Promotion of the Kansas Water Quality Buffer Initiative

by Ken Sherraden, Natural Resource Specialist
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Salina, Kansas
and
Buffer Initiative Coordinator
State Conservation Commission, Topeka, Kansas

A Kansas Buffer Partnership has provided $240,000 to twenty-five Kansas counties to promote the Kansas Water Quality Buffer Initiative. These counties include Allen, Barton, Bourbon, Coffey, Crawford, Dickinson, Finney, Ford, Geary, Gove, Harvey, Hodgeman, Leavenworth, Logan, Marshall, Miami, Neosho, Ness, Reno, Rice, Rush, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Stafford, and Thomas. The goal is to double the present acres in conservation buffers during the next year in Kansas.

The funding package for this partnership was coordinated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) who provided an initial $150,000. In addition, KDWP received a $50,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; $30,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and $10,000 from the National Wild Turkey Federation for a total of $240,000.

The State Conservation Commission, (SCC), administers the funds. The SCC and KDWP established a competitive grant program and a priority ranking system for local conservation districts to make application for the grant monies. Counties with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) high priority areas and those counties in the KDWP Pheasant Initiative and Quail Initiative areas were given priority for funding. Local match funding also received priority-ranking consideration.

Conservation districts could apply for up to $10,000 per county. It is stipulated that these monies be used to hire a “County Buffer Initiative Coordinator.” Applications were received from thirty-six counties for a total of $336,666. With the $240,000 available, the SCC was able to fund 25 county applications.

Other partners include the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) which is providing in-kind support, including office space and technical assistance support; and local chapters of Pheasants Forever partnered with conservation districts to provide monies for the local matching funds.

The whole purpose of this program is to provide for a local buffer coordinator who can work with landowners to promote the establishment of conservation buffers. Conservation buffers are areas established to permanent grasses, forbs and legumes, and/or trees and shrubs. These buffers include common conservation practices such as grassed waterways, field windbreaks, shelterbelts, and filter strips. They also include riparian forest buffers, cross-wind trap strips, contour grass strips, and living snow fences.

The buffer coordinator will work with landowners to explain the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP) administered by the Farm Service Agency and the Kansas Water Quality Buffer Initiative administered by the State Conservation Commission.

For more information about the Kansas Water Quality Initiative, please contact your county buffer coordinator located at the local Natural Resources Conservation Service or conservation district office located at your local county USDA Service Center.

For more information about the NRCS and SCC, visit the following web sites:

• Kansas NRCS at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov
• Kansas SCC at www.ink.org/public/kscc

This article is also available in Microsoft Word format.

Promotion of the Kansas Water Quality Buffer Initiative (DOC; 28 KB)

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Last Modified: 09/09/2008