Kansas Residents Want Threatened & Endangered Species Protected.

     The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) is currently conducting the five-year review of the list of Kansas species that are threatened, endangered, or species-in-need-of-conservation (SINC). The five-year review is required by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975. Any individual or group can petition KDWPT to propose an addition, deletion, or modification to the current lists by providing pertinent scientific information required within the petition.

     A recent survey conducted by Responsive Management, an internationally recognized research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues, found that conservation of threatened and endangered wildlife remains important among Kansans. Some interesting findings include:

• A majority of Kansas residents (91 percent) agreed that the department should continue to identify and protect habitat critical to threatened and endangered species.
• A majority (73 percent) of residents agree with the statement, “Wildlife that is threatened and endangered in Kansas yet abundant in other states should still be protected in Kansas.”

Petitions must be received by July 31, 2013 to be considered for the current five-year review. Petition forms can be downloaded at http://www.ksoutdoors.com/news/Services/Threatened-and-Endangered-Wildlife and must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66612-1327.