SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS (May 13, 2026) — The Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD) is calling on Illinois lawmakers to make soil and water conservation a top priority in the final weeks of budget negotiations, warning that increasing farmland conversion, flooding concerns, nutrient loss, water-quality challenges, and mounting development pressures are underscoring the urgent need for stronger long-term investment in land stewardship across the state.
With the General Assembly facing a May 31 deadline to approve a state budget, AISWCD leaders said Illinois’ 97 local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) have faced longstanding operational funding challenges that have steadily weakened local conservation capacity over time.
“Illinois cannot afford to treat conservation as an afterthought,” said Eliot Clay, Executive Director of AISWCD.
“Communities across Illinois are dealing with increasing pressure on farmland, water resources, and local infrastructure. At the same time, conservation districts have spent years trying to do more with limited and inconsistent funding. Conservation infrastructure is essential infrastructure.”
AISWCD noted that SWCD operations funding has remained at approximately $4.5 million statewide in recent years — roughly $40,000 per district annually — a level conservation leaders say has long been insufficient to maintain staffing stability, retain experienced employees, and consistently deliver conservation services to farmers and local communities.
The organization is urging lawmakers to restore full operational funding for SWCDs in the FY27 budget while also advancing long-term solutions such as Senate Bill 4044, sponsored by Peoria Democratic Senator David Koehler. The legislation would create the Agricultural Land Conservation Act and establish a one-time developer-paid farmland conversion fee dedicated to supporting conservation programs and SWCD operations statewide.
Under the proposal, developers converting agricultural land for industrial, commercial, residential, renewable energy, or other non-agricultural development would pay a one-time and one-time-only fee per acre when land is permanently removed from agricultural production. AISWCD emphasized the fee would only be paid once at the time of conversion and would not apply to ongoing agricultural operations or create recurring costs for farmers or landowners.
Clay said the conversation comes at a pivotal moment as Illinois experiences accelerating pressure on farmland from data centers, industrial expansion, renewable energy projects, and housing development.
“In FY25 alone, Illinois lost more than 75,000 acres of productive farmland to development,” Clay said in recent prepared Senate testimony supporting SB 4044.
“We are not asking lawmakers to stop development. We are asking for an acknowledgement that Illinois values stewardship alongside growth.”
AISWCD leaders pointed to bipartisan support voiced during a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing as evidence that lawmakers across Illinois understand the importance of investing in conservation.
The hearing also demonstrated broad statewide grassroots support for the proposal. More than 300 proponents filed witness slips in support of SB 4044, including farmers, conservation advocates, agricultural organizations, local Soil and Water Conservation District employees and directors, and partner organizations working directly with SWCDs across Illinois.
During the hearing, Sen Koehler described Illinois farmland as “our gold” and warned lawmakers against “eating the seed corn” by failing to reinvest in the state’s agricultural future.
“This is a way to say to folks, ‘You’re fine to develop, but let’s also put money and investment back into what we do best,’ and that is grow things in Illinois,” Sen Koehler told committee members.
Meanwhile, Republican Suburban Sen Don DeWitte voiced strong support for creating a reliable conservation funding source, warning that large portions of productive farmland are disappearing each year due to development and other land uses.
AISWCD President Dale Shumaker wrote in prepared remarks to lawmakers that Illinois is facing a defining moment for conservation policy.
“Conservation of Illinois’ natural resources is at a critical juncture,” Shumaker said.
“We are dealing with diminishing farmland acres. We are dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding. We are dealing with nutrient loss and drinking-water contamination. SWCDs are the conservation delivery system in Illinois and the local organization to address these issues.”
The organization also emphasized that SWCDs serve as the local delivery network for major state and federal conservation initiatives, helping farmers implement cover crops, no-till systems, nutrient reduction strategies, and soil health practices.
AISWCD said lawmakers now have a narrowing window to demonstrate that Illinois is serious about protecting its most valuable natural resources.
“Every conversation about flooding, drinking-water contamination, farmland conversion, and long-term agricultural sustainability ultimately comes back to stewardship,” Clay said.
“Illinois has some of the richest farmland in the world. The decisions lawmakers make before May 31 will determine whether we continue protecting that legacy or continue falling behind."
For more information, visit AISWCD.
