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/

Chances are, you are probably more familiar with work being done at Turkey Mountain than with those who have been actually doing the work.

Volunteers with the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition have for years advocated for Turkey Mountain (it’s sometimes been mistakenly called the “Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Coalition”) but are now seeking a broader scope.

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Board member Laurie Biby wrote a collum for the Tulsa World

Usually, the TUWC tries to keep our scope to wilderness-specific issues. But with the Vision 2025 funding tying Turkey Mountain and the Zink Dam together, we need to hold true to our convictions. In March of 2016 we endorsed this bond measure after a great deal of fact-finding. The last thing our organization ever wants to do is gain at the expense of another outdoor space. 

As a result, we spoke to an unlikely source: Dave Lindo, a biologist who runs Oklahoma’s first dedicated kayaking stores. Anyone who has been on the water with Dave can tell you that he is a biologist first and a salesman last. One of the things he loves most is helping people connect with nature. 

While speaking with Dave, he allayed concerns of how the new dam would impact the unique species that call our prairie river home. He went on to detail how this would actually be an improvement for these wild creatures. We were encouraged by this and chose to endorse the bond measure. To see that the promises in this bond package have not been carried on to implementation is disappointing to say the least.

We are specifically concerned with the Least Terns, at last, having access to a relatively predictable nesting ground in the form of a protected sand bar island. The shovel-nosed sturgeon and paddlefish who need to be able to swim upstream to spawn. With the prior low water dam, these rare species of fish would become trapped in shallow pools. A more regular lowering of the dam would allow for them to complete this spawning cycle which actually might allow the population of these fish species to flourish. 

We understand that the River Parks Authority is a dam manager and not the owner, and therefore does not have the authority to enforce these promises. Flow of the dam is dictated by the Corps of Engineers. We sincerely hope that both the city of Tulsa and the Army Corps of Engineers will respect the statements made in 2016 and help the Tulsa stretch of the Arkansas River be a model for other cities on how man and nature can co-exist for the benefit of all. 

A quick review of the Vision 2025 package here will direct you to the following link. RiverProjectsTulsa.info The full report is available here.

November 3rd – November 8th Subaru’s Leave No Trace traveling trainers will be in Tulsa!

For the Hot Spot

November 3rd – November 8th Subaru’s Leave No Trace traveling trainers will be in Tulsa!

For the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team will be at Turkey Mountain working with local educators and community leaders on a variety of workshops and events, including opportunities for community involvement. 

The Leave No Trace Hot Spot Program aims to provide visitors, land managers, volunteers, and the local community with tools and education to reduce severe impacts in natural areas and ensure a sustainable recreation future for all.

Hot Spots, including Turkey Mountain, are areas identified as suffering from severe human-related impacts that can thrive again with Leave No Trace solutions. Each location receives a unique, site-specific blend of programs aimed at a healthy and sustainable recovery. Since 2010, Leave No Trace has conducted over 100 Hot Spots in national parks and forests, state parks, city parks, and more to set these areas on a path to recovery.