Oregon Next to Consider Felt Sole Ban

In this morning’s Mail Tribune, Mark Freeman writes that draft bill LC 1284 will come before the House Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee when the Oregon legislature reconvenes Feb. 1. He also cites some of the concerns biologists and conservationists have about such laws creating “complacency” among anglers who think that using rubber-soled wading shoes alone makes them environmentally correct:
“Rick Boatner, the aquatic invasive species coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, fears going felt-less could leave anglers less likely to wash and bleach their boots and all their equipment between uses — the most effective means to prevent spreading problem species. ‘I’m afraid they’re going to get careless,’ says Boatner.”