Southern Illinois knows the value of stewardship; Springfield must act before it’s too late
By DALE SHUMAKER
President, Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts • In Southern Illinois, conservation is not an abstract policy debate.
It is the creek that floods after heavy rain. It is the field losing topsoil after severe weather. It is the family farm trying to remain productive for another generation. It is erosion impacting farmland and infrastructure. It is the long-term future of the land we depend on every day.
That is why so many of us across southern Illinois are increasingly concerned about the future of Illinois’ Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
For nearly 30 years, I have served as a district director for the Pulaski Alexander County Soil and Water Conservation District. During that time, I have seen firsthand how important these local conservation offices are to farmers, rural communities, and the broader agricultural economy. I have also watched the challenges grow more complicated as weather extremes intensify, farmland pressures increase, and conservation needs continue to expand.
Unfortunately, the operational funding challenges facing conservation districts are not new.
For years, Soil and Water Conservation Districts across Illinois have struggled with inconsistent and inadequate funding levels that have steadily weakened local conservation capacity over time. Illinois’ 97 SWCDs operate with approximately $4.5 million in statewide operations funding — roughly $40,000 per district annually — a level conservation leaders say has long been insufficient for offices responsible for helping landowners reduce erosion, implement soil health practices, and connect farmers with state and federal conservation programs.
In my own district, we have already experienced the consequences. Our part-time administrative coordinator position recently became impossible to refill because of budget limitations, forcing remaining staff to absorb even more responsibilities. That situation is not unique. It is happening in districts across Illinois.
For southern Illinois communities, this issue matters deeply.
Agriculture remains the economic backbone of many counties throughout the region. Farmers here understand stewardship because they live with the consequences when conservation systems break down. They see what happens when erosion worsens, when flooding damages roads and farmland, or when farmland disappears permanently to development.
We are also seeing increasing pressure on agricultural land itself.
Across Illinois, productive farmland is being converted at an alarming pace for industrial projects, energy development, commercial expansion, and other uses. According to Illinois Department of Agriculture statistics, nearly 3.6 million acres of farmland have been converted to non-agricultural uses during my lifetime. That is roughly 77,000 acres every year.
Once that land is lost, it rarely comes back.
This is why recent conversations in Springfield surrounding Senate Bill 4044 are so important. Sponsored by Peoria Democratic Sen. David Koehler, the proposal would create a one-time farmland conversion fee paid by developers when agricultural land is permanently removed from production, creating a stable funding source for conservation districts and related stewardship efforts.
That point matters. The proposed fee would be paid only once at the time agricultural land is converted for development. It would not create recurring costs for farmers or landowners.
Importantly, lawmakers from both political parties have recognized the urgency of the issue.
During a recent Senate committee hearing, Republican suburban Sen. Don DeWitte also strongly supported efforts to create stable conservation funding, warning that large portions of productive farmland are disappearing every year.
That bipartisan support matters because conservation should never become a partisan issue.
Gov. JB Pritzker and lawmakers from both parties have supported important conservation initiatives in recent years, from soil health programs to nutrient reduction efforts and climate resilience investments. Illinois has shown it understands that conservation supports both economic growth and environmental protection.
Now lawmakers have another opportunity to step up.
Southern Illinois understands that stewardship is not anti-development. We want growth, jobs, and investment. But we also understand that protecting farmland, controlling erosion, and maintaining local conservation capacity must remain part of the equation.
Illinois farmers feed the world. Future generations are counting on us to protect the soil and natural resources that make that possible.
There is still time before the May 31 budget deadline for state leaders to deliver a meaningful solution. For the sake of rural communities across southern Illinois and the future of agriculture statewide, I hope they do.
