Help Legalize Mushroom Foraging in Oklahoma – Your Voice Matters!
Foraging isn’t just about finding food—it’s about connecting with nature, preserving generational knowledge, and practicing conservation. Oklahoma is home to an incredible variety of wild edible plants and fungi, yet our foraging laws do not currently reflect the full scope of this natural bounty.
A newly proposed Senate Bill 447 seeks to allow residents to forage for nuts and edible plants on state-owned or state-managed land for personal, non-commercial use. While this is a fantastic step forward, the bill does not currently include edible fungi, despite their ecological importance, nutritional value, and deep-rooted foraging traditions in our state.
Why Does This Matter?
Oklahoma has an abundance of highly prized wild edible mushrooms, including morels, chanterelles, lion’s mane, and many others. These fungi not only serve as an important food source but also play a vital ecological role by breaking down organic matter, enriching soil health, and supporting biodiversity. Unlike traditional crops, foraging mushrooms does not harm the organism, since mushrooms are simply the fruiting bodies of an underground mycelial network. Harvesting them responsibly even helps spread spores and promote forest regeneration.
Unfortunately, even with a hunting permit issued by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, collecting wild edible mushrooms is not allowed on ODWC-managed lands. This restriction leaves Oklahomans with only three places where they can legally forage for mushrooms:
Private Property (with landowner permission)
Chickasaw National Recreation Area (with a strict limit of 5 gallons per person per year)
Ouachita National Forest (with a strict limit of 5 gallons per person per year)
This means that, as the law currently stands, Oklahomans have almost no access to legal mushroom foraging on state-managed lands. Expanding SB 447 to include fungi would provide much-needed clarity, allowing foragers to gather wild mushrooms safely and legally while promoting education, sustainability, and conservation efforts.
The Power of Your Voice
Legislators need to hear from real people who care about preserving foraging traditions and ensuring safe, legal access to Oklahoma’s wild foods. Adding edible fungi to SB 447 would provide Oklahomans with clear, responsible guidelines for mushroom foraging while protecting consumers and supporting conservation efforts. Now is the time to reach out to your local representatives and senators and let them know that mushrooms deserve to be included in this legislation.
How You Can Help
Find Your Representatives – Visit Find My Legislator to look up your local state senator and representative.
Send a Quick Email or Call – Politely express your support for including edible fungi in SB447 and why it matters to you.
Share This Post – Encourage friends, family, and fellow foragers to take action and raise awareness.
A Sample Message to Send
"Dear [Representative/Senator’s Name],
*I am writing to express my support for including edible fungi in SB 447, the proposed foraging bill that allows residents to harvest nuts and edible plants on state-owned or state-managed land. Oklahoma is home to an incredible diversity of wild mushrooms that provide food, medicine, and ecological benefits. Foraging mushrooms is a sustainable practice that does not harm the environment and has been a part of our foraging traditions for generations.
Currently, Oklahomans are limited to foraging mushrooms only on private land, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, or the Ouachita National Forest, where collection is restricted to just 5 gallons per person per year. Even with a hunting permit issued by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, foragers are still not allowed to collect mushrooms on ODWC-managed lands. Expanding SB 447 to include edible fungi would ensure Oklahomans have legal access to wild foods while promoting conservation and consumer safety.
I urge you to support this addition to the bill. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]"
Let’s Make a Difference Together
If SB 447 passes without including mushrooms, Oklahomans will continue to have severely limited access to foraging one of nature’s most valuable and sustainable food sources. This is a unique opportunity to expand foraging rights, increase education, and ensure safe, legal access to wild mushrooms. Let’s stand together for education, conservation, and our right to responsibly forage in Oklahoma!
