Concerns are on the rise for many Soil and Water Conservation districts around the state, as Illinois continues to search for common ground financially.
Jobs, and the fate of many districts are on the line, but Knox County is currently faring better than most.
That’s according to Resource Conservationist Kara Downin, who says the local SWCD has been cautious in spending money received from conservation projects, while some others across the state were not so cautious.However, Downin says that because financial aid isn’t coming through, KCSWCD’s main conservation program through the Illinois Department of Agriculture is currently “non-existent.”
Downin tells the WGIL Midday that help doesn’t seem to be around the corner either.
“The funds that we get from the Illinois Department of AG are ran through a grant line item,” says Downin. “Back in June, the Governor suspended all grant line items and as of right now we understand that we aren’t even a line item with any amount of funding.”
Downin says that by Wednesday, districts could lose their group insurance. She adds that for smaller county districts, things could look even worse.
“Not every district has multiple programs going on that they are able to somewhat still exist. Some are much more rural than Knox County.”
Threats of a federal shutdown loom as well, which Downin says would essentially lock doors to many conservation offices around the state. Districts will try to hang on as the impasse nears four months without a spending plan in place.
District officials are hoping a bill making its way through the Illinois House could re-introduce the group to the budget. The bill would give districts equal funding to what they received in the previous fiscal year.
