Trustees Announce Land Acquisition for Restoration in Cherokee County, Kansas

This forested area in Cherokee County, Kansas, is part of the newly acquired acreage which will be managed by Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism for habitat restoration. Photo credit: Gibran Suleiman, FWS.

On February 14, 2012 the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, acting as natural resource trustees, announced the acquisition of 711 acres in Cherokee County, Kansas. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism will hold title to the land and be responsible for operations and maintenance, subject to a management plan.

This land acquisition is the first restoration project to be implemented under the publicly-reviewed “Cherokee County Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment.” This Restoration Plan was developed by the State and federal natural resource trustees to restore natural resources injured by lead, cadmium and zinc contamination arising from historic mining and mining-related activities in the Kansas portion of the Tri-State Mining District.

Further reading:

• FWS News Release (dated February 14, 2012)
• Cherokee County Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (dated December 2008)