The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has started a review of the state’s species listed as endangered, threatened or in need of conservation.
The state’s endangered list includes 11 invertebrates, five fish, two amphibians and two mammals. The threatened species list has six invertebrates, 10 fish, six amphibians, three reptiles, a turtle, two birds and a mammal. The SINC list — species in need of conservation — has 82 species.
The review is mandated by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975. Besides requiring the review, it also lets any person or group ask KDWP to propose additions, deletions or modifications to current lists, provided there is scientific information as part of the petition. A task committee looks over updated scientific information and research to determine whether a full review is needed, which would then lead to conversations with species experts and additional review of data. Recommendations and connected amendments are then published in the Kansas Register for at least 90 days of public comment before task force recommendations to Wildlife and Parks Secretary Brad Loveless and final approval by the Wildlife and Parks Commission.
The state needs petitions in hand by Oct. 5. Click here for the downloadable petition form.
