grants and agreements to prevent and control aquatic invasive species. Additional information on invasive species of concern is available from our friends at the Oregon Invasive Species Council.
Status: The bill has moved to the Joint Committee on Ways & Means for evaluation with other budget priorities to determine what ultimately passes the full legislative process by the end of June.
HB 3362 – Tire Pollution Tax
Our position: Support
Description: HB 3362 proposes to include a 3% fee on the purchase of new tires in Oregon, with proceeds supporting wildlife crossings, rail projects, and 6PPD mitigation efforts. Tualatin Riverkeepers has been working with a number of regional partners and Waterkeeper groups on 6PPD, a tire additive that when exposed to air becomes 6PPD-Quinone, which is lethal to many salmonids. This bill would provide approximately $5 million annually for stormwater projects that prevent 6PPDQ from reaching waterways.
Status: Opposition to the bill has been significant, driven primarily by the prospects of a new tax. While the bill still faces challenges, it has been included in the initial Transportation Framework announced on April 3rd by the Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation. Regardless of its fate, we’re encouraged that this bill helps to elevate awareness of the risk that 6PPD and other emerging contaminants in the Tualatin River watershed and across the state.
HB 3501 – Prohibits impacts on wildlife and water quality on water rights transfers
Our position: Oppose
Background: HB 3501 would prohibit Oregon from considering the effects on fish, wildlife, and water quality when evaluating applications to change existing water rights. In essence, the agency charged with managing our state’s waters would be prohibited from considering whether transfers would impair the public interest, including impacts on fish and wildlife, water quality, public health, and recreation. This bill runs in opposition to SB 427 and SB 1153, each of which would close the loophole in water rights transfers and require the state to consider the public interest. TRK supports each of these bills.
Status: The bill was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water, where it faced significant written opposition leading up to a March 10 hearing. A work session on the bill is scheduled in the committee on April 7.
SB 91 and HB 3512 – Prohibits manufacture and use of toxic PFAS chemicals
Our position: Support
Description: These two bills introduced in the respective legislative chambers address the dangerous impacts of PFAS. HB 3512 would ban PFAS in most products in 2026, with a 2028 deadline to phase out items with longer production timelines. The bill was introduced along with SB 91, which protects firefighters by ending the use of a fire fighting foam that contains PFAS. The Oregon Environmental Council, which has championed each of the bills, has a summary of the work to ban these harmful forever chemicals.
Status: SB 91 passed the Oregon Senate with strong bipartisan support. HB 3512 did not advance out of committee, but TRK will continue to work with partners to advance future legislation that addresses the impacts of PFAS.
SB 179 – Recreational Immunity
Our position: Support
Description: Recreational immunity provides basic protections to public and private landowners that open their lands to the public for recreation free of charge. SB 179 removes the sunset on the bill passed in 2024, ensuring that Oregon trails stay open!
Status: SB 179 unanimously passed in the Senate and it is awaiting a hearing in the House Committee on Judiciary.
SB 634 – Dams and Hydropower
Our position: Oppose
Description: Current law reasonably allows for hydroelectric dams to count toward the state’s renewable energy portfolio if they have undergone post-1995 efficiency upgrades or if they are certified as low impact, which prevents harmful, old hydropower projects from being counted as renewable. SB 634 would allow all hydroelectric dams, no matter how ecologically or socially harmful, to count toward the state’s renewable portfolio.
Status: Thanks to the quick opposition led by Columbia Riverkeeper and other partners, this harmful bill did not advance.
SB 427 – Adopt Review Standards for Water Right Transfers
Our position: Support
Description: Senate Bill 427, which has been championed by the Oregon Water Partnership, would require Oregon to adopt standards of review to protect the public interest and the environment in water right transfers, in line with other states across the west. The bill stands in marked opposition to HB 3501, which would prohibit the state from considering public interest values when considering transfers.
Status: SB 427 passed out of committee and it is scheduled for a work session on April 8th.
