In 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (PFW) was initiated in Oklahoma. The Partners Program provides technical and financial assistance for restoration and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat on private lands, in partnership with other state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations. The Partners program has grown in size, scope and success since 1990. We have enrolled more than 970 private landowners, tribes, public schools, state agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and other cooperators into wildlife habitat enhancement, restoration and establishment activities. These activities have improved over 301,000 wildlife habitat acres state wide, which includes over 22,000 wetland acres.
Ninety-five percent of the land in Oklahoma is privately owned. The landowner-friendly Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is the ideal program to enhance and restore Oklahoma's diverse fish and wildlife habitat on private lands. Native grassland restoration, controlling invasive plant species such as eastern red cedar and salt cedar, wetland restoration, and stream and cave restoration are all examples of Partner for Fish and Wildlife Projects. More than 948 projects have been successfully implemented with private landowners across the state of Oklahoma.
Since 1993, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program has developed Outdoor Conservation Classroom projects throughout Oklahoma. Currently more than 130 Outdoor Conservation Classrooms, with an emphasis on wetlands and other important ecosystems, have been completed or are under development in Oklahoma. These sites provide a great opportunity to help connect children and adults to nature. To successfully educate young people on these resource issues, a "hands on," proactive and interactive Outdoor Classroom provides the ideal structured environment for learning. These projects simultaneously provide long-term educational opportunity, quality fish and wildlife habitat, and help to promote conservation of our Nation's natural resources. The Partners Program provides funding per Outdoor Classroom project which is used to leverage funds from many other sources.
Technical and Financial Assistance for:
- Wetland Restoration
- Stream Restoration
- Outdoor Classrooms
- Invasive Species Control
- Native Habitat Restoration
- Endangered Species
- Riparian Habitat Enhancement
Oklahoma is divided into two regions, so please contact the biologist listed for the desired county using this map:
Otherwise, please contact us using the following email addresses or phone numbers:
John Hendrix (Coordinator) john_hendrix@fws.gov
Doug Schoeling (Western Oklahoma) douglas_schoeling@fws.gov
Brian Fuller (Eastern Oklahoma) brian_fuller@fws.gov
Oklahoma's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
9014 East 21st Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74129
918-581-7458
918-581-7467 (fax)
