Hundreds of county FB leaders from throughout the state participated in the District Policy Development Meetings. Staff members from the Public Affairs Division conduct the sessions to provide a framework for policy development at the county annual meetings. All topics are open for discussion but the focus is a close examination of some issues in which counties have expressed great interest.

Participants are given a document with background information on the respective issues. This year’s list includes water resources management, the proposed “Grain Center of Excellence,” wildlife control and issues involving transportation and the state budget. KFB public affairs staffer Bryan Alvey gave an overview of the issues.

He began by noting the purpose of KFB’s Water Management Working Group, a 20-member task force charged with developing recommendations to enhance water resources throughout the state.  “This is a long-term project,” Alvey explained, “to develop ideas to help both rural and urban areas address water resource problems.”

The widespread problem of black buzzards killing livestock was the chief topic of discussion. One county leader said he saw 15 of the buzzards on his farm that day. Alvey advised those with problems to apply for the special permits administered through KFB. The permits allow a farmer to kill up to five of the buzzards, but all kills must be reported and recorded, Alvey explained.

The policy development process will be moving into high gear through the county annual meeting “season,” plus KFB’s various advisory committees have begun their meetings, in which policies are reviewed for potential recommendations. What emerges from the counties and advisory committees goes before the resolutions committee in early November.

This year’s annual meeting is set for December 2-5.