Law Enforcement 1877 Conservation Act Fish Commissioner 1895 Fish Wardens 1905 Forestry Fish and Game Game Wardens Education Centers Pratt Education Center's emphasis is to discover the wildlife of Kansas. Numerous displays, dioramas, and exhibits provide close encounters with the native birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles of Kansas. Milford Nature Center provides visitors with a better understanding of the natural communities of Kansas. At the center, visitors have the chance to see and touch native animal furs, print their own animals tracks, and use their sense of touch to identify natural mystery items. The Great Plains Nature Center provides opportunities for the public to learn about the natural resources of the Great Plains Region. It also provides visitors with enjoyable educational experiences that impart the importance of wise stewardship of natural resources and the roles and responsibilities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, and the Wichita Park and Recreation Department. The Prairie Center is just five minutes from downtown Olathe, KS. Visitors can renew themselves in a haven where the air is fresh and the wildflowers flourish. Kansas Wetlands Education Center presents the wild, wonderful world of wetlands through interpretive exhibits, educational programs and research. Visit KWEC and view some of the lesser known Cheyenne Bottoms inhabitants in the classroom, take a stroll along the half-mile nature trail and follow the Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway through Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Southeast Kansas Nature Center sits on a hilltop in scenic Schermerhorn Park overlooking Shoal Creek and offers something for everyone. There are exploration drawers with hands-on materials, bird viewing, nature and history films, native animal and plant exhibits, a large collection of Native American artifacts and live insects and reptiles. Outdoors, enjoy a network of nature trails, peek into a cave, or fish in Shoal Creek below the center. WATER RECREATION ASSETS 24 FEDERAL RESERVOIRS 2 ELECTRIC GENERATION RESERVOIRS 43 STATE FISHING LAKES 12 ADDITIONAL AREAS MANAGED AS STATE FISHING LAKES 234 COMMUNITY LAKES IN THE CFAP PROGRAM COMMUNITY FISHERIES ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 234 COMMUNITY LAKES IN CFAP PONY CREEK LAKE, SABETHA HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR, JETMORE 43 State Fishing Lakes CLARK STATE FISHING LAKE 300 ACRES WOODSON STATE FISHING LAKE 180 ACRES MINED LAND WILDLIFE AREA 14,500 ACRES 1500 ACRES OF WATER 200 STRIP-MINED LAKES LAKES UP TO 50 ACRES IN SIZE KANSAS STATE PARK SYSTEM Twenty-six state parks — hiking, camping, wildlife watching, fishing, water recreation, bike riding, horseback riding, hunting, or just plain relaxing. Most offer utility and primitive camping and access to lakes, trails and wildlife areas. Many parks host events such as concerts, festivals, and competitions. STATE PARK VISITATION 184,578 CORP PARK VISITATION 212,776 KANOPOLIS STATE PARK OLDEST 1959 KAW RIVER STATE PARK 30,568 ANNUAL VISITATION NEWEST 2010 Wichita Lincoln Street Bridge and Dam 300 FT LONG AND 50 FT WIDE FISH LADDER AND BRIDGE-$500,000 AND ENGINEERING FROM WICHITA $650,000 PROVIDED BY KDWP&T CHENEY 452,289 ANNUAL VISITATION CLINTON 357,313 STATE PARK VISITATION TOTAL 1,620,743 HILLSDALE 641,809 STATE PARKS VISITATION CORP PARK 170,955 EL DORADO 711,235 ANNUAL VISITATION WILSON 230,277 STATE PARKS VISITATION CORP PARKS 200,926 Prairie Spirit Trail Phase Implementation: Gates vs. Bollards Flint Hills Nature Trail • 117 miles • Herington to Osawatomie • 6 Counties Phase Implementation: Bridges Flint Hills Nature Trail Marais Des Cygnes Bridge Flint Hills Nature Trail Approximately 45 percent of the North American shorebird population stops at the Bottoms during spring migration. During the 1940's and1950s, the State of Kansas acquired the land Dikes were constructed to impound water in five pools. Canals and dams were built to divert water from the nearby Arkansas River and Wet Walnut Creek During the 1990s, extensive renovation sub-divided some of the pools. In addition, pump stations were built CHEYENNE BOTTOMS to allow for increased management flexibility and water level manipulation. Cheyenne Bottoms is the largest marsh in the interior of the United States and was designated a Wetland of International Importance in 1988 by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 5.2 MILES OF 60” DIAMETER PIPE TOTAL COST OF $5,528,186.00 COMPLETED 7/01/2013—TOOK WATER FIRST TIME 5/09/2015 6,500 ACRE FEET TRANSFERRED TO CHEYENNE BOTTOMS CHEYENNE BOTTOMS ARK RIVER WATER RIGHT—18,185 ACRE-FT. JAMESTOWN WETLANDS MCPHERSON VALLEY WETLANDS MARAIS DES CYGNES NEOSHO CABELA’S NATIONAL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 185 TEAMS FROM 20 STATES $228,711.80 DIRECT EXPENDITURES BY JUST THE TEAMS CABELA’S NATIONAL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP $336,000,000 IN KANSAS RETAIL SALES TIED TO SPORT FISHING OVER 200 PERMITTED TOURNAMENTS PER YEAR ON KANSAS WATERS Four Fish Hatcheries Producing 80,000,000 fish per year Synthetic Cube Project •1200have been built since the inception of this program in 2015 Majority are in the water with the rest scheduled to be placed by March 2017 •33 lakes statewide •We will strive to build and place 900 cubes annually •Explore new methods of distributing cube and habitat GPS. Work with Marine Electronic producers to ensure compatibility across all platforms Generate Bathymetry Maps with cube locations for all lakes •Evaluate fish use with Sonar, Video, and Electrofishing •Solicit reports from anglers Effort, Species, Size, and Locations 1,000,000 acres Kansas Quail Initiative • 2012 Origination Projected through 2017 • More Focused Approach Increased incentives More practices 100% Cost Share • Multiple Partners Kansas Pheasant Initiative • Expanding financial and technical assistance and habitat management to private landowners in Kansas. • A more focused approach with measurable objectives following in the footsteps of the QI. Kansas has twelve byways, nine scenic, two of which are National Scenic Byways and three historic byways DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE PARKS & TOURISM MORE THAN RECREATION AND ECONOMICS "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught." (Baba Dioum, 1968.) .