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Soil and water staff report $3.1 million in conservation funding, Raven Fork work continues
Summary
A county conservation presenter summarized fiscal-year 2024 cost-share spending, federal program activity and ongoing Raven Fork stream restoration work, and highlighted outreach and education reaching more than 1,300 children.
Miss Creighton presented the Swain County conservation office’s fiscal-year 2024 highlights, reporting roughly $3.1 million administered across local cost-share, federal programs and a state-funded stream-restoration grant.
“Since 2014, we have administered $3,300,000 in grant funding through our office,” Miss Creighton said. For FY24 the presenter said the county encumbered $11,588 in county cost-share and reported $139,000 through federal cost-share programs; the county is still administering a $3 million state appropriation for the ABCI Raven Fork Stream Restoration Project and spent about $250,000 on that project in FY24 (the presenter said about $1 million has been spent to date and roughly $2 million remained for the project).
Miss Creighton described a variety of cost-share programs available to local farmers, including runoff management (gutters/drain outlets), irrigation-well and heavy-use-area projects, livestock-watering facilities, fencing, pasture renovation, and practices to reduce erosion and ponding. She also described USDA programs active in the county (Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program), which the presenter said spent about $50,000 and $89,000 respectively in Swain County in FY24.
The presenter said outreach and education reached 1,323 children in FY24 through field days, classroom presentations and competitions. She noted staff accomplishments including a professional certification that allows her to sign off on conservation designs.
Commissioners did not take formal action on the report; they asked questions and heard that some projects were in permitting and early construction phases.
Ending: The county conservation office said permitting and construction were underway for Raven Fork, and staff will continue administering grant funds and technical assistance to producers.
