UPDATED Noon PST 12/05/2025: STF has been informed that SB512 has been pulled from tomorrow’s committee meeting agenda. The future of this bill is unclear. Conservation Partners continue to meet with Legislators, and Swing The Fly is committed to sharing updates on this developing story. – Daniel Ritz, Digital & Conservation Editor.
STF is proud to call both The Steamboaters and the Native Fish Society Conservation Partners.
Both are calling for Oregonians to testify (in-person or virtually) or provide written comments in opposition of Oregon SB512 by tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 6th. This bill would force the State to restart a harmful summer steelhead hatchery program on the North Umpqua River.
The following articles and action alerts are republished from the Native Fish Society and The Steamboaters, respectively. Please use the links in each to use their easy-to-use one-click form submission applications OR, to get more information on how to sign up to testify in-person or virtually.
Urgent Action Alert: Protect North Umpqua Wild Steelhead – Say NO to SB 512!
A critical hearing on SB 512 is this Thursday (Feb. 6) at 1pm. This bill would force the state to restart a harmful summer steelhead hatchery program on the North Umpqua River. This is a bad idea.
In 2022–after sustained advocacy from Native Fish Society, our partners, and wild fish advocates like you–the ODFW Commission wisely ended this same failed program due to plummeting wild steelhead numbers. Restarting it will further harm these iconic fish. Plus, the proposed hatchery is a burnt-out facility lacking the infrastructure needed to run the program and facing ongoing water quality problems—all of which make it a poor location for taxpayer investments.
We strongly oppose SB 512 and need your immediate action to make our voices heard. Take action now to protect wild summer steelhead – Please sign the Action Alert to State Legislators here.

Want to do more for our iconic summer steelhead? Here’s how:
- Contact your State Legislators directly to communicate your concerns to your state representatives.
- Find your state representative or state senator.
- Call or email: Tell them you oppose SB 512. A brief, personal message is best. You can say something like: “I urge you to oppose SB 512. Restarting a summer steelhead hatchery program will reverse efforts to recover the North Umpqua’s wild steelhead. And after it burned to the ground, the Rock Creek Hatchery remains a terrible spot to spend taxpayer money.”
- Sign up to testify in person or virtually. Want to make a big impact? Join us on Thursday at 1pm to testify to the committee. Advanced sign-up is required here. Click the link and then choose “Register to Testify” in the grey bar toward the top.
- Submit Written Testimony. Providing brief, written testimony to the public record can help show the groundswell of public support for sound wild fish management. Submit written testimony by 1pm on February 8 by clicking the link and selecting “Submit Testimony” in the grey bar toward the top.

Important Notice: Provide Written Testimony to Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire – The Steamboaters
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, Oregon’s Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire will be having a hearing on SB 512, relating to Rock Creek Hatchery, requiring the ODFW Commission to restart the summer steelhead hatchery program at Rock Creek Hatchery and release the fish in to the North Umpqua River.
As Steamboaters, we encourage you to submit written testimony opposing the bill using the following talking points. If you have any questions, feel free to respond to this email.
Provide Written Testimony at this Link. The Deadline is Saturday, February 8 at 1pm.
Opening:
- Start by addressing the committee: Chair Golden, Vice-Chair Nash, and Members of the Committee,
- Introduce yourself and state your position: My name is John Doe, I live in Roseburg, and I am opposed to SB 512 relating to Rock Creek Hatchery and restarting the summer steelhead program on the North Umpqua River.
Talking points for testimony (provide them in your own words):
- Rebuilding a hatchery at Rock Creek would be a terrible financial decision for Oregonians. It would cost close to $50 million. This does not include annual operating expenses, such as fish food and other overhead costs.
- ODFW eliminated the program because of conservation concerns in 2022. Basin-wide, around 34% of fish spawning in the wild were likely hatchery fish. Based on a weighted evaluation outside of the Rock Creek basin, 17% of fish spawning in the wild were hatchery fish. This greatly reduces the productivity of wild fish.
- There is no natural supply of clean cold water necessary to rear hatchery fish. Neither Rock Ck or the NU River can provide the water, so an extremely expensive water cooling system is necessary, at a time when money is very scarce.
- ODFW recommends not rebuilding Rock Creek. An evaluation of state owned hatcheries showed summer steelhead programs statewide have a negative return on investment.
Provide a clear conclusion restating your stance on the bill and providing a signature.
We thank you for standing up for the future of the North Umpqua River and the Wild Summer Steelhead that call it home.
Please consider supporting one, or both of our Conservation Partners with a gift or membership today.