Navigating a state’s hunting and fishing regulations can be difficult, especially when it contains pages of legalese and redundant language. Oregon agrees, which is why the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is in the process of revising its hunting and fishing regulations for 2019.

But it’s not simple. In fact, ODFW has divided the task into three separate phases. Phase one, which was recently completed, focused on “making the handbook more reader-friendly” and adding “more maps and tables to present information,” the Blue Mountain Eagle reports. Phase two, which is currently underway, is a review of general hunting regulations, weapon restrictions and youth programs. The third phase will iron out the structure of the hunts, including when they will occur and the duration of each hunt.

ODFW’s Nick Myatt told the Blue Mountain Eagle, that “simplifying the regulations is complicated” and “a pretty heavy lift for us. And the problem wasn’t created overnight. It was many decades in the making.”

The current regulation revision does not affect the cost of hunting in Oregon. This project has nothing to do with establishing fees or license tag costs. However, updating the regulations, Myatt says, is “to entice more people to hunt in Oregon.” The final hunting regulation proposals will be reviewed during the commission’s Sept. 14 meeting. If you want to weigh in on the proposed changes, send your comment to odfw.commission@state.or.us.

To view the proposed changes to the hunting regulations and weapon restrictions, click here.