BE AN ADVOCATE
One of the good things government has done for us is to provide citizens with a means to support the conservation of our soil and water on which our live depends. Soil and Water Conservation Districts were established by an Act of the State Legislature to coordinate soil and water conservation efforts specific to the needs of individual Illinois Counties.
The State Act under which the Districts were created requires the cooperation of the Federal Agency now known as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Their technical support for conservation practices helps producers access support and program funding.
Conserving soil and water is important for all the citizens of the State of Illinois. Water and good soil are two of the most valuable resources of our State and the basis of an agricultural economy on which we, as Illinois citizens, depend. Now the budget woes of Illinois are directly impacting the services of the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.        
The NRCS supports office space for the Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The State of Illinois and County governments support all the operating expenses supplemented with earnings from conservation tree and fish sales. For FY 10, each SWCD was to receive $59,459 for their operating expenses from the State – about 75% of their normal state provided funding level – and the fourth quarter of this allocation has not yet been received. Stephenson County has provided for FY 10 $25,000 to its Soil and Water Conservation District operating budget.
Stephenson SWCD supports two employees full time, a resource conservationist who works cooperatively with the NRCS Field Office staff, and an administrative coordinator whose job includes administering many of the office duties for the NRCS staff. The SWCD provides important technical support to producers. Producers in turn apply practices to conserve our soil and water resources benefiting all Illinois citizens.
The operation of the SWCD benefits all of us in many ways including:

• Returning about $23 in goods and services to the state and local economy for every state dollar that is provided to them – a worthwhile investment.
• Providing assistance to urban areas undergoing development to help reduce offsite sediment damages.
• Educating developers about  EPA standards and permits.
• Administering or assisting with many state, federal, and local organization programs that deal with water quality issues, soil erosion control, flood prevention, and wildlife habitat improvement.
• Training staff in providing the best technical service.
• Reaching local landowners with assistance in using federal programs to apply best management conservation practices.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts provide a unique delivery system that assures taxpayers that money is used efficiently to meet local needs. Be a grassroots  advocate for your District in any way you can.

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 11/10/10 (for publication on 11/13/10 in the Journal Standard, Freeport, Illinois) Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org