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Wildlife and Parks details federal grants, ARPA projects and capital requests; LBC trims some dam and park spending
Summary
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks presented its FY2025 and FY2026 budget materials, describing federal RAISE and Pittman-Robertson awards, ARPA-supported visitor-center projects, and capital items; the Legislative Budget Committee deleted $1.9 million in general-fund dam repairs and trimmed other fee-funded capital.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks briefed the Legislative Budget Committee on agency FY2025 and FY2026 budget items, highlighting federal grants, reappropriations and capital projects.
Legislative fiscal staff said the agency had about $5 million in general-fund reappropriations for projects including Flint Hills Trail work and infrastructure at state parks, and that the Legislative Budget Committee deleted $1.9 million from dam repairs in the agency's capital request. Luke Drury noted reappropriated EDIF funds and ARPA awards and explained the LBC's adjustments.
Acting Secretary Kennedy (appearing for the agency) and fiscal staff described multiple federal awards the agency expects to spend across FY2025 and FY2026. Notable items the committee heard include a RAISE (DOT) grant to finish the Flint Hills Trail that will be distributed over the award period, a $4 million endangered-species federal award for whooping-crane and eastern-black-rail recovery work, and federal outdoor recreation grants (about $3.4 million) to support local parks and recreation projects. The agency also reported increased cabin revenue and requested cabin-revenue fund spending for new cabins and camping wagons at several parks.
On fees and fee-supported programs the committee heard the agency anticipates lower wildlife-restoration (Pittman-Robertson) and Dingell-Johnson sport-fish revenues in FY2025 and was planning capital and operating adjustments in response. Drury said the agency deleted roughly $2.2 million from the wildlife fee fund and $1.5 million from park fee funds in FY2025 as part of overall adjustments; he also said the agency added one FTE in administration in the LBC recommendations.
Capital and next steps: fiscal staff reviewed a range of capital projects and noted that the LBC had no recommendation on the agency's building committee capital hearing that day. The committee asked for a park-by-park capital breakdown; fiscal staff said they would request it from the agency for a future meeting.
Ending: With follow-up requested on park capital details and agency officials scheduled to return the next day for additional questions, the committee adjourned.
