Soil and Water Commission reports program growth, warns funding and staffing pressures; two reappointments introduced

The Idaho State Soil and Water Conservation Commission on Thursday told the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee that statewide conservation programs expanded in fiscal 2024 but that funding and staff recruitment remain the commission’s top constraints.

Delwyn Trefts, administrator of the Idaho State Soil and Water Conservation Commission, presented the commission’s fiscal year 2024 annual and performance report, saying the agency delivered technical and financial assistance to local conservation districts while administering programs including the Resource Conservation and Rangeland Development Program (RCRDP) and the state’s partnership in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

The report matters because the commission distributes state match funding to 50 locally governed conservation districts, administers a loan program, provides technical staff to districts, and manages state investments in water- and soil-related projects that affect agriculture, water quality and local infrastructure across Idaho.

Trefts told the committee the commission’s FY2024 revenues were approximately $3.95 million and expenditures just over $7.9 million. Commission staff recorded 11,986 hours assisting districts and provided an additional 2,771 staff hours for CREP participants. The RCRDP loan program financed conservation projects on 8,221 privately owned acres, and staff supported the enrollment of about 49,705 acres in CREP, the administrator said.

Trefts said the commission produced two total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation plans during the year and is expanding tracking of both water-savings and pollutant-load reductions. “We accomplish this…