FY2024 Annual Report
Oklahoma department of wildlife conservation
WHO WE ARE
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) is the state agency responsible for managing fish and wildlife resources and habitats. ODWC issues hunting, fishing, and other recreational licenses, informs Oklahoma citizens about Department programs, policies, and regulations, provides education programs for children, teachers, and other adults, enforces wildlife laws, and manages the state's wildlife and fisheries resources.
ODWC receives no general state tax appropriations and is funded by sportsmen and women through their purchase of hunting and fishing licenses as well as from federal Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program grants that are a direct result of outdoor enthusiasts who purchase firearms, ammunition, fishing equipment and motor boat fuel.
A LEGACY OF CONSERVATION
ODWC was created based on the user-pay, user-benefit principle whereby hunter and angler license fees fund Department operations.
ODWC does not receive general state tax appropriations.
License sales and Federal Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program grant revenue are the two main funding sources for the Department, meaning that hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts are directly responsible for ODWC funding.
CONSTITUTIONAL AGENCY
The Wildlife Department was created as a one-man agency in 1909. The first hunting license cost $1.25 to fund the Department, setting the precedent of a non-appropriated, user-pay/user-benefit agency.
In 1956, state voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation as the constitutional agency it is today. The amendment was enacted in 1957, and the first board of commissioners was created to oversee the Department’s operation.
OUR MISSION
We manage and protect fish and wildlife, along with their habitats, while also growing our community of hunters and anglers, partnering with those who love the outdoors, and fostering stewardship with those who care for the land.
DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION
The Commission
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Commissioners serve eight-year terms and are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.
The Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for ODWC and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities.
The Commission governs all ODWC operations and financial transactions. Members meet the first Monday of each month to conduct business.
Your Wildlife Department
ODWC is organized into five major divisions:
Administration, Fisheries, Communication and Education, Law Enforcement and Wildlife.
More than 360 full-time employees, including more than 118 game wardens and more than 150 Fish and Wildlife personnel.
Headquarters is located in the State Capitol complex in Oklahoma City.
Offices statewide in Byron, Caddo, Higgins, Holdenville, Jenks, Lawton, Norman, Porter and Woodward.
State fish hatcheries located in Byron, Durant, Holdenville and Lawton.
More than 100 public hunting and fishing areas.
Manages more than 1.5 million acres available to hunters and anglers.
HOW TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION
- Buy a hunting or fishing license.
- Buy a wildlife conservation license plate for your vehicle.
- Take someone hunting or fishing.
- Donate to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation.
- Donate a portion of your tax return to the Wildlife Diversity Fund and make a donation at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com
DEPARTMENT EXPENDITURES: $62,007,209
Fisheries Division:
$10,723,743 million - (17.29% of total budget)
Wildlife Division:
$15,533,932 million - (25.05% of total budget)
Law Enforcement Division:
$13,796,820 million - (22.25% of total budget)
Administration Division:
$12,493,632 million- (20.15% of total budget)
Communication and Education Division:
$3,356,871 million - (5.41% of total budget)
Capital Expenditures:
$6,102,211 million - (9.84% of total budget)
DEPARTMENT REVENUE: $61,084,535
The Department remains a non-appropriated, user-pay/user-benefit agency that is funded either directly or indirectly by hunting and fishing license sales.
Agriculture & Oil Lease: $586,998
Grant Revenue: $26,218,675
Interest Income: $5,660,442
License Sales: $21,319,428 (w/o Lifetime & Senior Citizen)
Miscellaneous: $2,880,116
Other Wildlife Sales: $3,738,788
Sale of Fixed Assets: $680,085
LICENSE SALES - $21,319,428
Sales and Revenue Count
The Wildlife Department works hard to spend sportsmen's and women's dollars as efficiently and effectively as possible. For more detailed information visit the Wildlife Department's Accountability Initiative web page.
LIFETIME LICENSE TRUST ACCOUNT
Revenue from lifetime license sales is placed in the Lifetime License Trust Fund. The principal cannot be spent, but interest investment income can be used for ODWC operations.
ODWC sold its first lifetime combination hunting/fishing license in 1969 for $150.
ODWC has sold over 250,000 lifetime licenses since the first one was sold in 1969.
More than 50 percent of all ODWC licensed hunters/anglers hold lifetime licenses and no longer buy annual licenses.
Oklahoma Is An Outdoor Playground
Oklahoma is one of the most ecologically diverse states in the nation, with more than 760 species of wildlife found in the state, including:
- More than 350 bird species.
- More than 100 mammal species.
- More than 170 fish species.
- More than 1 million surface acres of water.
- About 1,120 square miles of lakes and ponds.
- About 11,600 miles of shoreline, greater than the lengths of the continental United States’ Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined.
- About 78,500 miles of rivers and streams.
This program operates free from discrimination on the basis of political or religious opinion or affiliation, race, creed, color, gender, age, ancestry, marital status or disability. A person who feels he or she may have been discriminated against or would like further information should write: Director, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152, or Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20240
