§ 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 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.