State extends hunting and fishing compacts with Cherokee and Choctaw nations

GOVERNOR SIGNS 1-YEAR EXTENSION WITH CHOCTAW NATION ON HUNTING, FISHING COMPACT

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (December 31, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced today that the State of Oklahoma has signed a one-year extension with Choctaw Nation on the hunting and fishing compact that was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2019. Earlier today, the governor announced a similar extension with the Cherokee Nation.

“This compact extends a partnership between the state of Oklahoma and the Choctaw Nation to capture federal funds for conservation efforts across our great state while promoting hunting and fishing opportunities for members of the Choctaw Nation that are also Oklahoma residents,” said Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The compact gives statewide hunting and fishing rights to all Choctaw Nation citizens who are also Oklahoma residents. Under the compact, the Choctaw Nation must purchase and issue a minimum of 50,000 compact licenses to its Oklahoma residents between the ages of 16 and 65 years old at a fee of $2 a license. Each compact license encompasses the rights and regulatory requirements of an annual Oklahoma hunting license, an annual Oklahoma fishing license, and additional privileges.

The compacts between the State and the Choctaw Nation first went into effect on January 1, 2017, under the Fallin administration. The original compact included a termination date of Dec. 31, 2019.

GOVERNOR AGREES TO 1-YEAR EXTENSION WITH CHEROKEE NATION ON HUNTING, FISHING COMPACT

Governor Kevin Stitt announced today that the State of Oklahoma has agreed to a one-year extension with Cherokee Nation on the hunting and fishing compact that was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2019.

“I appreciate the Cherokee Nation working in good faith with my office and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation on a one-year Hunting and Fishing compact extension,” said Gov. Stitt. “This compact creates a partnership between the state of Oklahoma and the Cherokee Nation to capture federal funds for conservation efforts across our great state while promoting hunting and fishing opportunities for members of the Cherokee Nation that are also Oklahoma residents.”

The compact gives statewide hunting and fishing rights to all Cherokee Nation citizens who are also Oklahoma residents. Under the compact, the Cherokee Nation must purchase and issue a minimum of 150,000 compact licenses to its Oklahoma residents between the ages of 16 and 65 years old at a fee of $2 a license. Each compact license encompasses the rights and regulatory requirements of an annual Oklahoma hunting license, an annual Oklahoma fishing license, and a single deer license and a single turkey license per calendar year.

The compact between the State and Cherokee Nation first went into effect on January 1, 2016 under the Fallin administration. The original compact included a termination date of Dec. 31, 2018, and was given a one-year extension by the previous administration.

The Stitt administration has also been in discussions with the Choctaw Nation about extending for one year the Nation’s similar hunting and fishing compact set to expire today.