Legislative Day Talking Points

Legislative Day Talking Points

Legislative Day Key Talking Points - Highest Priorities

Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts

  • Educate on the importance of SWCD Operational Funding

Budget templates prepared by the 47 Soil & Water Conservation Districts show an increased need of approximately $2.2 million to meet the essential operations of districts. The Governor’s budget provided for level funding for FY18 and we are greatly appreciative of that recognition and support but also find it necessary to educate lawmakers on how level funding does not meet recognized need.

SWCDs are the essential player at the local level to implement nonpoint source programs to help accomplish water goals established by the General Assembly and the Administration. To meet the requirements of the Chesapeake Bay and Southern Rivers Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) districts must have adequate resources to educate, plan, design and implement nonpoint source pollution control programs. Districts have proven to be the most cost-effective means of accomplishing these water quality goals.

Current funding meets only 72% of district funding needs. Without adequate funding, conservation districts continue to find it especially difficult to meet the critical need to retain highly trained, experienced and skilled employees who are the primary delivery mechanism for programs to meet the Commonwealth’s water quality goals established by the Governor and General Assembly.

BUDGET AMENDMENTS OF IMPORTANCE:

  • Support budget amendment by Delegate Steve Landes and Senator Emmett Hanger regarding Soil & Water District engineering needs.

Additional engineering support of $200,000 is necessary at the Department of Conservation and Recreation to implement the Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost Share Program - requiring 2 additional field engineers. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service does not have engineering resources to meet the demands of an accelerated state cost share program. This budget amendment provides funding to support this engineering need.

  • Support increasing need for cost share and technical assistance.

1)Budget amendments are being introduced to move dollars deposited in the Virginia Water Quality Reserve Fund to the Virginia Natural Resource Commitment Fund and appropriate them for distribution in FY18 for agriculture best management practices cost share program. This budget amendment introduced by Delegate O’Bannon and Senator Hanger appropriates the full $8,274,474 from the Water Quality Reserve Fund for cost share and technical assistance.

2)Budget amendments have been filed to increase agriculture best management cost share program and technical assistance funding via an additional source of funding in the second year of the biennium. Currently the recordation fee – every deed for which the state recordation tax is collected – provides a $10 deposit into the Natural Resource Commitment Fund to be used for agricultural best management practices and technical assistance. This budget amendment introduced by Delegate Lingamfelter andSenator Ruff would allocate the full $20 fee to be used towards ag BMP program and technical assistance, providing an additional $10,000,000 beginning in FY18.

3)Budget amendments are being submitted to bring cost share levels and TA up to meet FY17 funding. Level funding is critical to the program to avoid a roller coaster effect for assisting producers and for maintaining trained staff at the district level. Current backlog also in implementing livestock stream exclusion (SL-6) practices offered at 100% demonstrates that level funding is well below need but essential to making progress on Chesapeake Bay WIP and Southern Rivers TMDLs. A set back in the program is detrimental to water quality. These budget amendments introduced by Delegate Webert and Senator Lewis will increase to cost share and technical assistance level by $43,434,326 in order to maintain level funding from FY17 to FY18.

BILLS OF IMPORTANCE:

  • Support HB1472/SB965 – Patrons:Delegate Scott Lingamfelter/Senator Emmett Hanger– State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act; prohibited contracts; exceptions for certain contracts entered into by an officer or employee of a soil and water conservation district. Per our legislative agenda item #6 this clarifies the intent of the General Assembly legislation passed in 2016 providing that all directors, staff and immediate family can participate in cost share programs offered by the SWCD – this includes all cost share programs such as VCAP, TMDL, 319, other grants in addition to the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Cost Share Program. Recognize the enactment clause on Senator Hanger’s is the language the VASWCD is promoting as it is retroactive and Delegate Lingamfelter will address this concern in committee.

Contact Information for Additional Information:

Kendall Tyree, PhD

Executive Director

Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts

7308 Hanover Green Drive, Suite 100

Mechanicsville, VA 23111

Office: (804) 559-0324

Personal Cell: (804) 837-0925

Email:

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