Question 1

What is the “Nature Conservation Fee”?

Accepted Answer

In 2026, the Oregon legislature passed HB 4134 (known as “1.25% for Wildlife”). This law requires that 1.25% of Oregon’s state lodging tax (paid by consumers on all short-term lodging) goes directly to the conservation of Oregon’s most at-risk fish, wildlife, and the habitats they depend on.

Question 2

What does it fund?

Accepted Answer

This will fund the State Wildlife Action Plan to protect and restore Oregon’s most vulnerable and imperiled species and habitats, along with other conservation programs such as habitat connectivity, wildlife rehabilitation facilities, anti-poaching efforts, invasive species control, and wildfire risk reduction.

Question 3

Why the statewide lodging tax?

Accepted Answer

Oregon’s robust tourism economy is heavily dependent on the outdoor recreation industry, which has seen significant growth over the last decade. What draws visitors to Oregon is our outdoors – from hiking, kayaking, birdwatching to hunting and fishing opportunities. The lodging industry has benefited from the tourism boom, yet there is little to no investment into the resources that bring tourism to Oregon in the first place. By investing in the recovery and maintenance of these natural places and wildlife, we ensure that they can continue to provide critical ecosystem services to all Oregonians and sustain our robust tourism economy for decades to come.

Question 4

What does this increase mean for visitors coming to Oregon or for Oregonians traveling within the state for recreation and tourism?

Accepted Answer

HB 4134 adds 1.25% to the statewide lodging tax that is applied uniformly across the state. For context, if you book a room with a room rate of $150/night, the proposed increase will add less than $2 to your current tax amount. For less than $2, you will contribute to the recovery and conservation of Oregon’s unique but fragile ecosystems in a very meaningful way. Oregon also has one of the lowest statewide transient lodging tax in the country.

Question 5

Why do we need this?

Accepted Answer

Oregon’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) – our state’s plan to recover the most imperiled fish, wildlife, and habitats – has no dedicated state funding source, and its (historically low) federal funding has been eliminated for 2026. A 2025 revision of the SWAP showed a total of 320 species now require urgent conservation action to recover from the risk of extinction -  an increase from the 294 species in the last iteration of the SWAP. The nature conservation fee means Oregon now has funding to meet this critical conservation need for the sake of our extraordinary wildlife, natural resources, and the numerous communities and businesses that rely on healthy ecosystems to function.

Question 6

How does biodiversity help other sectors?

Accepted Answer

Preventing species and habitat declines also benefits other industries that contribute to Oregon’s economy, such as outdoor recreation and agriculture. Oregon’s highly nature-dependent outdoor recreation industry makes up 2.6% of Oregon’s GDP (higher than the national average) and generates $16 billion in consumer spending, $8.2 billion in wages, and supports 192,000 jobs. On the other hand, healthy wildlife populations, such as native bats and other pollinators, are key to farmers’ livelihoods, preventing hundreds of millions of dollars in crop losses each year. For example, a 2017 study estimated agricultural losses from bat die-off were between $426 - $495 million per year.

HB 4134 - 1.25% for Wildlife Passes the Oregon Legislature!

How it works

About the bill

What it does

Why this funding source

Economic Impact

Frequently asked questions