Kelly Signs Flint Hills Bill to Shield Prairie from Development

TOPEKA, Kansas — Gov. Laura Kelly on Friday signed Senate Bill 423, enacting permanent restrictions on industrial development in the Flint Hills to preserve the state's iconic tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The legislation expands prior moratoriums on wind turbine construction, prohibiting new towers over 300 feet tall across 1.1 million acres in the Tallgrass Heartland region, which stretches from Marshall County to Butler County. 'This bill ensures we protect the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Flint Hills for future generations while allowing clean energy development elsewhere in Kansas,' Kelly said in a statement from the State Capitol. The Flint Hills, one of Kansas' 11 physiographic regions, represent the largest remaining expanse of unplowed tallgrass prairie in North America, covering about 6,000 square miles. Development pressures mounted in the early 2000s as wind farms proliferated statewide, prompting then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to issue a moratorium in 2004 on wind infrastructure in key Flint Hills areas. Gov. Sam Brownback expanded the protected zone in 2012, dubbing it the Tallgrass Heartland, and Kelly reaffirmed the policy in July 2020, emphasizing balanced growth in renewables like wind and solar. Supporters, including The Nature Conservancy and local ranchers in counties like Geary and Riley, praised the bill for maintaining scenic vistas and habitat for species like the lesser prairie chicken. The measure passed the Republican-controlled Legislature with bipartisan support despite recent partisan clashes, where lawmakers overrode Kelly's vetoes on unrelated issues like anti-abortion funding. Effective July 1, the law allocates $2 million for enforcement by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.