1 Purpose of and Need for Action “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.” —Aldo Leopold Figure 1. Historical tallgrass prairie distribution. The lands east of the Rocky Mountains were once shrinking areas of tallgrass prairie. Approximately a vast sea of grass extending as far east as the three-fourths of the remaining tallgrass prairie lies deciduous forests of Kentucky and Ohio. The eastern within the Flint Hills ecoregion of eastern Kansas third of this vast grassland is called the tallgrass and northeastern Oklahoma, with about 6 million prairie, often called the “true” prairie. Tallgrass acres present in the Kansas portion. The outer prairie once covered more than 170 million acres edge of this region is presently suffering a rapid from Texas to Canada (Samson et al. 1999) (figure conversion to forest due in part to a declining fire 1). As America expanded westward during the 19th culture within the agricultural communities of the century, settlers found the rich soils associated region. The inner core of this region (approximately with the tallgrass prairie ideal for growing crops 3.3 million acres) is relatively intact to date, offering and converted much of the original landscape for potential for long-term social stability, and ecosystem agriculture. function and value. Today, less than 4 percent of this once vast The Flint Hills area is a treasured landscape of grassland region remains (Steinauer and Collins gently-sloping limestone and chert hills. Today, two 1996). Given that amount of loss, it is no wonder hundred years after Zebulon Pike explored the Flint grassland birds are the fastest declining avian cadre Hills, one can still witness the same unobstructed in North America. Cultivation, agriculture, tree vistas that he described in his journal. The central encroachment, and development activities have core, running in a north-south configuration, has pushed grassland-dependent species into ever- persisted as a relatively unfragmented expanse of 2 EA, Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area, KS tallgrass prairie because of limestone outcrops that Easement restrictions may include but are not discouraged plowing, and because of a ranching limited to preventing development (residential, culture that recognized the ecological importance commercial and industrial), altering the natural of fire when living and working within a fire climax topography, converting native grassland to cropland, ecosystem. Since about 1860, the predominant use of draining wetlands, and introducing plants that are the Flint Hills uplands has been cattle ranching. not native to the Flint Hills. The Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area (FHLCA) The proposed easements would help maintain a is part of a landscape-scale, strategic habitat relatively large, unfragmented block of habitat that conservation effort to protect a unique, highly would compliment efforts by other land trusts and diverse, and largely unfragmented area of tallgrass entities, such as the Ranchland Trust of Kansas, prairie. Located in eastern Kansas, the region Kansas Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, provides important habitat for a diverse array of National Park Service, Kansas Department of native wildlife species, including the threatened Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Topeka shiner, greater prairie-chicken, Henslow’s and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. sparrow, short-eared owl, Bell’s vireo, American golden-plover, grasshopper sparrow, dickcissel, eastern meadowlark, upland sandpiper, buff-breasted PROJECT AREA sandpiper, scissor-tailed flycatcher, loggerhead The FHLCA project area consists of 3.3 million acres shrike, Smith’s longspur, Harris’ sparrow, northern within the Flint Hills ecoregion of Kansas (Omernick harrier, Swainson’s hawk, and other grassland- 1987). A narrow band running north-south, it is dependent species. Rich with history, the Flint Hills located within 21 counties in eastern Kansas (see ranching culture has maintained grazing and fire as figure 2), and stretches from the northern to the necessary tools for tallgrass ecosystem health. southern border of the state. Some tallgrass prairie While ranching has helped maintain the last intact extends south into Oklahoma, where it is referred to portion of tallgrass prairie and much of the region’s as the Osage Hills. As elsewhere in Kansas where biodiversity, there are concerns that incompatible less than 2 percent of the land area is federally industrial and residential development could owned, private ownership dominates the project threaten this unique landscape. Left unabated, such area. The main habitat type found within the project development will likely diminish this important area is eastern tallgrass prairie, represented by over agricultural and biological resource for future ninety native grasses and 500 broadleaf species. generations. The Flint Hills ecoregion contains the largest concentration of freshwater springs in Kansas (Kansas Geologic Survey 2008) and represents the PROPOSED ACTION ultimate source of the Caney, Cottonwood, Elk, Fall, Marais des Cygnes (Osage), Neosho, Verdigris, and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing Walnut rivers. to establish a voluntary conservation easement program in eastern Kansas called the Flint Hills The total area within the proposed project boundary Legacy Conservation Area (figure 2). The project represents over 3.3 million acres, roughly three times boundary encompasses roughly 3.3 million acres, the long-term project goal. This physiographic region within which the Service would strategically acquire represents the world’s last intact tallgrass prairie conservation easements on up to 1.1 million acres of landscape of sufficient size to offer full ecological private land. function. The physical shape and juxtaposition of the up to 1.1 million acres in the priority area targeted The Service would seek all acquisition in the form for easements is an important component of the of perpetual conservation easements from willing project’s long-term success. This remaining, high sellers. The project would not involve fee-title quality, ecologically functioning stretch of tallgrass acquisitions. The easement program would rely on prairie runs along a north-south axis and is as narrow voluntary participation from landowners. Grazing as 20 miles wide (see figure 2). This narrowness is not and prescribed fires would continue on the land a biological choice; it is by default that the project included in the easement contract. Landowners boundary takes this shape, constrained on the east could continue to pursue development on properties and west by tillage agriculture, woody vegetation, without Service conservation easements. All and development. land within an easement would remain in private ownership and, therefore, property tax and grassland management activities such as invasive plant and PURPOSE OF AND NEED tree control, grazing and prescribed fires would remain the responsibility of the landowner. Public FOR PROPOSED ACTION access to the land would also remain under the The purpose this project is to provide the landscape- control of the landowner. scale, strategic habitat conservation necessary to maintain ecological community function for eastern Chapter 1 — Introduction and Project Description 3 Figure 2. Project map for the Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area. 4 EA, Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area, KS tallgrass prairie, including grassland-dependent (invasive plant control and grazing, and prescribed wildlife. This is especially important for grasslands, fire modifications). However, without long-term because they do not have the localized diversity of landscape-scale protection, the results of current geological and elevational gradients that most other conservation efforts through this program and by ecosystems contain. (Kelly Kindscher, plant ecologist, many other partners will not be sustainable. The University of Kansas; personal communication.) This FHLCA program is necessary to protect additional conservation project is needed to help protect the habitat that is not eligible or covered by current Flint Hills prairie ecosystem from being drastically Service programs, and will greatly enhance and changed by widespread, unplanned residential augment efforts by other agencies and organizations or commercial development. The conversion of to restore and protect habitats in the Flint Hills ranches and rural areas to residential, commercial, prairie region. and industrial developments, along with forest encroachment, threatens the open expanses of The purposes of the Flint Hills Legacy Conservation native rangeland that many grassland birds and Area are to: other prairie-associated wildlife are dependent upon ■ preserve landscape-scale ecological integrity of (Huntsinger and Hopkinson 1996). the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie by maintaining, and enhancing the historical native plant, Based on known conservation principles of migratory bird, and other wildlife species landscape ecology, the narrow north-south corridor at a landscape-scale with the support of the of remaining tallgrass prairie is exceptionally associated ranching culture; vulnerable to ecological degradation associated with increased fragmentation. In essence, if this, the ■ support the recovery and protection of world’s largest remaining tract of tallgrass prairie threatened and endangered species and reduce becomes any narrower; its ecological functionality the likelihood of future listings under the will be diminished, reducing