Conservation Funding Uncertainty Leaves Rural Communities Scrambling

Strategic Insights -

The Walsh County Three Rivers Soil Conservation District in North Dakota relies heavily on federal funds for conservation efforts, but the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA's Climate Smart Commodities Program have been cut, leaving local organizations scrambling for alternative funding sources. The SCD's watershed coordinator, Josh Anderson, explained that the district's budget is largely composed of mill levies from the county, which are insufficient to cover the costs associated with water quality monitoring and soil conservation practices. "When you lose a big primary source for conservation funding throughout the country, then every organization like ours is scrambling to find those exact same other sources of money," Anderson said.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Walsh County Three Rivers Soil Conservation District's watershed coordinator, Josh Anderson, expressed concerns about the impact of federal funding cuts on local conservation efforts.
  • The district relies heavily on mill levies from the county, which are insufficient to cover the costs associated with water quality monitoring and soil conservation practices.
  • The USDA's Climate Smart Commodities Program, which was funded through the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, was cut, affecting local organizations such as the Walsh County SCD.
  • Funding uncertainty has led to the layoff of employees at the Ecology Insights research nonprofit, as well as a halt in conservation projects, including the Meadowlark Initiative to restore native grasslands and enhance wildlife habitat.
  • Rebecca Phillips, executive director of Ecology Insights, stated that program managers at USDA-NRCS told her that they didn't know what would happen to her project, despite having a signed contract and being 75% complete.
  • The district's SCD has been working to deliver funding to farmers and ranchers through the Working Lands Cover Crop Initiative grant, but the funding was cut, affecting the project's progress.
  • Phillips has had similar experiences trying to rebudget a federal contract with NRCS for a hemp production and soil carbon project, citing the lack of staff and difficulty in administering the contract.
  • Tree planting efforts have been a bright spot in Walsh County, thanks to federal funds from the North Dakota Forest Service, but the district's application for another round of grants was denied due to Trump administration cuts in Inflation Reduction Act funding.

Statistics:

  • The Walsh County SCD's budget is composed of 60% federal funds and 40% local mill levies (Source: Josh Anderson).
  • The watershed grant for the Park River Watershed pays for 60% of the producer or farmer's costs for most practices involved in protecting water quality through soil health practices (Source: Josh Anderson).
  • The district expanded the number of stream-sampling sites it monitors from three to five, but needs the next phase of funding to continue (Source: Josh Anderson).
  • Funding for Phase 2 of the watershed grant runs out on November 30 (Source: Josh Anderson).
  • The Working Lands Cover Crop Initiative grant was cut, affecting the project's progress (Source: Josh Anderson).
  • The grant would have provided incentives for historically underserved farmers and ranchers and first-time producers to help build local and regional markets for local grass-fed beef (Source: Josh Anderson).

Sources:

  • Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.), "Conservation Funding Uncertainty Leaves Rural Communities Scrambling," 2025.
  • Tribune Content Agency, LLC, distributed by the Grand Forks Herald, September 13, 2023.