Everyone has their hat in hand as they talk to legislators in a budget year. There are many worthy causes that deserve funding increases. All teachers, including agriculture teachers, need a pay hike.

Yet one area of state government goes underfunded year after year. It’s the state of Indiana’s support for soil conservation, including the Division of Soil Conservation within the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, and Indiana’s soil and water conservation districts. Someone could easily make the case that per dollar invested, these groups together produce as many or more benefits for Hoosiers than any other single agency or group.

This year the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts is taking a bold step and asking for a sharp hike in funding. “Our leadership decided to ask for what we need to do the job correctly and not just what we think we can get,” says Joe Schmees, executive director of IASWCD.

The group asked legislators to allot $15.2 million as a general fund appropriation for Clean Water Indiana, plus maintain the cigarette tax general funds. For the past several years, the state has contributed about $1 million per year to CWI, plus the dedicated cigarette tax fund. Cigarette tax revenue continues to decline.

“Many districts around Indiana don’t get much support from county officials,” says Ray Chattin, a Knox County farmer and lumberman, and a Knox County SWCD supervisor. Districts have received about $10,000 per year in state funds for several years.

“Our county is fortunate, and we get excellent support from our elected officials,” he notes. Chattin is also a member of the Indiana State Soil Conservation Board. “In return, our district has been very active and has many ongoing projects. Many other counties aren’t able to get that kind of local support.”

Will anyone listen?

If IASWCD’s request were granted, funding for local SWCDs would increase to $50,000 each for technical assistance and an additional $50,000 per district that would require matching. That could amount to $9.2 million. The request also calls for an additional $5 million for Clean Water Indiana grants, plus a $1 million to the Division of Soil Conservation for district support.

IASWCD has done its homework, notes Roger Wenning, newly elected IASWCD state president. A farmer, no-tiller and cover crop enthusiast from Decatur County, he will work closely with Schmees and others to push their request forward.

Schmees notes that the $15.2 million request is only 0.09% of the total general fund from the previous state budget cycle. In that previous cycle, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources received well over $100 million in dedicated and general funds, and ISDA received $8.3 million. Each year over the past three years, requests in funding for Clean Water Indiana grants were roughly more than double what could be awarded.

Will the administration and legislators listen to IASWCD’s long-overdue request? As of mid-January, Schmees was not aware that any legislator had agreed to take the lead and make it happen. The governor’s budget contained a 3% decrease for soil conservation instead of an increase.

Let’s hope state leaders step forward and decide 2019 is the year to give hard-working volunteers and employees who believe in soil conservation the funding they deserve.

Comments? Email tom.bechman@farmprogress.com.