House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for HB2063 - Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Short Title
Establishing various conservation funds, allocating state moneys for conservation, requiring reports to the governor and legislature, and authorizing fund transfers and providing for the use of such funds by the Kansas department of agriculture and the Kansas department of wildlife and parks.
Minutes Content for Thu, Feb 6, 2025
Chairperson Rahjes welcomed Representative Winn as a substitute for Representative Schlingelsiepen for today's meeting.
Chairperson Rahjes announced that questions would be held until after all testimony had been given.
He opened the hearing on HB2063 and asked Revisor, Kyle Hamilton, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, to inform the Committee on the bill brief. (Attachment 1) There were no questions.
Research Analyst, Heather O'Hara, Legislative Research Department, was asked by Chairperson Rahjes to review the fiscal note.
Conferees giving proponent testimony for HB2063 were the following:
Justin Cobb, Legislative Chair of Kansans for Conservation (Attachment 2)
Josh Roe, CEO, Kansas Corn Growers Association, also on behalf of Kansas Soybean Association, Kansas Sorghum Producers, Kansas Farm Bureau, and Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (Attachment 3)
Bill Maasen, Superintendent of Parks & Golf Courses, Johnson County Parks and Recreation District (Attachment 4)
Glenn Walker, Grassland Owner (Attachment 5)
John Ritchey, Regional Director, Ducks Unlimited (Attachment 6)
Kathryn Louderback, Teacher (Attachment 7)
Keith Badger, Osage County Farmer (Attachment 8)
Marshal Loftus, Chair, Kansas Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (Attachment 9)
Committee members asked questions at this time.
Written-Only Proponent testimony was received from:
Lynn Beatty, Citizen (Attachment 10)
Clark Coan, Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy (Attachment 11)
Dr. Sarah Diamond, Executive Director, State Association of Kansas Watersheds (Attachment 12)
Kurt Ratzlaff, Kansas Outdoor Heritage Alliance (Attachment 13)
Shahira Stafford, Kansas Cooperative Council (Attachment 14)
Andrea Perdue, Kansas Hikes (Attachment 15)
Ellen Parker, Associate Attorney, WaterOne, Water District No. 1 of Johnson County (Attachment 16)
Erika Devore, Executive Director, Kansas Recreation and Parks Association (Attachment 17)
Zack Pistora, Kansas Sierra Club (Attachment 18)
Ginny Moore, Kansas State Director, The Conservation Fund (Attachment 19)
Jared McJunkin, Director of Conservation Operations (Central), National Wild Turkey Federation (Attachment 20)
Matt Smith, Conservation Delivery Specialist, Playa Lakes Joint Venture (Attachment 21)
Jennifer Simmelink, Executive Director, Kansas Soil Alliance (Attachment 22)
Laura Lutz, Government Affairs, Evergy (Attachment 23)
David Kraft, Executive Director, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition (Attachment 24)
Jacqueline Augustine, Executive Director, Audubon of Kansas (Attachment 25)
Nick Levendofsky, Executive Director, Kansas Farmers Union (Attachment 26)
Barth Crouch, Chair, Ranchland Trust of Kansas (Attachment 27)
Laura Downey, Executive Director, Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (Attachment 28)
Kaitlin Stanley, Executive Director of the Kansas Land Trust (Attachment 29)
Justin Jamison, Board President, Ringneck Classic (Attachment 30)
Dawn Buehler, Executive Director, Friends of the Kaw (Attachment 31)
David Rains, Director, Coffeyville Recreation Commission (Attachment 32)
Karen Willey, Vice President and William Bradley, President, FarmTender, LLC (Attachment 33)
Katie Roby, State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Kansas (Attachment 34)
Reverand Thad Holcombe, Moderator for Lawrence Ecology Teams United in Sustainability (LETUS) (Attachment 35)
Floyd Schmidt, President, Kansas Forestry Association (Attachment 36)
Tyler Rafter, Kansas State Coordinator, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever (Attachment 37)
Andrea Kelly, Executve Director, Mulvane Recreation Foundation (Attachment 38)
Alfonso Leyva, President, Kansas Wildlife Federation (Attachment 39)
Sarah Hill-Nelson, The Bowersock Mills & Power Company (Attachment 40)
Bevin Law, President, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (Attachment 41)
Tom Buller, Executive Director, Kansas Rural Center (Attachment 42)
There was no other proponent testimony.
Chairperson Rahjes asked the oral opponents to present at this time.
Taylor Nikkel, Director of Stockgrowers Division, Kansas Livestock Association (Attachment 43)
Desree Pettera, Citizen (Attachment 44)
Marcus Rogge on behalf of Tracey Barton, Kansas Natural Resource Coalition (Attachment 45)
Angel Cushing, Citizen (Attachment 46)
Beth Salmans, Citizen (Attachment 47)
Questions from Committee members were asked at this time.
Written-Only Opponent testimony was received from:
Marcus Rogge, Haskell County Commissioner, District 1 (Attachment 48)
Mary Stang, Citizen (Attachment 49)
Carolyn Simms, Citizen (Attachment 50)
Matthew Steele, PhD, P.E., Executive Director, Kansas Cattlemen's Association (Attachment 51)
Dale Enyart, Citizen (Attachment 52)
Mary Powell, Citizen (Attachment 53)
Viola Heskett, Citizen (Attachment 54)
Patricia DeDamos, Citizen (Attachment 55)
Courtney Crawford, Citizen (Attachment 56)
Shad Sullivan, Property Rights Chair, R-CALF USA (Attachment 57)
Ondre Rexford, Citizen (Attachment 58)
Debbie Detmer, KS GOP Delegate (Attachment 59)
From the audience, additional opponent comments were made by Randy Pettera, Citizen, from Junction City. He reported about an incident with the Walk In Hunting Program on his property.
There was no neutral testimony received.
Chairperson Rahjes closed the hearing on HB2063 and adjourned the meeting at 5:01 p.m.
The next meeting of the House Agricultural and Natural Resources is scheduled for February 10, 2025.
