Governor, Community Celebrate Protection of Flint Hills

Governor, Community Celebrate Protection of Flint Hills

When one thinks of Kansas, the rolling prairie is what most often comes to mind. But parts of that prairie were in danger of being lost, which is why the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was founded.

Today at the preserve, Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Director of the Interior Department's Office of External and Intergovernmental Affairs Kit Kimball, former Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker, representatives of The Nature Conservancy and community leaders celebrated the securing of thousands of acres of prairie land for future generations.

"The Flint Hills have always had a special importance to Kansans and to me. We must preserve this land, so we can tell the stories of the people who lived here and who continue to make this home," Governor Sebelius said.

"But the preserve and the visitors who come to see this beautiful place also will have an important role in the local economy. Our rural areas can't rely on agriculture alone to produce jobs, and we've made the Flint Hills our number one rural development priority," she said.

The preserve protects 10,861 acres of prairie, serving as a draw for visitors from around the country.

Kassebaum Baker, who along with former Congressman Dan Glickman originally sponsored legislation creating the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, spoke of the unique partnership that came together to protect the prairie.

"The Kansas Park Trust will be a real partner with the community, The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service in the future growth and development of the Preserve that protects the land and respects the culture and heritage of the prairie and the Flint Hills," Kassebaum Baker said.

Kimball lauded the public-private partnership and its role in the protection and preservation of an important piece of America's landscape. "The transfer of the land from the Park Trust to The Nature Conservancy will preserve the uniqueness of the park for future generations," Kimball said. "We are not only protecting the land and creatures of the native tallgrass prairie, but we're preserving the legacies of the native peoples who lived on the land and the legacies of settlers and ranchers who followed."

On February 17, 2005, Governor Sebelius announced that the trust purchased the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve from the National Park Trust. That was the first of the two transactions. In March, the Kansas Park Trust conveyed ownership to the Nature Conservancy.

The Nature Conservancy is by most measures, the largest private conservation organization in the United States but its unique structure ensures that all efforts in Kansas are determined by Kansas staff and Kansas board members from across the state. Conservancy board chairman Kenneth Baum stated his belief that, "This new partnership can lead to increased appreciation of the Flint Hills and stimulate a greater concern for their preservation."

The National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy will work cooperatively in preserving and managing the land and the Kansas Park Trust will continue to have a major role as a partner in promoting tourism and special events at the Preserve.

http://www.ksgovernor.org/news/docs/news_rel040705a.html