Oklahoma § 21-1789 - Caves or caverns, injuring

§ 21-1789. Caves or caverns, injuring

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or

knowingly break, break off, crack, carve upon, write or otherwise

mark upon, or in any manner destroy, mutilate, deface, mar or harm

any natural material found in any cave or cavern located on any

public lands or other lands owned by the United States, the State of

Oklahoma, or any county, municipality, school district or other

instrumentality of government, or on private property without the

prior written consent of the owner; to kill, harm or disturb any

plant or animal life found in any cave or cavern, and, whether

inside or outside a cave, any fish of the genera chologaster,

typhlicthys or amblyopsis (commonly known as cavefish, springfish or

blindfish), any salamander of the genus typhlotriton (commonly known

as the Ozark blind, grotto or spring grotto salamander), or the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments

species eurycea lucifuga (commonly known as cave salamander);

provided, nothing in this act shall be construed as prohibiting the

commercial mining of bat guano or the destruction of any predatory

terrestrial mammal or poisonous snake seeking shelter within a cave

if such destruction is not otherwise unlawful.

B. Any person who deliberately places, throws, drops, deposits

or discards any garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, refuse, debris or

other deleterious substance in or near any cave, cavern or natural

subterranean drainage system shall be subject to the provisions of

Section 1 of this act.

Amended by Laws 1988, c. 115, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 1988.