"The following announcement describes a proposed initiative that would help preserve ranching culture and wildlife habitat in the Flint Hills - paying ranchers who are conserving native prairie on their land for what they're doing.  Participation in the program would be purely voluntary."
 
There are three meetings this week to describe the program in detail and receive public comment at:
 

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The US Fish & Wildlife Service proposes to purchase up to 1 million acres of voluntary conservation easements within an area of about 1.9 million acres of intact native Tallgrass Prairie in the Kansas Flint Hills.
 
The stated purpose of the proposed Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area Initiative is to help maintain the integrity of Tallgrass Prairie wildlife habitat in the Flint Hills.  This area includes parts of 14 Kansas counties: Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cowley, Geary, Greenwood, Elk, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley and Wabaunsee.

Parts of The Flint Hills are being lost to residential and commercial development, and such development fragments important wildlife habitat.  In addition to conserving wildlife habitat, U.S. Fish & Wildlife recognizes the importance of protecting and fostering traditional cultural values and ranching economies.

Implementation of the voluntary easement program depends on input received from three public meetings as well as input from an Environmental Assessment. The Initiative must also be approved by the Secretary of the Interior. 

The US Fish & Wildlife Service will hold three public meetings to solicit comments on the proposed creation of the Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area Initiative.      

 

Public meetings are scheduled for November 30, December 1 & 2.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service will answer questions and receive comments from the public about their proposed Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area Initiative at the following meetings:

ALMA: Monday, November 30 5:30 to 9:00 pm Alma Community Center 244 E 11th St

WICHITA: Tuesday, December 1 5:30 to 9:00 pm Great Plains Nature Center 6236 E 29th St North

COTTONWOOD FALLS: Wednesday, December 2 5:30 to 9:00 pm Cottonwood Falls Community Building,  Swope Park  

The Fish & Wildlife Service will consider all public comments in the development of an environmental assessment (EA) for establishing the Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area Initiative.

- You may speak at one or more of these meetings.

- You may also write, call or email the USFWS directly:
           

Local Contact
            Vic Elam, Legacy Project Coordinator
                Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge
                P.O. Box 128
                Hartford, Kansas 66854
                620/392/5553 ext. 102    
                flinthills@fws.gov

 
Regional Contact
            Amy Thornburg, Land Protection Planning
                U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
                P.O. Box 25486, DFC
                Denver, Colorado 80225
                303/236/4345
                amy_thornburg@fws.gov

 
- You may also comment on this project by contacting your Congressional delegation especially Senator Brownback who sits on the Interior Appropriations Committee.
               
                Senator Sam Brownback.......(Topeka Office)
                612 S. Kansas Ave.
                Topeka, KS 66603    Phone: (785) 233-2503
                Fax: (785) 233-2616
                email: http://brownback.senate.gov/public/contact/emailsam.cfm                  Aide: riley_scott@brownback.senate.gov               
Aide: glen_chambers@brownback.senate.gov 

This project is a high priority for Region VI of the USFWS, which includes Kansas.

PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING AT LEAST ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.   

 

Comment forms can be found at: