A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund for the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission to be designated the "Wildlife Heritage Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies received from senior citizen lifetime licenses issued pursuant to the provisions of paragraphs 4 through 6 of subsection B of Section 4-114 of this title by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission. The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission is hereby authorized to invest all or part of the monies of said fund in any investment permitted by a written investment policy adopted by the Wildlife Conservation Commission; provided, all investments shall be made in accordance with the Oklahoma Uniform Prudent Investor Act. Any interest or dividends accruing from such investments shall be deposited in the Wildlife Heritage Fund. Only interest and dividends derived from the principle can be expended and are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission for the purposes specified in subsection B of this section. Any monies withdrawn from said fund by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission for investment pursuant to this subsection shall be deemed to be for the purposes specified in subsection B of this section. Expenditures from said fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment.
B. The Wildlife Heritage Fund shall be used by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission for the acquisition of land on a willing-seller willing-buyer basis only, leasing of land, and the taking of easements, and for the development, management, and enhancement of such lands acquired pursuant to this section for the following purposes:
1. Management of game animals, protected animals and birds, furbearing animals, game birds, fish, and their restoration, propagation, and protection; and
2. Creation and management of public hunting, fishing, and trapping areas as places where the public may hunt, fish, or trap as authorized by law.
C. The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission may accept private contributions, grants, and donations made for the purposes of this section. Any monies received pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in the Wildlife Heritage Fund created in subsection A of this section. Any property received pursuant to this subsection which is not suitable for the purposes of this section may be sold by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission and the proceeds from such sales shall be deposited in the Wildlife Heritage Fund created in subsection A of this section.
D. Whenever the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission acquires title to land pursuant to this section, the Commission shall annually make in lieu of tax payments equal to the average ad valorem tax per acre paid on similar land in that county. Said payments shall be made to the county treasurer of the county in which the land is located to be distributed by said county treasurer in the manner provided for by law for ad valorem tax payments.
Added by Laws 1986, c. 124, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 1987. Amended by Laws 1998, c. 216, § 5, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 2010, c. 317, § 10, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Laws 2012, c. 304, § 121.