Vermont conservation districts ask legislature for $3 million base appropriation to sustain staffing and programs

Hillary Solomon, district manager at the Poultney Mettowee (Poultney‑Mettowee) Natural Resources Conservation District, and other district leaders told a legislative committee Thursday that Vermont’s 14 conservation districts need a $3,000,000 annual base appropriation to cover core staffing and operational costs.

The request is intended to pay at least one full‑time employee for each district, support supervisors and basic administrative functions, and allow districts to leverage competitive project funding, presenters said. Lauren Weston, manager of the Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District, said the governor has proposed cutting the existing legislative allocation from $612,000 to $500,000 for fiscal 2026 and the districts are asking the committee to restore and increase sustained base funding.

"We are here requesting a base appropriation of $3,000,000," Weston said, asking for stable funding to run district offices, hire staff and meet statutory obligations. She told the committee that the current patchwork of competitive grants constrains planning and forces staff to spend large amounts of time seeking and managing short‑term awards.

Why it matters: Conservation districts serve as locally rooted,…