Cell Phone Tower in The Wichita Mountains? It is Possible
I am truly on the fence about this and I know this will piss A LOT of people off.
As of right now, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is just looking for public input on a plan they're thinking about putting into place. They're proposing a permit to allow a 320-foot cell tower located within Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. According to KOCO, the tower would be located southeast of the intersection of State Highway 49 and State Highway 115. The area it would affect would be about 3.5 acres of the property.
Now, I truly believe they're doing this was the best of intentions. This is to help communications throughout the Wichita Mountains, potentially maybe some stranded hikers or someone lost in the area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that they have many dead spot areas throughout the mountains since all the towers in the area are off site.
Here is why I am on the fence about this, I truly think people like it that way. They love being off the grid and getting away for the day to enjoy nature. The argument is, just turn your phone off and if you need it turn it on. With the new tower, if you did need help, you would be able to access it.
I think in the long run, this will be a good idea and I hope it goes through. If it helps save a life, I think it will all be worth it. I know nature enthusiasts will disagree with me and that's fine. People who get hurt in the mountains will 100% expect their cell phone to help them in that situation.
We will see if this goes through at some point in the future. If you would like to submit your input on the proposed tower, you can do so on the U.S Fish and Wildlife Website. They're looking for the public's input until November 28th, so let your voice be heard.