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Champions of a new Oregon law that raised hotel taxes to fund wildlife protection are the inaugural recipients of a conservation award named after late environmental advocate Bob Sallinger.
The nonprofit Bird Conservation Oregon named Danielle Moser and Sristi Kamal the winners of the first annual Bob Sallinger Conservation Advocacy Award on Oct. 3.
Moser, director of state programs at Oregon Wild, and Kamal, deputy director of the Western Environmental Law Center, spearheaded House Bill 4134, which raises the tax on hotels, Airbnbs and other short-term lodgings from 1.5% to 2.75% and directs the proceeds to wildlife protection. Lawmakers passed the bill over the fierce opposition of business groups and hoteliers; it became law June 5.
“Sristi and Danielle started with an idea that few thought had a chance of becoming law,” said BCO board president Dan Rohlf, “and convinced both legislators and the public that Oregon could create a pathway to better protect its abundance of wildlife.”
Sallinger, a relentless advocate for Oregon wildlife, was the director of Bird Conservation Oregon and Willamette Riverkeeper when he died at age 57 in 2024.
