Page 74 - November/December 2022 Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

OKLAHOMA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION SPOTLIGHT

Barry Bolton, Board of Directors

Barry Bolton was born and raised in
Tulsa. He earned a bachelor’s degree in PROVIDED
zoology from the University of Oklahoma
and then accepted a fisheries technician
position with the Oklahoma Department
of Wildlife Conservation at the Fisheries
Research Lab (OFRL) in Norman.
While working at the OFRL, Bolton
completed a master’s degree in fish-
eries at OU. Following a brief stint as the Department’s aquatic
resources education coordinator, he was promoted to assistant
chief of the Fisheries Division in 1989. In 2008, he became chief of
the Fisheries Division.
Bolton retired in February 2022 after a 43-year career with
ODWC. He resides in Norman, with his wife, Sheri ,and has a son
living in Seattle.
Bolton was interested in the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Barry Bolton after taking a Merriam’s wild turkey.
Foundation from the outset; he was the first ODWC employee to make Bolton grew up fishing streams and farm ponds in northeast-
a donation to the Foundation. He has attended Foundation meetings ern Oklahoma. While employed with ODWC, he became an avid
since 2018 and was appointed to its Board of Directors in June 2022. quail, turkey, waterfowl, and big game hunter. Hobbies include
Bolton understands challenges related to funding for ODWC hunting, fishing, backpacking, photography, travel, woodwork-
programs. Inflation, increased opportunities to access Pittman- ing, and collecting 1970s vinyl records.
Robertson conservation funding, and static license fees have Bolton hopes to work with the Foundation Board of Directors
created the need for additional matching funds. Passage of the to build relation-
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will require even more match- ships with ODWC PROVIDED
ing funds that are already in short supply. employees and
Alternate sources of revenue will be critical to the future of create long-term
ODWC. Bolton said the Foundation can be an integral part of the funding solutions for
future of fish and wildlife management in Oklahoma. ODWC programs.

PROVIDED

Barry Bolton hoisting a king salmon he
Barry Bolton after reeling in a striped bass. caught on a fishing trip to British Columbia.

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