Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2063
By Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget
Requested by Justin Cobb on behalf of Kansans for Conservation
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AN ACT concerning natural resources; relating to state moneys for
conservation; establishing the state conservation fund, the working
lands conservation fund, the wildlife conservation fund and the Kansas
outdoors fund; providing for the use of moneys in such funds by the
Kansas department of agriculture and the Kansas department of wildlife
and parks; requiring that certain reports regarding such funds be made
to the governor and the legislature; authorizing a transfer from the state
general fund to the state conservation fund; authorizing transfers from
the state conservation fund to the working lands conservation fund,
wildlife conservation fund and the Kansas outdoors fund.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) (1) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
state conservation fund. All moneys credited to the state conservation fund
shall be expended or transferred only for the purposes and in the manner
provided by this section. All expenditures from the state conservation fund
shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts for the financing of
conservation programs. It is the intent of the legislature that the fund shall
remain intact and inviolate for the purposes set forth in this section, and
moneys in the fund shall not be subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 75-
3722, 75-3725a and 75-3726a, and amendments thereto. Moneys credited
to the state conservation fund shall be used to supplement existing
appropriations and shall not be used to supplant state general fund or
special revenue fund appropriations to the Kansas department of
agriculture or the Kansas department of wildlife and parks.
(2) Moneys transferred to and received from the state conservation
fund shall not be used to fund any fee simple acquisition of land by the
federal or state government.
(b) On July 1, 2025, and each July 1 thereafter, the director of
accounts and reports shall transfer $60,000,000 from the state general fund
to the state conservation fund.
(c) On July 15, 2025, and each July 15 thereafter, the director of
accounts and reports shall transfer an amount equal to 50% of the balance
in the state conservation fund to the working lands conservation fund
established in section 2, and amendments thereto.
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(d) On July 15, 2025, and each July 15 thereafter, the director of
accounts and reports shall transfer an amount equal to 25% of the balance
in the state conservation fund to the wildlife conservation fund established
in section 3, and amendments thereto.
(e) On July 15, 2025, and each July 15 thereafter, after making the
transfers prescribed by subsections (c) and (d), the director of accounts and
reports shall transfer the remaining balance in the state conservation fund
to the Kansas outdoors fund established in section 4, and amendments
thereto.
Sec. 2. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
working lands conservation fund. The working lands conservation fund
shall be administered by the director of the division of conservation
established within the Kansas department of agriculture by K.S.A. 74-
5,126, and amendments thereto. All expenditures from such fund shall be
made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director
of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
director or the director's designee.
(b) The division shall adopt rules and regulations to administer a
grant program expending moneys from the working lands conservation
fund.
(c) The state conservation commission shall provide guidance to the
division on priority criteria for applications, the final selection of awardees
and the annual budget for the administration of the grant program. The
secretary shall consider both the guidance of the commission and the
recommendations of the division in making final approvals of awardees
and the annual administrative budget.
(d) Public entities, including, but not limited to, state agencies,
municipalities, counties, state or federally recognized tribal nations,
conservation districts, special park and recreation districts, recreation
commissions and nonprofit entities shall be eligible to receive funding
from the grant program.
(e) Eligible grant applications shall benefit the natural resources of
the state by promoting conservation on working lands or utilizing
practices, including, but not limited to:
(1) Irrigation efficiency;
(2) grazing land management;
(3) voluntary conservation agreements;
(4) soil health practices;
(5) practices that promote or regenerate soil ecosystems, biodiversity
and native grasslands;
(6) management of woody encroachment;
(7) sustainable and regenerative timber management;
(8) ecological restoration of lands;
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(9) enhanced water quality or quantity; and
(10) relevant educational programs, resources and services for adults
and youth.
(g) Applications providing an opportunity to capture federal, private
or other nonstate matching moneys through a state or local match shall be
prioritized. Matching moneys shall include cash contributions, noncash
contributions, including land value donations, and in-kind contributions.
(h) It is the intent of the legislature that all moneys allocated to the
working lands conservation fund shall be:
(1) Fully obligated to approved projects within 12 months of
allocation to the fund; and
(2) in addition to, and not supplant, existing appropriations.
(i) On or before December 1 of each year, the division shall submit a
report to the governor and the legislature, which shall be published on the
division's website. Such report shall include:
(1) An accounting of all moneys expended from the working lands
conservation fund in the immediately preceding fiscal year and the current
fiscal year to date; and
(2) a brief description of all funding applications received with an
explanation of why such applications were or were not funded.
(j) The division may use a portion of moneys allocated to the working
lands conservation fund to pay for relevant and necessary expenses of
administering the grant program.
(k) As used in this section:
(1) "Director" means the executive director of the division.
(2) "Division" means the division of conservation established within
the Kansas department of agriculture by K.S.A. 74-5,126, and
amendments thereto.
(3) "Secretary" means the secretary of agriculture.
(4) "Working lands" means lands used for farming, grazing or
production of forest products.
Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
wildlife conservation fund. The wildlife conservation fund shall be
administered by the secretary of wildlife and parks. All expenditures from
such fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon
warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to
vouchers approved by the secretary of wildlife and parks or the secretary's
designee.
(b) The secretary of wildlife and parks shall adopt rules and
regulations to administer a grant program expending moneys from the
wildlife conservation fund.
