Page 19 - September/October Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

The federal wildlife restoration program receives rev-
enues from excise taxes on sporting arms and ammuni- CHAS PATTERSON/ODWC
tion, then returns this revenue to the states based on a
formula using the number of hunting and fishing license
holders and the state’s land/water area.
ODWC applies for grants to manage wildlife and their
habitats, monitor populations, conduct research, col-
lect and analyze data, maintain facilities, perform out-
reach, and other activities designed to promote wildlife
restoration and wildlife-based recreation. Now, ODWC
is leveraging this 3-to-1 ratio offered by the Wildlife
Restoration Program with the additional nonfederal
NRDA funds to accomplish a number of projects that
greatly enhance the agency’s management of Wildlife
Management Areas (WMAs) across Oklahoma.
ODWC received approval for various projects under
the Statewide Comprehensive Restoration Plan and
Work is underway to repair and upgrade the dam at Watonga
went to work. Lake as part of a NRDA-funded project.
Among the larger projects
is statewide habitat resto-
ration and improvement. CHAS PATTERSON/ODWC
These projects included
wildlife habitat improvement
and equipment purchases
to support maintenance and
enhancement of habitat.
Specific projec ts to
improve wildlife habi-
tat on numerous WMAs
ranged from direct vege-
tation control, to wetland
improvements, to improv-
ing infrastructure such
as fireguards and fencing
that allows ODWC to fur-
ther manage wildlife habitat
using prescribed fire and A NRDA-funded project at Watonga Lake is allowing repairs and upgrades to be made to the dam.
grazing. These large-scale
habitat improvement proj-
ects were completed through third-party contracts. Daylighting is cutting and removal within
One type of habitat improvement is the removal of forested habitat allows increased sunlight
vegetation and selected trees. The average observer
to reach the ground, encouraging growth
might think that these projects are only removing good
of shrubs and herbaceous vegetation that
habitat from the landscape. But this activity is actually
a wildlife management technique called daylighting. various species can use.
This cutting and removal within forested habitat allows

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