KDWPT

PRATT – Summertime is boating time and with 24 federal reservoirs and more than 200 community lakes, there are plenty of places for Kansans to enjoy being on the water. However, before you make you make your first trip, take a second and make sure your registration is up to date.

All boats powered by gas, diesel, electric motors or sail must be registered and numbered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) for use on public waters. Boaters can renew their registrations in person at KDWPT state park and regional offices or boat registration agents (a list of agents by county can be found at www.ksoutdoors.com (under “Boating”).

If you sell a boat, you must notify the department in writing within 15 days. If you buy a boat from an individual, an application for registration needs to be submitted accompanied by the previous owner’s certificate of number or a bill of sale and the registration fee. If you buy a boat from a Kansas dealer, the application needs to be submitted with a form STD8 or a bill of sale showing sales tax paid is required. If you buy a boat from an out-of-state dealer, the bill of sale showing sales tax paid is required. If no sales tax was paid, go to your county treasurer and pay sales tax then submit that receipt. Registration applications can be downloaded from the KDWPT website, filled out and mailed in with the registration fee of $32.50 (valid for three years).

The assigned registration number must be painted or permanently attached to each side of the forward, top half of the boat. Numbers must be vertical block characters at least 3 inches tall that read from left to right. A registration decal is issued each time you renew and it includes the year it expires. Instructions on how the registration numbers should appear are available in the Kansas Boating Regulations Summary or online.

Boat registrations expire three years from date of renewal, and KDWPT will send out renewal notices six weeks prior to expiration.

Fees from boat registrations fund boating access, education, and law enforcement programs and also provide match for federal funding. For more information on boat registration, contact your local KDWPT state park or regional office or call (620) 672-5911.

KDOC

TOPEKA–The Kansas Department of Commerce is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2017 Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award is Lee Aerospace. The winners were announced on International Trade Day during Business Appreciation Month.

The Governor’s Exporter of the Year award proudly celebrates the successes of Kansas companies that excel in exporting and growing their communities. It encourages the growth of the state’s international commerce by showcasing successful exporters as role models to the Kansas business community. The recipients are prime examples of how exporting is a significant catalyst for company growth and diversification. Twelve Kansas companies were nominated for the 2017 Exporter of the Year award. Finalists included:

· Bergkamp, Inc.-Salina
· KSi Conveyors, Inc.-Sabetha
· Lee Aerospace-Wichita
· Shor-Line-Kansas City

Lee Aerospace started as a small production company in 1989, manufacturing aircraft cabin windows for Boeing, and quickly grew to include multiple aircraft manufacturers. Today, Lee Aerospace is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of aircraft windows for business aircraft. Expanding beyond just aircraft transparencies, Lee Aerospace now has over 250 Kansas employees.

You will find their products worldwide; not only on every aircraft produced in Wichita, but many other aircraft manufacturers as well. The company utilizes international distributors to market their products throughout the world. Not only do they export products, they export services. Lee Aerospace has a staff of licensed technicians, traveling worldwide; inspecting, repairing and installing aircraft windows. They have customers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, France, Germany, Greece, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.

KDWPT

PRATT – The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) Commission will conduct a public meeting on Thursday, June 22, 2017 in Kansas City at the George Meyn Center, 126th and State Ave. The afternoon session will begin at 1 p.m. and recess at 5 p.m. The evening session will convene at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend both sessions and time will be set aside for public comment at the beginning of each for discussion of non-agenda items.

The afternoon session will begin with a report on the agency and state fiscal status and an update on the 2017 Kansas legislative session. The General Discussion portion of the meeting will include a report on privately-owned cabin permit fees, KDWPT Archery Program update, Kansas National Archery in the Schools Program update and 2018 turkey regulations.

The Workshop Session will include reviews of park regulations, fishing regulations, as well as license expiration dates.

The evening portion of the meeting will convene at 6:30 p.m. for the Public Hearing. Commissioners will vote on recommendations covering exotic dove hunting, as well as deer season dates on military reservations.

If necessary, the Commission will reconvene at the same location at 9 a.m., June 23, 2017, to complete any unfinished business. Information about the Commission, as well as the June 22 meeting agenda and briefing book, can be downloaded at ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Commission/Upcoming-Commission-Meetings.

Live video and audio streaming of the June 22, 2017 meeting will be available at ksoutdoors.com. If notified in advance, the department will have an interpreter available for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Any individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting the KDWPT Commission secretary at (620) 672-5911.

The next KDWPT Commission meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10, 2017 at the Ninnescah Valley Yacht Club in Cheney State Park.

KDA

MANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Agriculture, together with the Kansas Department of Commerce, is seeking individuals to participate in a trade mission to Brazil. This mission will allow Kansas businesses who have an interest in exporting to Brazil to increase market opportunities. Travel dates are August 7-11, 2017.

“This trade mission is the perfect way to engage the culture and propagate relationships with important trade partners in Brazil,” said Kansas Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave. “We at the Kansas Department of Commerce look forward to cultivating opportunities for the state’s businesses and to spreading the word about the benefits of doing business with Kansas companies.”

“There is great potential for small businesses in Kansas to achieve growth through strategic efforts to explore this export market,” said Kansas Department of Agriculture Secretary Jackie McClaskey. “Brazil is an important export market for Kansas, traditionally ranking as one of our top 10 trading partners.”

Based on 2016 data, Brazil is Kansas’ seventh largest export market, totaling $344 million. Compared with the previous year, Kansas exports to Brazil experienced a 40 percent increase. Top categories for exports are aircraft and parts, alcoholic beverages, bakery, cereals, confectionery, dairy/cheese, electric machinery, high-value consumer oriented products, industrial machinery, meat, pharmaceutical products, and wheat.

This trade mission is funded in part by the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant. The STEP grant is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and helps Kansas non-exporters to get started and existing exporters to export more. Selected participants will be eligible for travel stipends for airfare and hotel, and will receive a per diem for meals. Participants will be responsible for the cost of other incidental expenses.

Participants of this trade mission will promote the use of Kansas products. All interested Kansas small businesses are encouraged to apply. For more information on the trade mission to Brazil, including instructions on how to apply and application requirements, go to agriculture.ks.gov/international, or contact Suzanne Ryan-Numrich at [email protected] or (785) 564-6704.

Deadline for submitting applications for consideration is June 16, 2017.

KDWPT

PRATT – Do you have what it takes to go handfishing? You can find out June 15-Aug. 15 during the Kansas handfishing season. Other than a strong grip, handfishing permit and a fishing license, all you really need is nerves of steel because you’ll be reaching into dark crevices and undercut banks to feel around for a hiding flathead catfish, which by the way, might weigh more than a 10-year-old little league shortstop.

Handfishing is allowed only on the Arkansas River; the Kansas River, from it’s origin to the downstream confluence with the Missouri River; and all federal reservoirs, from 150 yards beyond the dam to the upstream end of federal property. In addition to a fishing license, unless exempt, handfishers must also have a $27.50 handfishing permit. Handfishers may not use hooks, snorkeling or scuba gear, or any man-made device except a stringer. Man-made objects, such as barrels or tubs, may not be used to attract fish.

Once a fish is felt, a handfisher must try to work a hand in its mouth and grip the fish’s lower jaw to bring it to the surface, which is just about as difficult as it sounds, especially on big fish. And then there’s the mental aspect of handfishing – wondering what else may be lurking in the dark underwater recesses. That’s where the nerves of steel come in handy.

Only flathead catfish are allowed to be caught handfishing and the daily creel limit is five. For more information about handfishing and other types of fishing, consult the 2017 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary, available wherever licenses are sold and at www.ksoutdoors.com.