Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Species Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Office of Species Conservation reviews IIJA funds, trustee payments and asks for modest increase in non‑federal grant authority
Summary
The governor’s Office of Species Conservation told the committee it received federal IIJA and other grants and that most spending reported in FY2024 was trustee and benefit payments tied to federal grants; the office asked for a $30,000 increase in its miscellaneous revenue appropriation to pursue additional non‑federal grants and donations.
Administrator Edmonson and financial staff briefed the Joint Finance Corporation Committee on the Office of Species Conservation (OSC) budget and federal grant activity, noting the office’s work is centered on planning and coordinating actions to conserve candidate, threatened and endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act.
OSC, a small state office, reported 16 FTP and said federal funds and trustee and benefit payments compose the bulk of recent expenditures. Janet Jessup told the committee the office received a $5 million federal appropriation under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in fiscal 2023 and that much of that appropriation showed as reverted in FY2023 and FY2024 because the federal grant cash had not yet been spent; Jessup stressed the pattern reflects multiyear federal grants rather than idle cash.
The office’s expenditures in FY2024 were dominated by trustee and benefit payments—Jessup identified roughly $8.24 million in trustee and benefit payments that tracked to federal grants for habitat and species work. OSC requested a modest increase of $30,000 in its miscellaneous revenue appropriation to allow the office to pursue and accept non‑federal grants, donations and settlements; Jessup and Administrator Edmonson said the miscellaneous revenue fund accepts donations and non‑federal grants that can be used for matching or project activity.
Committee members asked about the office’s sustainability and ability to manage federal funds; Edmonson thanked Legislative Service staff and JFAC for a fiscal specialist position added last year that the office said improved its ability to track incoming and outgoing grant dollars.
The governor’s recommendation included the agency’s request without deviation. OSC staff offered to provide further information as needed and said they would continue to pursue nongovernmental funding sources as appropriate.
