Audubon of Kansas Legislative
Efforts
Audubon of Kansas strives to develop
sound legislation, work closely with lawmakers, and lead a
coalition of diverse organizations and individuals in support
of landowners' rights to manage and conserve native wildlife
resources on private property.
In January 2006, AOK Executive Director Ron
Klataske appeared before the Kansas House of Representatives
Committee on Agriculture and requested that two bills provided
by Audubon of Kansas be sponsored by the committee for consideration
by the Kansas Legislature.
One bill would have simply repealed all of the
antiquated eradication statutes (K.S.A.
80-1201 thru 80-1208) used by overzealous township boards
or county commissioners to destroy prairie dogs on private
property--without any regard for the destruction of native
wildlife resources or for private property rights.
The second bill would have revised K.S.A.
80-1201 in order to change the language from a mandate
to destroy prairie dogs to an authorization to manage, conserve
or control prairie dogs. We asked for the introduction and
consideration of the two bills separately or as side-by-side
alternatives because either approach would accomplish the
goal of bringing the State of Kansas into the 21st Century
on this subject.
On February 13, 2006, Ron Klataske and numerous
partners testified in a hearing of the House Agriculture Committee
in support of House
Bill 2783 (the second bill described above) designed to
promote the modification of the eradication statutues.
--Read
a summary of the hearing.
--Read Ron's statement
to the committee.
--Read a letter
from a Kansas landowner.
--Read a letter
from a Missouri hunter.
Audubon of Kansas has written a series of bills
and has been working with the legislature since 1999 to seek
repeal or changes in the statutes. We believe that the best
legislative language was the bill introduced as Senate
Bill 257 on February 2 in the 2007 session.
Learn
More About What You Can Do
Learn More About
Our Other Legislative Efforts
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