Kansas Natural Resources Subcabinet
The Kansas Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief Engineer of the Division of Water Resources, along with leaders from several other state agencies, meet on a regular basis to coordinate on initiatives related to Kansas' natural resources.
The following description is from Performance Audit Report 10PA13 titled, 
"Water-Related Agencies: A K-GOAL Audit Determining Whether the State Could Achieve Efficiencies and Reduce Costs by Combining the Operations of Its Water-Related Agencies", by the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit, November 2010:
State officials cited the Natural Resources Sub-Cabinet as a major reason for better coordination among water-related agencies. In 2003, former Governor Sebelius' Budget Efficiency Savings Team (BEST) considered creating a State Department of Natural Resources. However, the former Governor created the Natural Resources Sub-Cabinet instead. The goal of the Sub-Cabinet is to help improve the day-to-day coordination of natural resources within the State. The Sub-Cabinet includes agency heads from seven agencies:
- Animal Health Department
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Health and Environment
- Department of Wildlife and Parks
- Kansas Corporation Commission
- Kansas Water Office
- State Conservation Commission
The Sub-Cabinet generally meets on a weekly basis. According to its members, the Sub-Cabinet has allowed the State to gain the benefits of reorganization, such as better communication and coordination, and a unified direction, without having to consolidate the agencies. Members also stated the Sub-Cabinet helps provide a unified plan on water resources' budget and policy issues for both the public and the Legislature.
The audit found that 92 percent of local officials surveyed felt that state water-related agencies are coordinating well. The Natural Resources Subcabinet promotes and maintains this coordination.
Based on their findings, Legislative Division of Post Audit recommended introducing legislation to formally establish the Natural Resources Subcabinet in statute.
