Policy Priorities in Kansas

Join Government Relations Manager Justin Cobb and panelists Sean Miller, Dawn Buehler, and Jessica Lucas for an engaging discussion at the intersection of conservation and civic engagement.

All 165 seats of the Kansas Legislature have been decided, and there’s never been a better time to take action on nature’s behalf. Ready to advocate for conservation in our great state? Our own Justin Cobb penned a handy op-ed in The Kansas Reflector, covering what’s on the table in the upcoming legislative session – including renewable energy, water, and the state conservation fund. Get familiar with these timely priorities and learn how to best advocate for them here.

Legislators and the conservation community took a historic step towards establishing a state conservation fund with the introduction of House Bill 2541 and its consideration in both House and Senate committees. The Nature Conservancy was proud to support this legislation alongside the other members of the Kansans for Conservation coalition. Although the bill was not acted upon this session, we are actively working to improve it for re-introduction and passage in 2025. 

Last year, legislators fully funded the State Water Plan and established two new grant funds to provide technical and financial assistance for water projects implemented by municipalities and conservation districts. A staggering 309 applications were submitted to these grant funds, leading to the legislature's addition of $1 million to the programs this year. 

The “cap” on how much surplus energy generated by net-metered solar customers that can be added to the power grid was increased from 1% to 5%. Net-metering is the way that utility customers with solar energy systems (like solar panels on their roofs) can contribute energy they generate but don’t use back to the shared utility grid. The maximum size of these private solar systems was also increased dramatically. These new statutory regulations make it easier for everyday Kansans to choose roof-top solar energy for their homes.

The Farm Bill is the largest source of federal funding for conserving private land in the United States. About half the land in the contiguous United States—nearly 900 million acres—is cropland, rangeland, forestland, or pastureland eligible for programs funded by the Farm Bill.

More than a third of America's fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction today. The alarming loss of biodiversity is not just a threat to species themselves, but to the communities, jobs and economies that depend on them.