Category: Conservation

Trail work report: It’s unlikely that we’ve seen this level of work being done at Turkey Mountain, maybe ever. That, and with the new trails systems that have opened up at Lubell Park and Bales Park, the River Parks Authority and the city of Tulsa have been busy creating and enhancing trail systems that serve the region’s outdoor community. By now, you’ve probably seen some of the new multi-use and bike-only downhill trails at Turkey Mountain. Now, you’ll see something else: a stone staircase leading from one of the mountain’s lower trails that will ascend all the way to the top, linking up to existing trails that will give users the opportunity to ascend Turkey Mountain and gain access to some its more popular overlooks.

I’ve walked it with RPA’s Ryan Howell, and I can tell you this: It’s a work of art. It’s newly finished, and will be a popular go-to place for people to climb to the top of Turkey Mountain and will feature its own photogenic scenes. All of the rock used in the staircase was sourced from Turkey Mountain itself, and erosion-prone uphill trails that had become nightmare washouts will be left to remediate naturally. What’s more: The staircase is just part of what’s going on there now, and there will be work to create a variety of different trails – from multi-use, beginner-friendly routes to wilder paths that will challenge runners and cyclists. RPA, through various private, local, state and federal sources, has procured millions of dollars to turn its master plan into reality, and do it in a way that’s sustainable and erosion resistant.

Update on the deer: A few weeks back, we all learned that someone poached a deer at Turkey Mountain. As of this writing, we are still unsure who illegally harvested the deer. It is very difficult to find and prosecute poachers unless they are caught in the act of shooting wildlife. That said, this reminder needs to be said: It is illegal to shoot firearms within the city limits, and hunting isn’t allowed at Turkey Mountain. The park is designed to be an urban wilderness, which means that part of its mission is to provide good habitats for plants and animals that live there.

So if you or anyone you know is tempted to hunt at Turkey Mountain, don’t. There are plenty of places in Oklahoma to hunt, and discharging a firearm at a place known to have a high level of human traffic is dangerous to other Turkey Mountain users. If you see someone hunting at Turkey Mountain, call Tulsa police.

Bob Doucette

Vice President / Govt Affairs

Meet at the Upper Lot

• 9AM – NOON
• Come prepared to work
• Crews will be very spread out

What to bring / wear:

Tools (optional)

*****should you bring personal tools please clearly label them so you can make it home with what you brought.

*******note – we do not expect anyone volunteer to provide everything on this list, pick one or two things

• Gloves
• Loppers/Pruners (with your name on them)
• Hand saws (non-power like a bow saw or folding saw) and small Axe/Hatchet
• Hoe’s (both traditional & rogue) / Shovels (spade & square)
• Pulaski / Mattock
• Mcleod
• Rake (leaf and garden rake)
• Wheelbarrow

1. Cut new trail to access Bales Park and 61^st at SW corner of 61^st and HWY 75
2. Rake out drains on all trails
   • This is an ongoing project to keep the new trails in good repair.
3. Rock armor low wet spot on upper lot north entrance.
   •  That north trailhead is unfortunately where most of the water drains for the upper parking lot. This will require a lot of rock moving.
4. Touch up on new staircase
   • After a week of use and settling in, it likely will need some touchup, crushing rocks in the trail bed to add thinking to keep rocks from teetering
   • Likely first couple of years of stairs will need periodic maintenance like this.
5. Older trail reclamation
   • Some older trails that were shut down permanently (like the blue trail next to Zingo, the old yellow trail that went from upper lot to ridge/point, the old west entrance on upper parking lot near driveway) are starting to get “reopened” by folks and we need to go in and rebrush them and reclaim them.
6. Additionally if any families or groups wish to just come out and pick up litter we will gladly set them to work too!

If you have any questions please contact Bobby, Eric or Peter

Call to action: Support wildlife conservation, oppose HR 8167

Wildlife conservation is one of the longstanding aims for the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition, so it seemed important to tell our membership about legislation moving through Congress that could have a dramatic impact on those efforts.

House Resolution 8167 would repeal the federal firearms excise tax and dramatically reduce the excise tax on fishing equipment. Laws that enacted these taxes were created at a time when hunters, anglers and conservationists became concerned about dwindling populations of wild game and other species.

Funds raised through these taxes go directly toward wildlife conservation. Since these programs were enacted, species such as deer, elk, wild turkey, various waterfowl and more saw dramatic comebacks.

In Oklahoma, the state’s Department of Wildlife Conservation receives a large portion of its budget from matching federal funds provided by the excise taxes in question.

HR 8167 would replace the excise taxes with revenue raised from federal offshore oil and gas leases. But those funds, by design, would only provide half the funds currently raised by the excise taxes.

HR 8167 is opposed by 43 hunting, conservation and gun rights groups, including the NRA.

What we see is a unified front consisting of hunters, shooting enthusiasts, anglers and conservationists who recognize what we see: The excise tax has been a win-win program for everyone and a longstanding conservation success story.

But HR 8167 has its supporters: 58 co-sponsors, including U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin.

What we would like to ask of TUWC members is to contact your congressional representatives and tell them to scrap HR 8167. If we lose wildlife conservation funds, we will lose wildlife at the places we like to go. Should HR 8167 become law, we will definitely lose funding. A loss of funding will harm wildlife populations and diminish species diversity.

Find out who your congressional representative is and let them know you oppose HR 8167. Write or call their offices in Washington, D.C., or at their local offices here in Oklahoma.

Tulsa-area congressmen are:

Kevin Hern: https://hern.house.gov/

Markwayne Mullin: https://mullin.house.gov/

Frank Lucas: https://lucas.house.gov/

For more, read this editorial from the Tulsa World: https://tulsaworld.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-firearm-tax-repeal-would-harm-conservation-hunters-interests/article_3d9c62b2-0d1a-11ed-b1c4-2b92166be689.html

Or read this writeup from the Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma: https://oklahomaconservation.org/wildlife-conservation-2/