The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is a state cabinet-level agency

Kansas State Cabinet

The Kansas State Cabinet is part of the executive branch of the Government of the U.S. state of Kansas, consisting of the appointed heads of the Kansas state executive departments.-Current cabinet departments:...

 led by a Secretary of Wildlife and Parks appointed by the Governor of Kansas

Governor of Kansas

The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...

. The Office of the Secretary is located in Topeka

Topeka, Kansas

Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...

, the state capital of Kansas. A seven-member, bipartisan commission, also appointed by the Governor, advises the Secretary and approves regulations governing outdoor recreation and fish and wildlife resources in Kansas. KDWP employs approximately 420 full-time employees in five divisions: Executive Services, Administrative Services, Fisheries and Wildlife, Law Enforcement, and Parks.

History

Fish and game laws were first organized in the state of Kansas in the form of the Kansas Fish and Game Department in 1905. In 1911, State Fish and Game Department was placed under supervision of the University of Kansas Board of Regents. Another reorganization occurred in 1925 when the Fish and Game Department became the Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission, consisting of three members appointed by the Governor. Finally in 1987, Governor Mike Hayden

Mike Hayden

John Michael Hayden, was the 41st Governor of Kansas. He subsequently served as Secretary of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department under governors Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson.-Early life:...

 signed an executive order merging the State Parks and Resources Authority and the Kansas Fish and Game Commission to form the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Responsibilities

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is responsible for the following state parks, nature preserves, and fishing lakes:

Atchison State Fishing Lake Big Basin Prairie Preserve Big Basin Prairie Preserve The Big Basin Prairie Preserve is a nature preserve owned and managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The preserve is in the Red Hills near Ashland in Clark County, Kansas. The main features are St. Jacob's Well, a water-filled sinkhole which lies in the Little Basin, and the Big... Cedar Bluff State Park Cedar Bluff State Park Cedar Bluff State Park is a state park in Trego County, Kansas, United States. It is located southeast of WaKeeney and southwest of Ellis.The park is divided into two areas, comprising , straddle the beautiful Cedar Bluff Reservoir: Bluffton on the North Shore is the most developed and receives... Cheney State Park Cheney State Park Cheney State Park is a state park of Kansas in the United States. Completed in 1964, the park is located in Kingman and Reno counties in Kansas, 5 miles north of Cheney and 20 miles west of Wichita.... Clinton State Park Clinton State Park Clinton State Park is a state park in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, located west of Lawrence.The park lies on the north shore of Clinton Lake, known for its clear water and good fishing of channel catfish, walleye, and crappie fishing.... Crawford State Park Crawford State Park (Kansas) Crawford State Park is a state park in Crawford County, Kansas, United States, located north of Girard.The park, resides on a lake built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. There are two recorded archaeological sites within the park's boundaries, including remnants of a... Cross Timbers State Park Cross Timbers State Park Cross Timbers State Park is a state park in Woodson County, Kansas, United States, located west of Yates Center.The park is settled within the hills of Verdigris River Valley in southeast Kansas... Eisenhower State Park Eisenhower State Park (Kansas) Eisenhower State Park is a state park in Osage County, Kansas, United States, located 30 miles northeast of Emporia and 35 miles south of Topeka.... El Dorado State Park El Dorado State Park El Dorado State Park is a state park in Butler County, Kansas, United States, located just north of El Dorado.The largest of Kansas' state parks, El Dorado is nestled in the scenic Flint Hills and sprawls across 4,000 acres along the eastern and western shores of El Dorado Reservoir. Crappie and... Elk City State Park Elk City State Park Elk City State Park is a state park in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located west of Independence.The park is settled adjacent to the, 4,500- acre, Elk City Reservoir and the, 12,000-acre , Elk City Wildlife Area. The Reservoir offers good/excellent fishing opportunities for channel... Fall River State Park Fall River State Park Fall River State Park is a state park in Greenwood County, southwest of the city of Toronto, Kansas, USA. Located near the Flint Hills, Fall River State Park is and can be accessed by going along 144 Highway 105...

Glen Elder State Park Waconda Lake Waconda Lake is a reservoir near Glen Elder, Kansas in northwestern Mitchell County and extending westward into northeastern Osborne County. It is fed by the Solomon River, of which both forks form the lake. Cawker City is located on the north shore of the lake, as is Glen Elder State Park. Waconda... Hillsdale State Park Hillsdale State Park Hillsdale State Park is a state park in Paola, Kansas, United States. This park located in eastern Kansas was built around the Hillsdale lake which was completed in 1982. The park itself was established and opened in 1994. The state park features two hiking trails.-External links:*... Kanopolis State Park Kanopolis State Park Kanopolis State Park contains a reservoir, desert plants such as yucca, a prairie dog town, and scenic sandstone canyons. It is located in the Smoky Hills region of the U.S. state of Kansas... Lake Afton Lake Afton Lake Afton is a man-made recreational lake located about southwest of Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A. It is within the Lake Afton Park, on land once inhabited by the Kiowa, Comanche, Wichita , Osage, and Southern Cheyenne Indian tribes. The lake was created by Works Progress Administration workers in... Leavenworth County State Lake Lovewell State Park Lovewell State Park Lovewell State Park is a state park located near Webber, Kansas, United States, located east of Mankato, Kansas. Established in 1967, the state park features utility camping, cabins and a beach.-External links:*... McPherson State Fishing Lake Meade State Park Mined Land Wildlife Area Milford State Park Milford Lake Milford Lake is the largest man-made lake in Kansas with of water. Over of land resources are managed for quality recreational experiences as well as for protection of the project’s natural and cultural resources... Mushroom Rock State Park Mushroom Rock State Park Mushroom Rock State Park, located in the Smoky Hills region of Kansas, is noted for its mushroom rock formations. These rocks were formed through a process of nonuniform erosion and weathering in which a hard mass of Dakota Sandstone resisted erosion while the underlying softer stone weathered...

Neosho State Fishing Lake Neosho State Fishing Lake Neosho State Fishing Lake, also known as Lake McKinley is located in the state of Kansas. Located north on highway 59 and east on 40th Rd from the city of Parsons, Kansas, USA. Construction of this lake was completed in 1927. The lake covers of water. There are 124 public use acres surrounding... Ottawa State Fishing Lake Perry State Park Perry State Park Perry State Park is a state park located in Jefferson County, near Ozawkie, Kansas, United States, northeast of Topeka.The state park features camping, a beach, hiking and a fishing and boating area. Perry State Park was established in 1968 after an agreement was made between the Kansas Parks and... Pomona State Park Prairie Dog State Park Prairie Dog State Park Prairie Dog State Park is a state park located southwest of Norton, Kansas, United States. Located in western Kansas, the Prairie Dog State Park initially didn't have any prairie dogs when it was established... Prairie Spirit Trail State Park Prairie Spirit Trail State Park Prairie Spirit Trail State Park is a Kansas State Park.The trail is built on the former right of way of the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston Railroad from Ottawa, Kansas, to Iola, Kansas... Sand Hills State Park Scott State Park Tuttle Creek State Park Tuttle Creek Lake Tuttle Creek Lake is a reservoir on the Big Blue River 5 miles north of Manhattan, in the Flint Hills region of northeast Kansas. It was built and is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers for the purpose of flood control.... Webster State Park Wilson State Park Wilson State Park (Kansas) Wilson State Park is located south of Wilson Reservoir, near the city of Wilson in Russell County, Kansas, United States.-External links:*...

External links

• Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks State Park Website