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Conservation Easements Provide Long-term Protection for the Greater Flint Hills

On the 200^th anniversary of explorer Zebulon Pike’s first visit to the Flint Hills, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius will gather with landowners, prairie enthusiasts, and agency officials to recognize the efforts of private landowners in the Flint Hills.  Working in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and other conservation organizations, these landowners are helping to permanently protect the natural features and beauty of their lands.

In the past year, through the use of conservation easements, The Nature Conservancy and local landowners have protected over 15,000 acres of native, tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills, the largest remaining expanse of tallgrass prairie left in the nation.  The Flint Hills represent what may be the last opportunity to preserve a relatively intact and functioning tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The most recent and largest transaction, a conservation easement covering more than 10,000 acres, was generously donated to The Nature Conservancy by ranchers Bill & Maggie Haw.

“Maggie and I are committed to the idea of preserving not only the pristine views, but also the wonderful cattle culture of this area where generations of same family cowboy caretakers have learned to operate the best yearling grazing operations in the world,” said Bill Haw.  “It is the perfect convergence of an important food producing activity that maintains the ecosystem, which developed with bison grazing over thousands of years.  The Nature Conservancy is the perfect partner to recognize and enforce those two compatible goals for many generations to come.”  

 "Thanks to the support of landowners and volunteers, we've made great progress in the past few years in protecting Kansas' tallgrass prairie.  Throughout their years of rancging, Bill and Maggie Haw have been excellent stewards of their land and their generous donation of this conservation easement will ensure it is protected for decades to come." said Sebelius.

Several other conservation easements have been completed in the Flint Hills by The Nature Conservancy and more are in process.  Much of the funding to establish these easements was provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Other key support came from the Lattner Family Foundation, the K.T. Wiedemann Foundation, Inc., the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Emerald Foundation and the family of former Wichita attorney Ellis Bever.   

The Flint Hills are progressively facing more development pressures than ever.  Without long-term protection, this national treasure is in jeopardy.  The Conservancy believes that conservation easements are one of the most powerful tools available for the permanent preservation of private lands and possibly the only viable approach to long-term preservation in the Flint Hills.  In addition to The Nature Conservancy, other land trusts such as the Kansas Land Trust and the KLA Ranchland Trust are also seeking easement opportunities in the Flint Hills. 

 A conservation easement is a voluntary contract between a landowner and the holder of the easement (such as The Nature Conservancy) to preserve the land in perpetuity from incompatible development. "Because the land remains in private ownership, with the remainder of the rights intact, protected property will continue to provide economic benefits to the region," said Brian Obermeyer, Director of the Conservancy's Flint Hills Initiative.  "Conservation easements do not interfere with traditional grazing, burning and other customary uses of the land, only incompatible development that significantly degrades the prairie landscape."

“I’m much more comfortable with stewardship than ownership of the land,” said Jane Koger, another landowner in the Flint Hills to complete a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy.  “The easement guarantees that stewardship will be a priority no matter who owns this land long after I’m gone.”