Cow Creek Tribe Officially Signs Co-Management Agreement with ODFW

On February 8, 2023, Tribal Chairman Carla Keene and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Director Curt Melcher officially signed the co-management agreement between the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and ODFW at the ODFW office in Salem.

The process officially began the co-management partnership between ODFW and the Tribe that was agreed upon in late 2022. The agreement solidifies and strengthens the relationship of sharing plans, research, and conservation efforts to protect and enhance fish and wildlife, and creates a framework for Tribal members to obtain certain licenses for subsistence and ceremonial fish harvests in some Oregon counties. Click here to learn more about the co-management agreement.

Also present at the signing were ODFW Conservation Policy Coordinator Davia Palmeri, Cow Creek Land and Resources Officer Jason Robison, and Cow Creek Natural Resources Director Kelly Coates.

After the signing ceremony, Director Melcher presented the Tribe with gifts to honor the occasion, including a framed art piece from the ODFW Conservation Stamp competition, and offered a guided tour of the ODFW offices.