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MANHATTAN, KS – Aug. 22, 2024 –Ducks Unlimited (DU) along with nearly 40 other business, agriculture, conservation, wildlife, water, recreation and education representatives of the Kansans for Conservation (KFC) coalition, recently assembled in Manhattan, KS to discuss possible options for state-based conservation funding in Kansas, and strategies for furthering KFC's mission.
 
The event was the organization's largest in-person meeting and presented an opportunity to have in-depth, roundtable discussions, recognize the coalition's strengths and weaknesses and offered the opportunity to have discussions about important issues facing Kansas going forward.
 
Tyler Schwartze, Executive Director for the Conservation Federation of Missouri, spoke on the importance of sustainable conservation funding. Schwartze provided background on the role of state funding in Missouri’s conservation efforts, including providing enhanced recreational access.
 
"Missouri is a state where many Kansans travel for outdoor recreation, and one of several surrounding states that has made a commitment to funding critical quality of life infrastructure in the form of working lands, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation. Kansas is one of only 15 states without dedicated conservation funding, which puts us at a disadvantage in conserving our lands and waters and accessing federal dollars that require matching funds," said Ben Postlethwait with The Nature Conservancy and the Kansans for Conservation board chair.
 
Dr. John Blair, director of the Konza Prairie Biological Station, provided the group with additional history on the Station and led a walking tour of the prairie, highlighting the native plant species and the role grazing plays in maintaining the landscape.
 
"The tallgrass prairie is just one of Kansas' many beautiful and important natural resources, all deserving the type of investment neighboring states have made," said coalition member Dawn Buehler, Kansas Riverkeeper and executive director of Friends of the Kaw.
 
DU, along with several other conservation organizations, worked together to create and launch Kansans for Conservation in 2017, with the goal of establishing dedicated state funding for conservation, focusing on three of the state’s key resources—working lands, wildlife and parks and recreation, with an education component included in all three categories. You can learn more about KFC's mission at www.kansansforconservation.org. The coalition's next in-person meeting will be in conjunction with the Governor's Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas, in Manhattan this November.
 

About Kansans for Conservation
We are a coalition of diverse organizations working collaboratively to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Kansas, focused on water, land, outdoor recreation, and environmental education resources for Kansans. Visit www.kansansforconservation.org for more information.
 
About Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 18 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU's projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent comprehensive campaign. Learn more at www.ducks.org.

 

Media Contact:
Ben Romans
(208) 761-7775
bromans@ducks.org