Preserving Working Farms & Ranch Lands
Flint Hills Emphasis
The Kansas Land Trust, as part of its mission to preserve significant Kansas lands, has placed a special emphasis on the Flint Hills.The largest remaining tracts of native tallgrass prairie in North America -- nearly 3.5 million acres -- are the grazing lands in the Flint Hills. This ecosystem once covered 140 million acres, from southern Texas to southern Manitoba. It is rapidly being converted to residential and commercial uses. Between 1982 and 1997, development claimed 768,800 acres-an area larger than Chase and Geary Counties combined. Today, only three percent of our nation's native tallgrass prairie remains, most of it here in Kansas.
KLT has been working with land trust members, private landowners, and government agencies to leverage funds for the preservation of this valuable land. Such collaborative efforts are the growing trend for large landscape protection. When we combine our resources, we can complete so much more of this important work.
Partnerships and Funding
KLT has accessed several funding sources for purchasing conservation easements on Flint Hills property; unfortunately, due to the current economic crisis, these funding sources are not currently readily available:Fort Riley Army Compatible Use Buffer Program (ACUB)
Click the link above for more information about this program that works with landowners in Riley, Geary, and Clay Counties surrounding Fort Riley.
USDA Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program (FRPP)
This is a federal program under which the USDA, with a local match by a land trust or local governmental entity, will fund the purchase of a conservation easement from a private landowner. Although this program has been available for several years, only a few landowners in Kansas have been able to use it because it requires matching funds, a difficult requirement. KLT has completed several easements in Kansas with this funding, including over 11,000 acres of native Flint Hills prairie in Morris, Geary, and Riley Counties.
Kansas State Conservation Commission (SCC)
At the Governor's request, the Kansas Legislature approved 2005-2008 budget lines to provide the matching dollars to purchase easements through the Kansas State Conservation Commission (SCC) in conjunction with the ACUB and FRPP programs. KLT received state funding as a match for purchasing conservation easements in each of these years.
We hope the Kansas legislature will soon consider legislation that would provide dedicated, annual funding for the purpose of protecting Flint Hills land through conservation easements. Doing so would reinstate the matching funds to make it possible for Kansas landowners to benefit from these federal programs.
Past KLT Purchase Projects
In 2005, KLT became the first organization in Kansas to complete a conservation easement purchase through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). More than 200 acres of prairie north of Manhattan are now protected in perpetuity. The easement on this property will allow continued grazing of the land and agricultural use in accordance with sound, generally accepted range management practices. The native prairie can be burned, hayed, mowed, and rested. Removing woody plants will be encouraged to maintain grazing areas. Commercial, industrial and residential development is prohibited. This easement is highlighted in the KLT newsletter. See Summer 2004 issue of Stewardship Notes.
KLT's second conservation easement purchased in 2006 wais a 500-acre ranch near Council Grove. The land is a working cattle ranch and ecotourism destination. For more information on this ranch, see the KLT newsletter, Winter 2005 issue of Stewardship Notes.
KLT's third easement purchase was completed in October 2006 on a 270 acre Flint Hills ranch north of Manhattan . This easement was the first ever purchased with funding from FRPP, ACUB and the State of Kansas. See the KLT newsletter, Winter 2006 issue of Stewardship Notes.
Descriptions of more recent projects can be found here.