Ellis County Conservation District reports nearly $1 million in cost-share projects, expands staff

Linda O'Neil, manager of the Ellis County Conservation District, told the Ellis County Commission that the district and its partners have placed roughly $970,000 of federal, state and local cost‑share funds on conservation practices in the county during the most recent spending year.

O'Neil said the district recorded 15 miles of terrace rebuilds in 2024–2025, about 1,424 acres of cover crops this year (up from about 1,285 acres the prior year), 7.5 acres of waterways installed in 2024–2025, and the district has obligated 15 acres to a brush‑management program. Windbreak cost‑share activity increased from two farmsteads in 2024 to five expected farmsteads for 2025. "The total for cost‑share funds for our county, and that means federal, state, and county, is $970,000," O'Neil said.

O'Neil also reviewed the district's funding breakdown: state water resources funds were reported at $78,000 after an additional $33,539 award, and state nonpoint‑source funds totaled $79,589 after supplemental awards. The district reported contributing about $32,000 of its own funds for local cost‑share payments and the county provided a separate allotment for cost‑share that commissioners discussed as roughly $76,000–$77,000.

The conservation district introduced two staff and recent hires. Mackenzie Kane, initially a KACD intern and then a part‑time employee while finishing school at Fort Hays State University, was hired full time as a district technician. O'Neil said the district is planning to hire another intern for the coming summer.

O'Neil described recent outreach and training the district and partners attended, including the National Association of Conservation Districts convention and local Envirothon training; she said nine students from Hays High School participated in Envirothon this year. "We definitely have a need for cost‑share funds for conservation practices here in Ellis County," O'Neil said.

Steven Walters, Natural Resources Conservation Service district conservationist, added that Ellis County ranks in the top ten statewide for the amount of contracts and cost‑share dollars the local office processes, and thanked county support for enabling district staff to work with producers.

The commission thanked the district for its work and for leveraging county funds. O'Neil invited commissioners to the district's annual meeting and to a farmer‑to‑farmer event focused on cover crops scheduled in mid‑January.

Ending

Commissioners and district staff emphasized that the district's mix of federal, state, county and district funds supports on‑the‑ground conservation projects. Commissioners praised the return on the county's investment and encouraged continued outreach to producers and youth programs.