MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture is seeking input from ranchers and landowners regarding how to keep grasslands in healthy working condition. This information will be used in a report that will bring attention to the importance of grasslands for the state’s agricultural economy, as well as grasslands’ many ecological benefits. A new online survey is aimed at ranchers, landowners, and others with an active working knowledge of the use of grasslands.
Grasslands make up more than 15 million acres of agricultural land in Kansas, and in addition to other benefits, these grasslands serve a critical role as grazing land for cattle. As the state’s largest agricultural industry, the beef industry provides income and economic prosperity to thousands of Kansas ranchers, businesses, and workers throughout the state.
KDA has been working in partnership with the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, with the support of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, on a joint project to determine immediate next steps to encourage and support efforts to assist Kansans in the conservation of their working grasslands. The project will result in a report that will be communicated out to stakeholders, the public, and legislators in early 2026.
The report will include information to help educate a broad audience about the importance of working grasslands, as well as action steps that could be taken to improve and conserve working grasslands for future generations. The survey is an important component of the project’s goal of engaging with ranchers from across Kansas, and it builds on numerous conversations with ranchers and stakeholders over the past several years.
Find the survey and other materials related to the Kansas Grasslands project at www.agriculture.ks.gov/grasslands. The survey will be open through Friday, December 5.
