I left Hoisington on June 5. Sandra had a total knee in KC and did very well. I then went to South Carolina to visit some very special friends for a week. I returned on June 27 to find my garden under a mountain of weeds.  

I attended the KDWP Commissioners meeting at the Acorn Resort on Milford Lake on June 22. It is a beautiful resort, and that lake is beautiful. We have done very well fishing Milford. I have fished with one guide – he was terrific!

That meeting was very interesting. I was awed at the format. The Secretary of the Dept. was there, with his group of law enforcement, attorneys, biologists, and various other department personnel. The Wildlife Commissioners run the program. I was impressed with the makeup of the Commissioners – they are from all around the state and from various vocations. Appointed by the Governor – they accept a lot of responsibility and I respect them a lot. That meeting started at noon. Everyone there with any issue regarding wildlife was given a most respectful opportunity to state their issue or concern. They will stay as long as it takes for everyone to say their piece. Maybe only in America will people accept that responsibility and do it perfectly. They had patience and respect for some citizens that many others wouldn’t.

It was an honor for me and my friend Mike Michaelis to speak honestly without fear of retribution to the Secretary and Commissioners. I defined our thoughts about the solar panels at the Bottoms and our desire to see the project moved to another location. This company is honorable, and solar energy is legitimate. It just happens that Acciona picked a bad spot for the project. I hope they will relocate to another site in Barton County far enough away that a tornado or big wind would not be able to blow those panels across the Bottoms and cause so much damage and pollution.

Brad Loveless, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, said he hadn’t thought about that possibility and it was problematic. I was privileged to get to visit with him after the meeting – we share a mutual respect and admiration for Mike Miller who retired from the department a couple of years ago and the gist of the meeting made their position clear. My complaint was about the department being muzzled and not speaking out against the solar panels in this location. The Nature Conservancy has not commented. Fort Hays State won’t allow Curtis Wolf to speak out.

I think part of that situation was the huge push for green energy by the current administration, but part of it involved my lack of understanding of the necessary process of a project. KDWP has not received ANY request or documents regarding this project. The same is true for the Barton County Commissioners and the Zoning/Planning Committee. It is not possible to respond to a project that has not been defined or presented. We can all agree that the Bottoms are precious and should be protected, but if nobody presents a project it can’t be responded to.  Acciona is planning something but has not presented that project to the County Commissioners or the Department of Wildlife/Parks. I get it now.

I am sure that part of the vetting process by our county will include a precise evaluation by KDWP and their geniuses. They understand that protecting the Bottoms is part of their mandate and they have a great responsibility to the citizens of Kansas as sole managers of the Bottoms. Jason Wagner wears that hat for the department and we are in good hands.

We all know that nothing will happen until at least January with the 6-mile “no build” clause until that date. I would like to have lunch or dinner with the Acciona people. I respect their diligence and their company is very reputable and awesome. I would hope we can work something out to protect the Bottoms. 40,000 employees worldwide is pretty big! They have a beautiful country and some sacred monuments and I know they understand our mandate to protect our sacred Cheyenne Bottoms. I don’t think they understood the importance of these Bottoms at the beginning, but I have faith that they will respect this ground and these birds. That’s what honorable people do.

Thanks for the rain, harvest is so odd, but I saw four teal cut across the edge of pool one today. The world is starting to right itself and I am sure that I will get to duck hunt with Brad Loveless and Mike Miller this fall in our Cheyenne Bottoms. What a gift!

Doc

Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached at danwitt01@gmail.com.