Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission repeals Siletz Tribe Consent Decree

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recently rescinded a 1980 agreement between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, completing the process to restore the tribe’s full hunting and fishing rights. This action follows federal law and a court ruling to vacate the Siletz Tribe Consent Decree, which had severely limited the tribe’s rights. The move recognizes the tribe’s sovereignty, strengthens collaboration between the state and the tribe and, ODFW Director Debbie Colbert said, “rights a historic wrong.”