(c) The Kansas department of wildlife and parks commission shall
provide guidance to the division on priority criteria for applications, the
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final selection of awardees and the annual budget for the administration of
the grant program. The secretary of wildlife and parks shall consider both
the guidance of the commission and the recommendations of the division
in making final approvals of awardees and the annual administrative
budget.
(d) Public entities, including, but not limited to, state agencies,
municipalities, counties, state or federally recognized tribal nations,
conservation districts, special park and recreation districts, recreation
commissions and nonprofit entities shall be eligible to receive funding
from the grant program.
(e) Eligible grant applications shall benefit the natural resources of
the state by promoting biodiversity or utilizing practices established in the
state wildlife action plan, including, but not limited to:
(1) Establishing quality habitat;
(2) increasing access to diverse high-quality privately owned native
grassland habitat for hunting through the expansion of walk-in hunting
access;
(3) increasing access to diverse high-quality native grassland habitat
through the expansion and creation of wildlife management areas;
(4) establishing diverse high-quality native grasslands for the benefit
of upland birds in a manner that prioritizes science-based habitat
investments to create the most significant outcomes for these species;
(5) engaging in voluntary conservation agreements;
(6) restoring habitat for threatened or endangered species or those
species in need of conservation;
(7) conserving or restoring native landscapes, such as forests,
grasslands or state wetlands and streams;
(8) improving fisheries, angler access and invasive species
management; and
(9) providing relevant educational programs, resources and services
for adults and youth.
(f) Applications providing an opportunity to capture federal, private
or other nonstate matching moneys through a state or local match shall be
prioritized. Matching moneys may include cash contributions, noncash
contributions, including land value donations, and in-kind contributions.
(g) Fee simple land acquisitions by a state agency shall be subject to
the requirements in K.S.A. 32-833, and amendments thereto, at the time of
acquisition and not the grant application.
(h) It is the intent of the legislature that all moneys allocated to the
wildlife conservation fund shall be:
(1) Fully obligated to approved projects within 12 months of
allocation to the fund; and
(2) in addition to, and not supplant, existing appropriations.
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(i) On or before December 1 of each year, the Kansas department of
wildlife and parks shall submit a report to the governor and the legislature,
which shall be published on the department's website. Such report shall
include:
(1) An accounting of all moneys expended from the wildlife
conservation fund in the immediately preceding fiscal year and the current
fiscal year to date; and
(2) a brief description of all funding applications received with an
explanation of why such applications were or were not funded.
(j) The Kansas department of wildlife and parks may use a portion of
moneys allocated to the wildlife conservation fund to pay for relevant and
necessary expenses of administering the grant program.
Sec. 4. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the Kansas
outdoors fund. The Kansas outdoors fund shall be administered by the
secretary of wildlife and parks as part of the parks division of the Kansas
department of wildlife and parks. All expenditures from such fund shall be
made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director
of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
secretary of wildlife and parks or the secretary's designee.
(b) The secretary, in consultation with the division, shall adopt rules
and regulations to administer a grant program expending moneys from the
Kansas outdoors fund.
(c) The advisory board shall provide guidance to the division on
priority criteria for applications, the final selection of awardees and the
annual budget for the administration of the grant program. The secretary
shall consider both the guidance of the advisory board and the
recommendations of the division in making final approvals of awardees
and the annual administrative budget.
(d) Public entities, including, but not limited to, state agencies,
municipalities, counties, state or federally recognized tribal nations,
conservation districts, special park and recreation districts, recreation
commissions and nonprofit entities shall be eligible to receive funding
from the grant program.
(e) Eligible grant applications shall benefit the natural resources of
the state by promoting outdoor access, environmental education and
recreation or utilizing practices established in the state comprehensive
outdoor recreation plan, including, but not limited to:
(1) Increasing access to and numbers of natural areas for nature
appreciation, camping, hiking, trail use, boating, kayaking, canoeing and
other outdoor recreational pursuits;
(2) engaging in voluntary conservation agreements;
(3) improving local, county and state recreational facilities and parks;
(4) enhancing outdoor tourism opportunities; and
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(5) providing relevant educational programs, resources and services
for adults and youth.
(f) Applications providing an opportunity to capture federal, private
or other nonstate matching moneys through a state or local match shall be
prioritized. Matching moneys may include cash contributions, noncash
contributions, including land value donations, and in-kind contributions.
(g) It is the intent of the legislature that all moneys allocated to the
Kansas outdoors fund shall be:
(1) Fully obligated to approved projects within 12 months of
allocation to the fund; and
(2) in addition to, and not supplant, existing appropriations.
(h) On or before December 1 of each year, the division shall submit a
report to the governor and the legislature, which shall be published on the
division's website. Such report shall include:
(1) An accounting of all moneys expended from the Kansas outdoors
fund in the immediately preceding fiscal year and the current fiscal year to
date; and
(2) a brief description of all funding applications received with an
explanation of why such applications were or were not funded.
(i) The division may use a portion of moneys allocated to the Kansas
outdoors fund to pay for relevant and necessary expenses of administering
the grant program.
(j) As used in this section:
(1) "Division" means the parks division established within the Kansas
department of wildlife and parks.
(2) "Advisory board" means the statewide local recreation advisory
board established by the parks division within the Kansas department of
wildlife and parks pursuant to K.S.A. 32-825, and amendments thereto.
(3) "Secretary" means the secretary of wildlife and parks.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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