Environment and natural resources; Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act; pilot program; definitions; fund; effective date.
HB2988 revises the existing Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act by renaming it the Terry Peach Water Restoration Act and expanding its scope from a North Canadian Watershed pilot to a statewide program. The bill keeps the Oklahoma Conservation Commission as the administering agency and updates the statutory definitions of “harmful woody species” and “North Canadian Watershed” to reflect broader watershed and water-basin language. It also clarifies that the program is intended to manage and, where possible, eradicate invasive or encroaching woody species such as eastern redcedar, juniper varieties, salt cedar, and mesquite.
The bill authorizes the Commission to work with landowners, state agencies, political subdivisions, conservation districts, rural fire departments, and prescribed burn associations to remove harmful woody species through prescribed burns, biological controls, mechanical removal, and herbicide applications. It also requires the Commission to measure woody species density, estimate water use, create a comparative study area, and maintain at least two active project areas—one above and one below Canton Lake dam. The measure continues and renames the revolving fund supporting the program, allowing it to receive appropriations, grants, contributions, and other designated monies for statewide woody-species removal efforts, with an effective date of November 1, 2026.
HB2988 amends Title 27A provisions governing the Terry Peach watershed restoration program and expands the legal authority of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to operate a statewide woody-species removal initiative. It renames the related act and revolving fund, broadens the program’s geographic reach beyond the North Canadian Watershed, and authorizes expenditures from the renamed revolving fund for duties associated with harmful woody species removal across watersheds in Oklahoma. The bill affects state environmental and natural resources law, land management practices, and the use of public and private funding for conservation and wildfire mitigation efforts.
The bill appears to have broad support in both chambers, advancing with strong committee and floor votes and no recorded opposition in several committee actions. House and Senate votes were largely favorable, with only limited dissent on final floor readings. Overall, the legislative sentiment suggests consensus around the need to address invasive woody species, water conservation, grazing impacts, and wildfire risk through a larger statewide program.
The main policy issue is the expansion from a localized North Canadian Watershed pilot to a statewide program, which may raise questions about scope, funding priorities, and implementation capacity. Another potential point of contention is the use of prescribed burns, herbicides, and other active removal methods, which can draw differing views from landowners, conservation interests, and fire-management stakeholders. The bill’s requirement for active project areas above and below Canton Lake dam and its reliance on the Conservation Commission to coordinate multiple partners may also prompt discussion about administrative burden and how benefits will be measured.