Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission reports FY24 figures, highlights high district satisfaction and Waukapa demand

Loretta Strickland, acting administrator and agricultural program manager for the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission, presented the commission’s fiscal year 2024 annual and performance report to the House Agriculture Affairs Committee.

The commission reported roughly $3,950,000 in revenue and slightly more than $7,900,000 in expenditures in FY24. It said $1,580,000 appropriated for distribution to the state’s 50 conservation districts was disbursed per statute and agency rule; the first $725,000 was split equally among districts ($14,500 each) and the remaining $858,800 was allocated as state match based on eligible local support. The report said districts reported strong satisfaction with commission services — 97.5% overall — and that staff provided technical support for programs including CREP and the Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program (RCRDP).

The nut graf: the commission emphasized that state support and partner cooperation are central to its work on voluntary, nonregulatory conservation projects, and that interest in the revived Waukapa…