| WASHINGTON, D.C. — An Oregon anti-hunting ballot initiative opposed by NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, failed to gather enough certified signatures to be considered by voters. Oregon’s Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), called the “People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act,” was proposed to prohibit and criminalize hunting, trapping and livestock production.
The proposed ballot initiative was disqualified by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division for consideration by voters on Nov. 3, 2026, after it gathered just 104,262 valid signatures, well below the threshold requirement of 117,173 required signatures.
“This radical anti-hunting plan was clearly, and correctly, rejected by Oregonians who wanted no part of this attack on the heritage of outdoorsmanship and proven conservation efforts that managed hunting requires,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “The proposal would have, without question, destroyed Oregon’s rural communities, outdoor economy and abundant wildlife. Hunters are the original wildlife conservationists and are crucial to sustained propagation of managed wildlife for future generations. Oregonians are correct to reject this short-sighted and politically-driven agenda that would have annihilated over a century’s work to restore wildlife across Oregon’s landscape.”
NSSF vocally opposed IP 28, which was pitched to voters as a measure to strengthen state animal cruelty laws. However, Oregon already punishes animal cruelty. IP 28 would have removed legal protections for regulated hunting, fishing, ranching and other lawful activities that are critical for wildlife management, culturally rooted and economically important across the state.
Further, IP 28 would have threatened the funding structure that supports wild game and nongame species alike. In fact, 85 percent of Oregon’s wildlife money comes from the combination of excise taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers and hunting license, permit and stamp fees. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) apportioned $1.3 billion to state wildlife agencies last year. Over $804 million of that is sourced directly from the Pittman-Robertson excise tax paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers. Oregon received over $9.7 million from that apportionment.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) reports that hunting, fishing and wildlife watching accounted for $1.2 billion in spending in 2019, or $1.47 billion when adjusted for inflation. Oregon’s outdoor recreation economy generated $9 billion in economic impact in 2024, supporting more than 76,000 jobs and accounts for 2.7 percent of state gross domestic product. |
