Division of Conservation

(This website was updated 2/22/2024)
                

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Welcome to the Division of Conservation (DOC)

Conservation of natural resources is an important concern for all Kansans. The Division of Conservation (DOC), working with 105 local Conservation Districts, 75 organized Watershed Districts, other special-purpose districts, as well as state and federal entities administer programs to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, conserve water, reduce flood potential and provide local water supply. The DOC has the responsibility to administer the Conservation Districts Law, the Watershed District Act and other statutes authorizing various programs. The agency budget is financed from the dedicated funding of the Kansas State Water Plan Special Revenue Fund, State General Fund, and fee funds.

Conservation District AreasThese five conservation regions are each represented by a commissioner who serves on the State Conservation Commission.

Who We Partner With

Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD)
Kansas Association of Conservation District Employees Organization (KACD-EO)
National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)
National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA)
State Conservation Commission (SCC)
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Kansas Water Office (KWO)
Kansas Forest Service (KFS)
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
Watershed Restoration & Protection Strategy (WRAPS)
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP)
State Association of Kansas Watersheds (SAKW)
Kansas State University (KSU)
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Watershed Districts

Division of Conservation News

HAMM Companies wins 2019 Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award

HAMM Companies received the 2019 Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award in January as part of the Kansas Aggregate Producers Association meeting in Lenexa.

HAMM Companies received the 2019 Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award in January as part of the Kansas Aggregate Producers Association meeting in Lenexa.

This award recognizes companies that excel in implementing mined land reclamation and convey a positive image of mining in Kansas. While speaking at the Association’s Jan. 10 meeting, Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz presented the Governor’s Mined Land Reclamation Award to Hamm on behalf of Governor Laura Kelly.

The reclaimed area of the Herington Quarry covers 80 acres in Marion County. The landowner worked with HAMM to enhance the property, which was previously mined by another operator, with planned reclamation focusing on wildlife habitat. As stated by HAMM’s employees: “Rather than restoring the land to plots suited for agriculture, the landowner worked with HAMM, the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, and the Wildlife Habitat Council to create a management plan that would promote a population increase of wildlife as well as natural plant life.”

Four ponds were constructed to provide water for wildlife. Seeding of native grasses and wildflowers and pollinator plantings was completed after sloping, grading and top soiling the mined area. Nearly 10 acres of wildlife food plots were planted as well as grass buffers.

HAMM Companies is based in Perry, Kansas, and operates 17 aggregate quarries across the state. The site was mined by HAMM for 30 years, producing over 1.5 million tons of usable rock. The Herington Quarry was a surface mine that extracts aggregate materials from the earth and manufactures high quality materials for the local construction industry.

For more information, contact Scott Carlson with the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Conservation at 785-564-6618 or scott.carlson@ks.gov.