PRATT – The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism – in partnership with the Kansas Wildlife Federation and the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission – is taking its first large stride toward making hunting and other outdoor recreation-related information available to a wider audience. New this month, on KDWPT’s Espanol webpage, ksoutdoors.com/Espanol, is the department’s first-ever Spanish-language version of the 2020-2021 Kansas Hunting and Furharvesting Regulations Summary, 2020-2021 la caceria y recoleccion de pieles de Kansas resumen de regulaciones. The 48-page, full color document contains critical information related to Kansas’ hunting and trapping seasons, license and permit requirements, unit boundary maps, office and staff contact information, and more.
It’s just one facet of KDWPT’s all-new language access program, “Afuera Para Todos” meaning “Outdoors For All.” As part of Afuera Para Todos, KDWPT has immediate plans to offer additional Spanish-translated materials, to include the 2021 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary (produced annually), 2022-2023 Kansas Boating Regulations Summary (produced every two years), area signage, website and social media content, and more.
“At KDWPT, our responsibility is to manage Kansas’ natural resources and to serve those who wish to engage in outdoor recreation associated with those natural resources, regardless of ethnicity or preferred language,” said KDWPT Secretary Brad Loveless. “While we recognize the tremendous opportunity that exists here for us to expand our user-base, more importantly, we know it’s simply the right thing to do. I’ve encouraged and challenged my staff to continue identifying and removing barriers for our state’s most underrepresented groups because the reality is, language is just one barrier of many that might affect a Kansans’ ability to engage with our agency and Kansas outdoors, but this effort is certainly a great place to start.”
In addition to offering Spanish-translated materials, KDWPT has increased its capacity to field phone and email communications in Spanish through the hiring of a dedicated bilingual information representative. Information on how to utilize this resource can be found at ksoutdoors.com/Espanol.
However, the improvements don’t stop there. Beginning in 2021, other mission critical priorities for KDWPT will include increased diversity in the agency’s marketing and promotional materials, as well as its workforce.
“‘Diversity,’ ‘Equity’ and ‘Inclusion’ aren’t just going to be ‘power words’ that live and die on a planning document at our agency,” said Nadia Reimer, KDWPT chief of Public Affairs. “This is our agency’s commitment to creating a culture of inclusivity where underrepresented groups are authentically recognized and welcomed as valuable members of the Kansas natural resource community, and it’s also our commitment to creating a workforce that more closely represents the constituents we serve.”
