This blog post presents a recent op-ed written for the Oregon Capital Chronicle that highlights how investing in Oregon’s natural environment through House Bill 4134 can strengthen the state’s economy and support wildlife conservation.
It’s clear Oregon’s economy is top of mind for Oregonians and our elected officials as we rev into 2026. It seems like we get a new economic forecast or assessment every day, or an announcement of a new report outlining steps the state should take to improve our economy. And, with election season ramping up, we can expect our airwaves to be filled with campaign ads promising plans to revive our economy and attract more visitors and residents.
Regardless of the economic outlook, one thing we can all agree on is that Oregon’s natural environment is a competitive advantage as compared to other states. Let’s think about it. In Oregon, a single day’s drive can take you from wind-carved beaches to snow-capped volcanoes and across the high desert beyond.
Gov. Tina Kotek recently highlighted the state’s natural beauty, referred to as our “paycheck” to attract visitors and future residents to our state, in her “Oregon’s Prosperity Roadmap.” There, she says, “our exceptional quality of life, marked by clean air, abundant fresh water, and a stunning natural environment, makes it not only a smart place to do business but also a desirable place to live, work, and raise a family.”
It’s no surprise, therefore, that Oregon’s tourism boards consistently highlight our lush forests and towering waterfalls on Instagram, the preferred medium for travel lovers, where there too the governor recently highlighted the state’s “incredible nature” as reason people are moving to our state.
There’s no arguing the importance of the environment to Oregon’s economy. According to a 2024 report, Oregon’s outdoor recreation generated $16 billion in consumer spending and 192,000 full and part-time jobs. These benefits are felt throughout the state.
Take, for example, Coos, Lane and Lincoln counties, which have the highest percentage of the labor force employed by outdoor recreation spending and lead the state in consumer spending by county. There is little to no state investment, however, in preserving our imperiled wildlife and the wild places they call home. As wildlife declines and habitats degrade, the backbone of our economy is threatened.
To grow the economy and attract more visitors, we must reinvest in our natural environment. A group of bipartisan lawmakers has recently reintroduced legislation to do just that: House Bill 4134 proposes to increase our statewide transient lodging tax by 1.25% and use a large portion of those proceeds to provide sustainable investment in our natural environment.
This approach builds on the original intent of the lodging tax created in 2003 to boost tourism. A small increase would do the same — bring in more visitors and potential residents by investing in the environment that attracts them here in the first place. The ripple effect is that those who visit or move to Oregon will then spend their money at restaurants and shops across the state. And even with a 1.25% increase, Oregon would remain the state with the third lowest tax on lodging in the country, reducing the chances of deterring visitation.
Because this is a tax on overnight lodging, it is not a cost-of-living increase for most Oregonians and wouldn’t be noticed in our day-to-day lives. And, we also know that similar small increases of the statewide lodging tax did not deter visitors from coming to Oregon, as the number of overnight visitors has grown by more than a third since 2003.
HB 4134 also smartly would direct the majority of its proceeds to Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, an agency that consistently achieves positive results when given the resources to do so.
To strengthen our economy, we need a smart policy that reinvests in our strengths and generates positive economic effects across the state. Reinvesting in our natural environment will achieve those outcomes and should be part of any economic policy moving forward.
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