Kansas Wildlife, Kids Get $105K in Grant Funding
MISSOULA, Mont. — Elk, deer, turkey, pheasant, quail and other Kansas wildlife are getting better groceries thanks to $105,084 in grant funding supplied by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partner organizations.
Two of the projects enhance wildlife habitat while six others support youth recreational shooting squads and hunting heritage efforts.
“Some people may not know there are elk in Kansas and that there’s a hunting season. This grant funding improves forage across a swath of land used by elk and other wildlife species,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer.
RMEF supplied $21,529 in funding, generated by its in-state volunteers, which leveraged $83,555 in partner funding.
“We’re grateful for our volunteers and their efforts to host banquets, membership drives and for getting out on the ground to help wildlife,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “We also recognize and salute youth from four trap shooting teams that volunteered their time to help at RMEF banquets in Emporia, Hays, Kansas City, Salina and Wichita.”
Beginning in 1989, RMEF and its partners completed 132 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Kansas with a combined value of more than $3.1 million. These projects enhanced 55,826 acres of habitat
View a list of RMEF’s 2023 projects in Kansas below, shown by county.
Dickinson County
• Supply funding for the Abilene High School Trapshooting Club, which gives students the opportunity to get outdoors and learn about and compete in trapshooting. Team members assisted at the RMEF Tri-Rivers Chapter in Salina.
Ellis County
• Supply funding for the Hays High School trap team and its mission to compete in a team atmosphere, while promoting the safe and responsible handling and storage of firearms and ammunition. Team members supported the Big Creek Chapter banquet in Hays.
• Provide funding to support the Victoria Shooting Team comprised of middle and high school student participants from Victoria Junior-Senior High School (also benefits Russell County).
Johnson County
• Supply funding for the Thunder Clay Target Club, a high school team from across multiple counties that competes in trap, skeet, sporting clay and 5-stand competitions (also benefits Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte Counties). Team members helped with the Greater Kansas City Chapter banquet.
Lyon County
• Supply funding to support the Lyon County 4-H Shooting Sports program. Team members assisted with the Flint Hills Area Chapter banquet in Emporia.
Riley County
• Purchase seed and fertilizer used across 610 acres of forage plots at the Fort Riley Military Reservation to benefit game and nongame species, hunting and wildlife viewing (also benefits Clay and Geary Counties).
• Provide RMEF volunteers to remove trash, mark GPS coordinates for abandoned wire to be picked up by Army range support and abandoned tree stands also to be removed.
Wyandotte County
• Provide funding in support of the Kansas City Police Athletic League (PAL), a program for underserved youth to interact with police officers in a positive setting. PAL activities include shooting sports and hunting opportunities.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded more than 39 years ago and fueled by hunters, RMEF maintains more than 225,000 members and has conserved more than 8.7 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.
Courtesy of RMEF