EDMOND — Wildlife Department plans town hall meeting, public hearings
Sportsmen will have a new opportunity this year to voice their thoughts on wildlife, hunting and fishing related issues at one of several town hall meetings across the state by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
In Oklahoma City, the meeting is set for 7 p.m. today at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Auditorium, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd.
At each town hall meeting, visitors will have the chance to speak with Wildlife Department officials about a range of topics of their choice. Law enforcement and wildlife and fisheries biologists from the Wildlife Department will be on hand to answer questions and facilitate discussion.
In addition to the new town hall meetings, the Wildlife Department also will have three public hearings Jan. 11-12. One of the three hearings — to be held in Oklahoma City — will have an agenda that includes a slate of proposed rule changes to Oklahoma’s hunting and fishing laws, while two others held in Miami and Pryor will have agendas limited to fisheries topics.
Unlike town hall meetings, public hearings discussion is limited to a pre-established meeting agenda that includes a slate of proposed hunting or fishing rule changes. Examples include increasing opportunities for hunters and anglers and adding new laws to better conserve wildlife. The meeting agendas will be posted online at wildlifedepartment.com, and the public can comment at the meetings or online anytime before 4:30 p.m. Jan. 15.
Written comments may be submitted by mail to the main office in Oklahoma City at P.O. Box 53465, OKC, OK 73152.
The Oklahoma City meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Auditorium, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma grown seedlings available online
Planting trees is for the birds, and this year the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has wildlife habitat improvement packages of tree seedlings that make that job even easier.
In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Oklahoma Forestry Services is offering three packages of seedlings that will enhance the habitat of deer, songbirds, turkey, quail and a variety of other animals. Each wildlife packet is made up of 25 each of four species of trees and shrubs chosen specifically to improve the wildlife habitat of your property.
“Planting the appropriate trees can be a great way to enhance wildlife habitat on your property,” said Mike Sams, private lands biologist for the Wildlife Department.
