A proposed Oregon ballot initiative would criminalize all commercial and recreational hunting, fishing, and ranching across the state, eliminating an estimated $4 billion in annual economic activity and more than 11,000 jobs. Initiative Petition 28, branded the "PEACE Act" by its chief petitioners David Michelson and Sean Rice of Portland and Isaac Farias of Newberg, is currently gathering signatures for the November ballot. According to a June 19, 2026 analysis by the Cascade Policy Institute, the measure would make Oregon the first state in the nation to ban the killing of animals for sport, food, or agriculture by redefining these practices as "animal cruelty."
The economic stakes are massive. Oregon's 34 million acres of public hunting and fishing land generated $55.4 million in license tax revenue in 2024, ranking the state 11th nationally. In 2019, hunters and anglers spent roughly $1.9 billion on related activities, supporting more than 11,000 jobs and providing $385 million in wages, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife data cited in the report. On the commercial side, Oregon's fishing industry generated $130 million in profits while livestock exports brought in $2.1 billion in 2022. The state's more than 35,000 farms and ranches, documented by the 2025 Oregon State Board of Agriculture, would see their operations criminalized under the measure.
The report describes IP28 as operating from "a moral-rights philosophy rooted in the belief that killing animals is inherently wrong." According to Cascade Policy Institute authors Vanessa Mayer and Naomi Inman, the petitioners are "species egalitarians" who argue that "human life is not inherently more valuable than animal life." The analysis notes this "animal-rights abolitionism is emerging elsewhere too, from Colorado's attempted slaughterhouse ban to California's coalition to end factory farming and the sale of pets." The report characterizes the measure's impact bluntly: "The cruelty imposed on 4 million Oregonians — their livelihoods, traditions, and economic stability — appears to be of no concern to this coalition."
The ripple effects would extend far beyond farms and forests. Passage of IP28 would "wipe out this sector and trigger economic devastation with ripple effects across retail, hospitality, and tax revenue," the report warns. Oregon is a major international exporter of meat and fish, and eliminating these industries would mean losing the combined $4 billion annual value from commercial fishing, livestock exports, and recreational spending. Hunting is currently permitted in all 50 states, making Oregon's potential ban unprecedented. The report frames the fight in stark terms: farming, ranching, fishing, and animal husbandry are "the foundations of civilizations, economies, and ecosystems" and "the liberties that sustain a free and flourishing society."
The measure's fate now rests with signature gatherers and Oregon voters. If IP28 qualifies for the November ballot and passes, Oregon would become the first state to criminalize practices that have defined its rural economy and culture since before statehood. The report's bottom line is clear: this isn't just a policy shift — it's an attempt to end a way of life that employs tens of thousands, feeds millions, and generates billions in economic activity annually.