Manulife replaces ODFW access with paid permit program on Northeast Oregon lands

Manulife Forest Management announced it will replace its long-running participation in the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Access and Habitat program with a new permit-based system, the Northeast Oregon Access Permit Program, beginning June 1, 2026. The company said the program will require a permit fee to help offset property maintenance, safety and security, and insurance costs, and ODFW confirmed Manulife will not renew its cooperative agreement effective May 31, 2026.

The change affects lands in Northeast Oregon managed by Manulife and includes a separate withdrawal of 12,400 acres the company owns in Jackson County cited as a response to unauthorized activities. ODFW warned that properties currently open to hunter access through the A&H "Welcome to Hunt" program will no longer be available through A&H after May 31, 2026, and that hunters will need permission from Manulife to enter those properties as of June 1, 2026. Hunters applying for fall controlled hunts should note the May 15 controlled-hunt application deadline and expect more information from Manulife in the weeks before that date.

Manulife framed the switch as a response to rising on-the-ground costs and illegal behavior. The company press release said, "In recent years, Manulife has experienced increasing challenges including unauthorized activities, vandalism, illegal dumping, and property damage. The permit program, which will begin June 1, will help address these issues while ensuring lands remain available for responsible recreational use." Company regional manager Joe Justice was explicit about why talks with ODFW failed and what the new program is intended to preserve. He said, "We are committed to keeping our Northeast Oregon properties accessible to the public through a permit program. We’re disappointed we could not reach an agreement with ODFW on insurance requirements and key terms to continue our long partnership. In its place, we’ve developed a permit program that will accommodate the number of benefits previously issued in past hunting seasons for each of the hunting units our lands encompass. In essence, the number of people accessing the property with a tag will not be changed. This system will help us manage the growing costs and responsibilities associated with welcoming visitors to our working forests."

ODFW emphasized the administrative ripple effects. Manulife’s exit will free up roughly $1.1 million in A&H program funds over three years, money that the A&H Board could use to open other properties, improve habitat, or maintain existing agreements. The A&H program is funded by a $4 surcharge on hunting licenses and the auction and raffle of special deer and elk hunts, and currently provides hunter access to about 2.2 million acres statewide.

Key details remain unresolved for local users: Manulife has not disclosed permit prices, how permits will be purchased or enforced, which specific hunting units beyond the Jackson County acreage are included, or whether non-hunting recreationists will face different rules. ODFW’s A&H Program Coordinator Travis Schultz is available for questions at 503-979-5700 or Travis.R.SCHULTZ@odfw.oregon.gov. Manulife has said it will provide more information in coming weeks.

For Union County hunters and outdoor users, the change means checking access rules before you plan a trip and securing permission or a permit for Manulife-managed ground after May 31. It also shifts a longer-term conversation about how working forestlands balance public access, liability and the costs of managing vandalism and illegal use.