SPRINGFIELD — Illinois conservation leaders are intensifying calls for lawmakers to prioritize long-term soil and water conservation funding before the General Assembly’s May 31 budget deadline, warning that mounting development pressures, flooding concerns, nutrient loss, and declining farmland acreage are placing increasing strain on the state’s conservation infrastructure.

The renewed push comes as a House budget committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Room 122 of the Illinois Capitol and is expected to consider House Bill 4755, legislation sponsored by Sharon Chung that would provide $10 million in operational funding for Illinois’ 97 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).

Conservation advocates view the measure as a companion effort to Senate Bill 4044, sponsored by David Koehler, which would establish the Agricultural Land Conservation Act and create a one-time farmland conversion fee paid by developers when agricultural land is permanently converted to non-farm uses.

The Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts, or AISWCD, said the state’s current SWCD operations funding — approximately $4.5 million statewide, or roughly $40,000 per district annually — has remained largely stagnant for years despite growing conservation demands.

“Illinois cannot afford to treat conservation as an afterthought,” said AISWCD Executive Director Eliot Clay. “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.”

AISWCD leaders say the debate comes at a critical moment as Illinois continues losing productive farmland to industrial expansion, renewable energy projects, housing development, and data center construction. According to Clay’s recent Senate testimony, Illinois lost more than 75,000 acres of productive farmland to development in FY25 alone.

Under SB 4044, developers converting agricultural land for commercial, industrial, residential, renewable energy, or other non-agricultural uses would pay a one-time fee dedicated to conservation programs and SWCD operations. AISWCD emphasized the proposal would not impose recurring costs on farmers or agricultural producers.

Supporters say HB 4755 would provide immediate operational relief while lawmakers continue broader discussions around long-term conservation funding mechanisms.

During a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on SB 4044, Koehler described Illinois farmland as “our gold” and warned lawmakers against “eating the seed corn” by failing to reinvest in conservation and agricultural sustainability.

AISWCD President Dale Shumaker said Illinois faces a defining moment for conservation policy.

“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,” Shumaker said. “SWCDs are the conservation delivery system in Illinois.”