An Act creating the Kansas nongame and endangered species advisory task force; and prescribing the membership, powers and duties thereof.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

Section 1. (a) There is hereby created the Kansas nongame and en- dangered species advisory task force. Such task force shall consist of 17 members as follows: (1) The chairperson of the Kansas nongame advisory council; (2) a representative of the Kansas farm bureau, appointed by the farm bureau; (3) a representative of the Kansas advisory council on en- vironmental education, appointed by the council; (4) a representative of the Kansas chapter of the american fisheries society, appointed by the chapter; (5) a representative of the Kansas herpetological society, ap- pointed by the society; (6) a representative of the Kansas chapter of the wildlife society, appointed by the society; (7) a representative of the Kan- sas ornithological society, appointed by the society; (8) a representative of the Kansas livestock association, appointed by the association; (9) a representative of the Kansas audubon council, appointed by the council; (10) a representative of the Kansas association of conservation districts, appointed by the association; (11) a representative of the Kansas natural resource council, appointed by the council; (12) the secretary of wildlife and parks, or a designee of the secretary; (13) the president of the Kansas building industry association, inc., or a person appointed by the president; (14) a representative of the state association of Kansas watersheds, ap- pointed by the association; (15) one private landowner appointed by the state executive director of the farm service agency of the United States department of agriculture; (16) one member of the Kansas wildlife and parks commission, designated by the chairperson of the commission; and (17) a private landowner appointed by the other members of the task force.

(b) The chairperson of the Kansas nongame advisory council shall call and preside at the first meeting of the task force. At such meeting the members of the task force shall elect a permanent chairperson and vice- chairperson. The task force shall meet on the call of the chairperson. All meetings of the task force shall be open public meetings.

(c) It shall be the duty of the task force to review the provisions of the nongame and endangered species conservation act, giving particular attention to the practices and procedures involved in determining whether any species of wildlife indigenous to the state is a threatened or endangered species in this state, the task force shall make recommen- dations emphasizing voluntary compliance with the nongame and endan- gered species conservation act and shall make a report and recommen- dations thereon to the chairperson, vice-chairperson and ranking minority member of the standing committees on energy and natural resources of the senate and the house of representatives, on or before the first day of the 1997 regular session of the legislature.

(d) The provisions of this section shall expire on July 1, 1997.

Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the Kansas register.

Approved April 14, 1996.

Published in the Kansas Register: April 25, 1996.