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Soil & Water reports conservation work; $3.5 million expected for local implementation
Summary
John Negley of the Soil & Water Conservation District told the PEAK committee the district has multiple planning and implementation projects and expects an implementation contract that will bring $3.5 million to Tompkins County through the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition and state bond funding.
John Negley, representing the Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District, briefed the PEAK committee on 2025 accomplishments and 2026 priorities, and highlighted an expected influx of implementation funding tied to the state bond act.
Negley summarized work this year: five large planning projects (including Buttermilk Creek and Fiddlers Green stream assessments), nutrient-management planning assistance for smaller farms, implementation funding via the state Ag & Markets AEM program (about $100,000 directed to dairy-farm implementation this cycle), and recent volunteer riparian-buffer plantings. "We're hoping to get to a 30% completed design by 2026 that can be implemented," he said of stream-stabilization designs on Buttermilk Creek.
Most notably, Negley said the district is poised to sign an implementation contract with the Eastern Finger Lakes Coalition that would bring $3,500,000 to Tompkins County for conservation projects; he said the broader program represents about $42,000,000 across 11 soil-and-water districts.
The district also reported success in community programming: a reinvigorated annual tree-and-shrub sale that sold approximately 2,500 trees and shrubs in 2025; Negley said the district aims to open online ordering in January with delivery/sale activity in April.
Staff and legislators discussed timing for field tours and coordination with highway and stormwater partners to examine project outcomes in the field. Negley suggested October is often a useful time for site visits because projects are near completion.
Ending: Negley asked committee members to consider joining site tours in 2026 and said the implementation funds will help scale on-the-ground conservation activities across the county.
