Kansas legislators are failing to maximize funding for conservation efforts

The rich hunting tradition we enjoy in Kansas includes a great respect for the very animals we pursue. When we take the animal we seek, our heritage also requires us to utilize that animal as much as we can. In fact, not utilizing that animal constitutes the crime of wanton waste.

Likewise, Kansans expect our legislators to utilize our hard-earned tax dollars to their greatest potential. Unfortunately, our legislators in Topeka are failing to maximize the money we taxpayers have entrusted to them. They have failed to enact laws that allow Kansas to receive matching federal funding on long-term conservation projects that benefit our state. Continuing to do so is simply another example of wanton waste.

One thing that can be done to avoid this waste is to follow the lead of several other states. First, they establish a dedicated conservation fund. Then they take advantage of federal funds that are available for conservation work in states that provide matching funds. For example, Mississippi established the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund in 2022 and received FOUR times their state’s contribution from federal and private matches in their first year.

We are talking about millions of dollars not ordinarily available to the state that is now going to pay for better parks, wildlife habitat, and sustainable agriculture in Mississippi. Combine that match with the secondary revenue generated from enhanced tourism and business and it is a no-brainer that Kansas needs to be competing with other states for these dollars.

Our state legislature needs to fully utilize our tax dollars and pass legislation that creates a state conservation fund in 2024. The longer we wait to act, the more available money we miss out on. And those available federal funds then go to other states, instead of Kansas. Pure wanton waste of our Kansas tax dollars. Please join me in asking our state legislators to establish a dedicated conservation fund and put our money where our hearts are - in the pastures, parks, and preserves that make Kansas great.

Kurt Ratzlaff, chair of the Kansas Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Kansas legislators should establish dedicated conservation fund: Letter