A new page on the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s website is designed to address one of Oklahoma Gov. J. Kevin Stitt’s primary goals of improving accountability and transparency of all state agencies.

The new page, at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/accountability-initiative, gathers an array of pertinent information in a single place, giving citizens easy access to learn about Wildlife Department operations.

Information falls into three sections: Strong Oversight, Better Services and Complete Transparency.

Among the resources on the webpage are the Department’s recently approved strategic plan, annual reports going back 10 years, annual state operational audits, Department financial statements, audits of federal grant funding, and even Game Harvest Surveys and Big Game Reports.

Director J.D. Strong said the Wildlife Department strongly supports Gov. Stitt’s call for more transparency, efficiency and accountability in state government. “Since this Department is funded primarily by hunters, anglers and other people who enjoy Oklahoma’s outdoor bounty, we want to be absolutely transparent about our efforts to conserve natural resources and wholly accountable to the public we serve.”

The Wildlife Department encourages all citizens to go online and learn more about this constitutional agency that operates on a user-pay, user-benefit principle whereby hunter and angler license fees and federal Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program grants fund Department operations. The Wildlife Department receives no general state tax appropriations.

The accountability webpage will be constantly evolving, with new items added as they become available. Requests to post other information are encouraged; submit requests to the News Contacts listed below.

GO OUTDOORS OKLAHOMA: The Wildlife Department’s new Go Outdoors Oklahoma online license system is online. All sportsmen and sportswomen — especially lifetime license holders and returning customers — should sign in to the new Go Outdoors Oklahoma system to update their information and complete their account setup. This step is necessary for future interactions with the Wildlife Department, including obtaining licenses and permits, using E-check, applying for Controlled Hunts and more. New users are invited to create a new account.