In this op-ed, Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Executive Director Eliot Clay makes the case that Illinois’ climate-smart agriculture investments will succeed only if they are backed by strong local conservation infrastructure. Highlighting the state’s commitment through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, Clay explains how Soil and Water Conservation Districts translate policy into practical results for farmers. His message to policymakers is clear: sustained funding for local conservation capacity is essential to protect farmland, water quality, and community resilience statewide.

Illinois Is Investing in Climate-Smart Agriculture—Now We Must Deliver It at the Local Level

By Eliot Clay
Executive Director, Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Springfield

Illinois agriculture faces no shortage of challenges: from volatile markets to rising input costs to increasingly unpredictable weather. What receives far less attention is the quiet infrastructure that helps farms withstand those pressures while protecting public health and natural resources: soil and water conservation.

Across Illinois, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) serve as the state’s boots on the ground. These districts are non-regulatory, locally led, and trusted by farmers because they work alongside them, not against them. Every day, conservation professionals help landowners reduce erosion, protect water quality, and implement practices that prevent the kinds of failures that later show up as flooded roads, water advisories, and emergency response costs.

At a pivotal moment, Governor JB Pritzker has chosen to treat conservation for what it truly is: essential infrastructure.

Through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG), Illinois is making one of the most significant investments in climate-smart agriculture in its history. The program includes $67 million specifically aimed at expanding no-till and strip-till practices statewide—practices proven to improve soil health, reduce runoff, and lower long-term input costs for farmers. Producers commit to implementing these practices for three years, while SWCDs help develop agreements, map fields, and conduct annual soil health assessments using the STAR program.

This is not abstract climate policy. It is practical, farmer-focused conservation that delivers measurable benefits on Illinois farmland.

Just as important, Illinois has stepped forward at a time when federal conservation programs have faced uncertainty and delays. Rather than waiting on Washington, the Pritzker administration has acted to ensure that farmers have access to tools that work here, under Illinois conditions. That leadership signals a clear understanding that conservation and farm viability are inseparable.

But investment alone is not enough.

Programs like CPRG rely on local conservation districts to succeed. SWCD staff help farmers navigate applications, verify eligibility, design conservation plans, and ensure practices are implemented correctly. Without that local capacity, even the best-designed programs stall.

That reality makes recent budget cuts deeply concerning. State operational funding for Illinois’ 97 SWCDs has been cut nearly in half, leaving districts with resources comparable to the 1990s—often barely enough to support a single staff position. Some districts have already reduced services or delayed projects, even as demand for conservation assistance grows.

The consequences of underinvestment are not theoretical. Illinois has experienced dust storms that shut down highways, nitrate-related drinking water advisories, and harmful algal blooms forcing “Do Not Drink” orders. These are predictable outcomes when conservation capacity fails to keep pace with need.

History offers a clear warning. Soil and water conservation districts were created after the Dust Bowl to prevent crises—not to react once damage is done. Illinois now faces a similar test.

Governor Pritzker has demonstrated leadership by investing in climate-smart agriculture and elevating conservation as a statewide priority. The next step belongs to lawmakers. To fully realize the promise of CPRG and similar programs, the General Assembly must restore and stabilize funding for local conservation districts.

Our districts stand ready to deliver. With sustained commitment, Illinois can ensure that conservation investments reach the ground—protecting farmland, water, and communities for generations to come.