Threatened Kansas species to undergo review by wildlife officials

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Kansas wildlife officials will be reviewing some local species in need next month.

Nadia Marji with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) said in a press release that the KDWP will be reviewing its lists of endangered, threatened and species-in-need-of-conservation (SINC) in February. The seven members of the Threatened and Endangered Species Task Committee will look over petitions it received last year to see if they merit full reviews.

This is a regular, five-year process, according to the KDWP. Three petitions in particular will be given full reviews by the committee. These species include:

• Shoal Chub
• Broad-headed Skink
• Northern Map Turtle

Each petition asks the committee to consider moving the species from being designated as threatened to SINC. Some important factors the committee will examine during its review process for each species includes:

• Evidence of decline or vulnerability using scientific data
• Extent of threat
• Listing rank
• Population must be viable
• Disease, exotic introduction, commercial use, etc.

The entire review process will require numerous public informational meetings, consultations with experts and, eventually, a final recommendation provided to the KDWP secretary and commission. This is followed by a 90-day public comment period after which the commission will vote on listing changes. Meetings on this review process will take place on the following dates:

• At 1 p.m. on Feb. 6 at Kansas Wetlands Education Center located at 592 NE K-156 Highway in Great Bend
• At 5 p.m. on Feb. 6 virtually. Click here to join via Zoom.
• At 1 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the KDWP Region 2 Office's basement conference room located at 300 SW Wanamaker Road in Topeka
• At 2 p.m. on Feb. 12 at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team building located at 104 North National Avenue in Fort Scott.
• At 5 p.m. on Feb. 15 virtually. Click here to join via Zoom.

You can learn more about the five-year review process by clicking here. To learn more about which species are threatened or endangered in Kansas, click here.

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