Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
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| Agency overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | Kansas |
| Headquarters | 1020 S. Kansas Topeka, Kansas |
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| Parent agency | State of Kansas |
| Website | KDWPT Website |
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is a state cabinet-level agency led by a Secretary of Wildlife and Parks appointed by the Governor of Kansas. The Office of the Secretary is located in Topeka, 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.
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 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.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is responsible for the following state parks:
KDWP is also responsible for the following nature preserves and fishing lakes:
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism made international headlines when game warden Tanner Dixson shot an illegally kept pet deer five times and killed it in front of the family who had cared for it for the past 22 months. Taryn Mcgaughey, who cared for Faline the illegally kept deer with her parents, Mark and Kim Mcgaughey, filmed the incident. The video of the Mcgaughey's illegally kept pet callously being slaughtered by Dixson outraged people around the world and resulted in petitions demanding that Tanner Dixson be terminated. However, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism took no action against Tanner Dixson. KDWPT does not recommend breaking the law, doing such will prevent situations like this from happening.
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