Kansas Forest Service

The Kansas Forest Service operates as an independent agency under K-State Extension. It consists of a state office and several district offices. The state office is situated one mile west of K-State’s main campus and is home to the state forester, program coordinators, statewide specialists, and support staff. Additionally, the rural fire shop and the conservation tree greenhouse are located at the state office. Each year, approximately 1 million seedlings are grown here and distributed throughout Kansas for conservation plantings. These plantings may serve various purposes, including wildlife habitat, windbreaks, woodlots, timber plantations and Christmas tree farms.

View the Kansas Forest Service on the campus map.

 

Building History

In the late 1930s, Dr. Donald Duncan planted hundreds of Ponderosa pines on what is now the Kansas Forest Service property. This was part of an Agriculture Research Service provenance study using seeds he collected from the pine's entire native range. The Kansas Forest Service Demonstration Arboretum and Honor Grove features collections of both evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and several rare and unusual species, earning it level one accreditation from The Morton Arboretum.

Since the late 1970s, trees have been planted on this property to honor foresters and staff who have retired or passed away while serving the agency, thereby forming the Honor Grove. Among the species found in this area are oaks, pines, pecans, male Osage-orange, eastern redbuds, Kentucky coffeetrees, Ginkgo and black walnuts.