Kansas State Wildlife Action Plan - Draft. 4th revised edition. https://www.ksoutdoors.gov/programs-services/conservation-ecological-services/conservation-plans

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

The 2025 Kansas State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) revises and replaces the 2022 Kansas Wildlife Action Plan as the principal document guiding conservation of Kansas’ rich wildlife diversity. This plan is not a compilation of specific management plans but was developed to be a dynamic, adaptive document that will guide Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) and conservation partners in planning and implementation of conservation measures to address priority issues and actions as identified herein. The plan also highlights past projects and success stories implemented through State Wildlife Grants since the initial plan was developed. The SWAP is built upon eight required elements identified by Congress, with an overall focus as a habitat-based plan that began with the consideration of species. The plan is based on the best available information in accord with the intent established by Congress and echoed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). Information provided through projects implemented as a result of the original plan and data from conservation partners helped to fill in important pieces of missing data for this revision. All fish, wildlife, and now plants in Kansas were re-evaluated using selection criteria, resulting in the identification of 431 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). There are 10 habitats identified as priority for the survival and health of the SGCN. Geographically explicit areas in which to address conservation were established in a previous edition. These Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) represent landscapes where conservation actions can be applied for maximum benefits to Kansas wildlife (summary map found below). For each EFA, a suite of SGCN, priority habitats, and a unique set of conservation actions designed to address the specific resource concerns, have been provided in the plan. Due to data differences between ecosystems, EFAs have been separated into aquatic and terrestrial species and habitats. Many issues affecting biodiversity occur across the entire state and are not specific to individual EFAs. The statewide conservation issues have been identified as: (1) residential and commercial development, (2) agriculture (farming and ranching), (3) energy production, (4) natural systems modification, (5) invasive species, (6) pollution, (7) climate change, and (8) compliance and enforcement of wildlife laws and regulation. Other issues that occur statewide but are not considered direct threats to biodiversity are: (9) existing data gaps and lack of knowledge, (10) inadequate coordination between government agencies, (11) lack of outreach and education, and (12) shift in landowner types. Building on the structure from previous editions, KDWP continues to collaborate with our conservation partners in academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other state/federal agencies. The feedback and assistance from these groups, their willingness to participate in all aspects of the plan revision, and overall support is outstanding. Also of critical importance, is the support from Kansas residents for various programs and issues surrounding the protection and management of sensitive species as shown in the survey “Kansas Resident’s Attitudes Regarding Threatened and Endangered Wildlife” (Duda 2021). The survey showed that an overwhelming majority of Kansas residents (94%) agree that KDWP should continue to identify and protect habitat critical to the existence of threatened and endangered wildlife. The purpose of the SWAP is not to produce a plan – it is to implement actions and to improve fish and wildlife conservation in the future. It identifies broad priorities on species, habitats, issues, and by inference, strategies and conservation actions. New funding will be focused on the priorities identified in this plan. Monitoring of new information and conservation progress will identify changes that need to be made to the SWAP, as well as changes made towards conservation efforts. KDWP will continue its on-going commitment, communication and coordination with all conservation stakeholders. Kansas’ SWAP will remain a vital, adaptive template for future fish and wildlife conservation efforts in the state. The development of Kansas’ SWAP is based upon the guidance provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assocation of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), and many colleagues from other state fish and wildlife agencies. It is funded in part by the State Wildlife Grant T-67-C-01 Kansas State Wildlife Action Plan 10-yr Comprehensive Revision.