It’s huge and other states are envious.

That’s how Robin Jennison, secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, describes the recent melding of what was two separate departments.

Jennison has just returned from a meeting of the National Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, where he fielded a lot of questions of just how this is working in Kansas.

“The tradition of hunting is starting to wane and the old days of Fish and Wildlife just taking care of licenses are gone,” explains Jennison.  “We have great employees who are biologists and know nothing about promotion.  By bringing in the marketers from Tourism, we’re getting closer to our long-term mission of conserving and enjoying Kansas’ natural resources,” he says.

“We have a real increase in economic activity.”

Jennison recently spoke to the Hays Area Young Professionals as part of the Eagle Communications Professional Development Series.