TOPEKA (KSNT) – Federal wildlife officials have approved a 10-year plan for the management and protection of vulnerable species in Kansas.
Laura Clawson with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) shared in a press release on Sept. 3 that officials with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have approved the 2025 update to the Kansas State Wildlife Action Plan. She said this plan provides a decade of guidance for managing Kansas’ most vulnerable species and the habitats they rely on for survival.
Clawson said the plan identifies priority species, habitats and ecological focus areas as a condition of getting federal dollars through the FWS state wildlife grants program. The plan is updated every decade to address changing threats and potential conservation actions needed across different ecological focus areas.
“The State Wildlife Action Plan is more than a required document,” said KDWP Secretary Christopher Kennedy. “It embodies our commitment to a future for Kansas’ wildlife that includes thoughtful natural resource management so that future generations inherit healthy ecosystems and have the same opportunities to enjoy the outdoors that we have today. It is also a reflection that no single agency can accomplish this work alone. We are grateful to the partners, experts, and community members who contributed to this update and look forward to continuing this work together.”
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The KDWP accepted input from the state’s residents and conservation partners to put together its new wildlife action plan. KDWP staffers used this input to revise the previous plan and add in new considerations about recently identified conservation needs and actions.
Clawson said some notable changes in the new plan include adding several new species of greatest conservation need along with expanding of the Playa Landscape and Western River Breaks ecological focus areas. The new plan also addresses the increase in land ownership by people residing outside of the Sunflower State and changing challenges associated with energy production and its associated infrastructure. You can learn more about the new wildlife action plan by clicking here.
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