Sundown – February 24, 2010 – Kansas City (Photo credit: CoolValley)
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism is looking for your input on Kansas parks. If you go to http://ksoutdoorrecreation.blogspot.com/, they’re looking for specific comments and there’s also a survey that you can complete.
Four topics will be covered:
- June 21- July 4 TOPIC: Which outdoor recreation facilities are most in need of renovation or replacement at state and federal parks in Kansas to best enhance outdoor recreation experiences? Specific examples are welcomed.
- July 5 – July 18. TOPIC: Share a story of a meaningful outdoor recreation experience that you or your family had in Kansas and how the site where that experience took place contributed.
- July 19 – Aug 1. TOPIC: Which of the following local outdoor recreation experiences would you like most to be within walking distance of your home (if you live in town)? Trails/picnic areas/sports venues/natural areas/playgrounds
- Aug 2 – Aug 15 TOPIC: Improved access to natural outdoor experiences, particularly those water based, is important for urban dwellers. Please provide suggestions on how this can best be achieved and examples of success stories.
Your opinions matter and will help shape the direction of the state’s Outdoor Recreation Plan!
Kansas Trail Guide 
Kansas should give the parks back to the Indians or sell them to private individuals and companies. Walt Disney can run better parks without costing taxpayers for state inefficiencies and bureaucrats. Why should people that don’t use the parks have to pay for them? There are already private hunting grounds, private company owned bike trails, bridges, hiking areas and natural grasslands, this state parks service is a waste.
Ken C – what a passionate comment. I’m sure the KDWPT would be interested in hearing your thoughts, and I’d recommend you contact them directly if you have more thoughts on the issue.
I think giving land back to Native Americans is a touch more complicated than your comment implies, and I much prefer wildlife and a natural setting to the construction of nature at Disney. Currently, the state parks are in trouble – “the state budget for the fiscal year starting today only appropriates $10.6 million for parks, of which $9 million comes from user fees and lottery proceeds… No general state tax dollars are going toward Kansas parks this year, compared with $5.1 million in 2007.” The funding currently comes from those who use the parks.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/30/4322935/state-parks-fall-victim-to-tight.html#storylink=cpy
And for those who don’t know where they can go to bike, hike, and ride horses throughout Kansas – in 2015, they’ll be able to get our bike to know just where the best options are – state parks and beyond!
The lottery should not exist as a state revenue source or function. No state should have a privilege that an individual entrepreneur cannot. Where does the other 1.6 million come from, perhaps from people who don’t use the parks? It would not have to be developed like a Disney world, perhaps Cerner bought park lands, or Sprint, or Farmland. I am not against natural park-lands, I’m against public owned land because it is managed inefficiently. Sell them all on the market and abolish all gambling laws. My entire previous comment referenced inefficiencies of the public sector by largely un-elected, unqualified bureaucrats as opposed to healthy businesses and individuals. State parks are not victims and do not have rights, individuals do.
I’d recommend that you follow the link included in our original post as that is where the KDWPT is looking for input and feedback.
Yes. I emailed them and the governor