Kansas Forest Service

A huge thank you to Evergy for partnering with the Kansas Forest Service to support this year’s Callery Pear Buyback events in Wichita, Ellsworth, and Manhattan!

Thanks to this collaboration, 225 native trees were distributed to Kansas residents in exchange for invasive Callery pear trees, helping promote healthier forests, stronger ecosystems, and more resilient landscapes across our state.

We’re grateful for the strong community participation and for partners like Evergy who are helping make a lasting difference for Kansas trees and communities.

📣 VFA Applications Due June 15th!📣

Volunteer Fire Assistance Cost Share Grant Applications are now open! The Kansas Forest Service administers the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) cost-share program with grant funding provided by the US Forest Service. The funding is available to rural or city departments that provide fire protection to rural areas with less than 10,000 people.

A step-by-step help video has now been added to the grants page to help make the application process easier for departments. Please review the video and apply today!

✍️ Learn more and apply: https://buff.ly/XOSgQa5

Earlier this spring, Rural Forestry Program Coordinator Ryan Armbrust helped 5th graders at Prairie Heights Elementary School plant a new chinkapin oak for Arbor Day! Ryan shared that this was one of the most enthusiastic groups of 5th graders he had ever planted a tree with. The students have named the tree and are visiting it regularly.

Great job Prairie Heights!🥳

We are thrilled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Brad Ilonummi as our Southwest District Fire Management Officer for the Kansas Forest Service!

Brad works every day to support fire departments through training, wildfire response, and community education. We are so appreciative of Brad's hard work keeping Kansas communities safe! Congratulations Brad!

Earlier this month, we issued a 2001 F350 Brush truck, original value of $61,000, to the Burdett Fire Department in Pawnee County. The truck was donated by the US Fish and Wildlife Marais Des Cygnes. Burdett covers an area of approximately 100 square miles, much of which is open, often muddy terrain that requires lighter, more agile vehicles. The size of their district also necessitates faster, lighter vehicles that can respond to fires farther away.

The department shared that prior to being issued this vehicle, Burdett's newest truck was a 1987 brush truck, and they operate on an annual budget of approximately $10,000 from the city's general fund. Chief Shaun Boese was very happy with the new addition to their fleet and looks forward to participating in Kansas Forest Service excess property programs in the future!

🗺️In this month's episode of the Kansas Canopy Podcast, we sit down with GIS Analyst Chester Hubbard to explore how mapping technology is being put to work for Kansas landowners, communities, and firefighters. 🔥 🌲

From tools that help you map your own property to interactive dashboards tracking wildfire activity, Chester shares how GIS is making complex data more accessible and actionable. Whether you're managing land, planning community tree plantings, or responding to wildfire, this episode highlights practical tools designed to support smarter decisions across the state.

Listen now: https://buff.ly/8Ag6vxN