Illinois General Assembly

Legislators Urge Governor to Release Soil & Water Conservation District Funds

For Immediate Release
Contact Rep. Jil Tracy
(217) 223-0833

April 03, 2008

Springfield, IL – With Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) across Illinois facing new financial hardships, State Representative Jil Tracy (R-Mt. Sterling) and the Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, alongside a bi-partisan group of legislators, are urging Governor Blagojevich to release the remaining Fiscal Year 2008 SWCD funds.

The FY08 State Budget appropriated $7.4 million for SWCD operational expenses and $6 million for the Partners for Conservation Program (formerly Conservation 2000) through the Department of Agriculture.  As of April 1, only $1.7 million of the $7.4 million appropriation has been released to SWCDs and none of the $6 million appropriated for the Conservation Practices Program has been released.

Last month, Representative Tracy and fellow legislators sent a letter to the Governor asking him to immediately release the remaining funds for SWCDs.  Rep. Tracy is concerned that Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be forced to shut down if the funds are not released soon.

“The Soil and Water Conservation Districts need this revenue to ensure they can provide adequate staffing at all their facilities which monitor the safety of our water supplies,” said Rep. Tracy.  “The SWCDs employ around 250 people.  These employees are our frontline defense in protecting Illinois rivers, streams and other water sources from contamination.  It is absolutely imperative we keep these facilities running properly.”

Illinois’ 98 SWCDs represent the state’s frontline in protecting rivers, streams and other water sources against contamination from urban storm water and agricultural chemicals and sediment.    SWCDs assist in delivering programs that prevent erosion from urban development and tillable soil that threatens Illinois’ agricultural economy and the sustainability of surface water supplies.  The investment of State funds in the operational expenses of SWCDs ensures the distribution to Illinois of about $250 million from the federal farm bill and other sources.

Richard Nichols, Executive Director of the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts, discussed the importance of the districts to Illinois.

“One of the very important things soil and water conservation districts do is assist in the application of conservation practices to agricultural and urban lands that reduce storm water run off, thereby reducing flooding,” Nichols said.  “The loss of funding for staff and programs will severely impact the ability to provide this important benefit for the people of Illinois.”

“Every SWCD across the state has received only $14,000 in payments during this fiscal year,” said Tracy.  “Obviously some of the districts are larger than others and take on additional responsibilities, but when you are in line to receive $80,000 and only get a fraction of that it makes it difficult to properly run operations.  It is just another example of how the Governor feels he can neglect a crucial downstate agricultural program.”

The bi-partisan group of legislators has filed House Resolution 1127, which urges the Governor to immediately release the remaining $5.75 million for SWCDs and the $6.0 million for the Conservation Practices Program.

Many other legislators attended the Statehouse press conference to show their support for soil and water conservation districts and HR 1127.  These include State Senator David Luechtefeld and State Representatives David Reis, Mike Bost, Rich Brauer, Sandy Cole, Shane Cultra, Lisa Dugan, Roger Eddy, Bob Flider, Careen Gordon, Jerry Mitchell, Brandon Phelps, Raymond Poe, Dan Reitz, Chapin Rose, Mike Smith and Patrick Verschoore.

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