During its regular March 3 meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission recognized a donation of $15,000 to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation (OWCF) from Mender, an information technology disposition company and service provider to the State of Oklahoma.

OWCF will forward the donation to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, which will use federal matching funds to create as much as $60,000 in total funding for conservation activities relating to wetlands and waterfowl management.

Present for the donation were Mender Chief Executive Kent Taggart, OWCF Executive Director Sean McCabe, and Capital Assets Management administrator Nathan Wald from Oklahoma’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES).

As a business practice, Mender donates 5% of profits to wildlife conservation efforts. OMES contracted with Mender to help with the state’s IT disposal efforts after the company won the OMES competitive bidding process.

“We're proud to partner with the State of Oklahoma to create value while supporting efforts like those of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to keep Oklahoma’s land thriving for generations to come,” Taggart said.

ODWC Chief of Wildlife Bill Dinkines said he is grateful for the donation going toward wildlife management activities and that Mender personnel have volunteered to assist in the field with these projects.

Also, ODWC Director Wade Free, in his regular report to Commissioners, provided a summary of 2024 statewide accomplishments by the Fisheries Division, which included conducting 119 fishing surveys, placing 1,333 structure items into 31 water bodies, and raising and stocking about 16 million fish produced by ODWC’s four fish hatcheries.

Free also reported on other recent accomplishments within ODWC’s Administration, Fisheries, Law Enforcement, Wildlife, and Communication and Education divisions.

In other business, Commissioners:

• Learned about a redesign of the Cy Curtis Awards webpage at wildlifedepartment.com from ODWC Web Developer Kara Gardner. She also presented statistics about website engagement by the public.
• Discussed in executive session properties in Pushmataha, Okfuskee, Haskell, Delaware, Creek and Adair counties, and authorized the director to pursue the acquisition of those properties.
• Recognized Wildlife Biologist Kelvin Schoonover for 30 years of service.

The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the wildlife department, and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Oklahoma Senate.

The next regular Wildlife Commission meeting is set for April 7 at the John D. Groendyke Wildlife Conservation Building, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.

A video of the March 3 meeting is available on the Outdoor Oklahoma YouTube Channel at youtube.com/live/gOZjkjcbctA?si=UfsNyrFHAd3BTQ0I&t=280.