A controversial statewide proposal that could dramatically reshape hunting, fishing, ranching, wildlife management, and agricultural practices across Oregon is moving closer to appearing before voters in the November 2026 election.
Known as Initiative Petition 28, or the PEACE Act, the measure has reportedly surpassed the minimum signature threshold required for ballot consideration, although the Oregon Secretary of State must still verify the signatures before certification becomes official. Supporters have submitted more than 120,000 signatures, while approximately 117,173 valid signatures are required to qualify for the statewide ballot.
The proposal seeks to significantly expand Oregon’s animal cruelty laws by removing many of the long-standing exemptions currently protecting activities such as hunting, fishing, trapping, livestock slaughter, animal husbandry practices, wildlife management operations, and certain forms of agricultural production. Rather than creating an entirely new legal framework, the measure would broaden the reach of Oregon’s existing criminal animal cruelty statutes into areas that have traditionally been regulated separately through state and federal wildlife, agricultural, and resource-management agencies.
For residents of Southern Oregon, the implications could be especially significant.
Josephine County, Jackson County, Curry County, Douglas County, and Klamath County all maintain deep economic and cultural ties to hunting, fishing, agriculture, and outdoor recreation. The Rogue River alone supports a substantial portion of Southern Oregon’s tourism economy through salmon and steelhead fishing, rafting operations, guide services, lodging businesses, sporting goods retailers, and river-related recreation.
Wildlife management programs administered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife rely heavily on revenue generated through hunting and fishing licenses, tags, permits, and federal excise taxes tied to outdoor equipment sales. Those funds support fish hatcheries, habitat restoration projects, conservation programs, law enforcement activities, invasive species control efforts, and fish population monitoring throughout Oregon. Opponents of the proposal argue that removing or restricting hunting and fishing could create major funding challenges for many of those programs.
The measure has also generated concern among ranchers, farmers, and agricultural organizations across Oregon. Legal analyses indicate that several routine livestock practices currently protected under Oregon law could potentially face new legal scrutiny if the exemptions are removed. Agricultural groups argue the proposal reaches far beyond recreational hunting and fishing and could affect food production, livestock management, breeding operations, and animal processing industries throughout the state.
Public land management could become another focal point of debate. Large portions of Southern Oregon are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service, where hunting, fishing, predator control, habitat restoration, and wildlife management have long been recognized land uses. Critics of the measure argue the proposal could create conflicts between state criminal statutes and existing wildlife-management practices occurring on federal lands.
Supporters of the initiative maintain that the proposal is designed to reduce animal suffering and expand protections for animals throughout Oregon. The measure includes provisions intended to assist industries and workers that could be affected by the transition if the law were approved.
The debate is expected to intensify throughout the summer as state election officials review submitted signatures. If enough signatures are verified, Oregon voters will ultimately decide whether one of the most sweeping animal-cruelty expansions ever proposed in the state becomes law.
For Southern Oregon communities built around the Rogue River, public lands, ranching operations, outdoor recreation, and wildlife-based tourism, the outcome could influence everything from local economies and conservation funding to long-standing traditions that have helped shape the region for generations.