Print edition: 
TOPEKA — When it comes to burning rangeland in the Flint Hills, lawmakers should listen to the prairie chicken, one lobbyist said Thursday.
"In fact, what is good for the greater prairie chicken is in many cases also very good for landowners and their businesses," Kansas Sierra Club lobbyist Chris Cardinal told the Senate Natural Resources Committee.
Annual burning is harming the greater prairie chicken's habitat, Cardinal said, adding that the bird is not endangered but could become so if the burning does not change. He advocated a three-year rotation for burning.
Widespread rangeland burning also could cause problems for Wichita and Kansas City, Kan., when it comes to ozone regulations, the committee heard.
The state needs to come up with a smoke management plan this year that could encompass everyone's needs, possibly including an air quality exception for when the rangelands burn, said Kay Johnson, the city's environmental initiatives manager.
In 2009, Wichita barely met the current ozone regulations, Johnson said. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now is considering stricter ozone limits. Ozone levels are measured from April to October, and that period overlaps with burning in the Flint Hills.
A widespread burn last spring bumped Wichita's air pollution levels to among the worst in the nation, driving Sedgwick County's ozone levels 25 to 30 percent over federal air pollution limits.
If the city does not meet ozone regulations, it could mean more regulation, Johnson said. That could hurt the city's economy.
The Senate committee is looking at ways to accommodate the cities' air quality needs and the ranchers' interests. Ranchers say the burning is needed to keep trees from encroaching on the prairie and to provide richer fodder for cattle.
Committee chairwoman Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, said the committee could discuss a resolution on the issue next week.
