Vermont conservation districts ask legislature for $3 million base funding to stabilize operations

Representatives of Vermont’s conservation districts told the Natural Resources & Energy Committee on Feb. 13 they are asking the Legislature to provide $3 million in base operational funding to the Natural Resources Conservation Council, which distributes state funds to the 14 districts.

The request, the speakers said, would finance at least one full‑time paid position per district, board per diems, recruitment and training, and a full‑time staff member at the NRCC. “We really consider that $3,000,000 as, like, the bare minimum to fund district activities,” said Dan Hayman, district manager for the Winooski District.

Why it matters: Conservation districts act as local government subdivisions and are the “boots on the ground” that connect landowners and municipalities to federal, state and private conservation programs, the presenters said. They described projects ranging from stream‑bank and lakeshore plantings to large aquatic organism passage grants that combine federal, state and private funds.

What presenters said: Sam Maine, district manager at Essex County Conservation District, said districts routinely do the local outreach and project scoping that grant programs do not fund. Claire Ireland, director of operations at the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts (VACD), described a long history of collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and said district staff can augment federal capacity by leading local working groups and administering local fund pools.

Funding context and examples: Presenters said the districts currently receive a state base of about $612,000 split among the 14 districts (roughly $35,000 each), plus $100,000 in one‑time funds last year; the governor’s proposed FY‑26 budget would reduce that base to $500,000. The speakers described a recent project in their district that combined a $1.2 million federal aquatic organism passage grant with about $200,000 in NRCC block grant funds and additional private funds to replace culverts and improve flood resiliency and fish passage.

Federal freeze and risk: The group warned that roughly $4 million in federal funding now leveraged by districts — much of it tied to programs under the Inflation Reduction Act or the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — is temporarily frozen and could affect projects or staff currently funded through those sources. Claire Ireland said some payments to landowners and farmers are stalled, creating uncertainty for projects already underway.

Limitations and next steps: Presenters said their work is currently funded through a patchwork of federal, state and private grants that often do not pay for the pre‑project legwork or ongoing administration needed to keep districts operating. They asked committee members to consider support and follow‑up, and several legislators expressed interest in drafting a committee letter or advocating for the funding during the FY‑26 budget process.

Ending: Committee members said they would follow up, and presenters offered to provide packets with district service lists and additional detail for appropriations staff.