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Conservation district asks Coffey County for part‑time staff support to manage federal workload
Summary
Coffee County Conservation District officials said reduced staffing and an increased number of federal cost‑share projects require a larger 2027 budget request to hire at least one part‑time staffer to complete field reviews and administer cost‑share work.
Representatives of the Coffee County Conservation District told commissioners the office has shrunk from seven employees a decade ago to two today and is struggling to keep up with federal program workloads. Christy (identifying herself as a Coffee County Conservation District representative) and Kelsey Porter, district conservationist for NRCS, described about 30 projects rolling in this year (roughly $338,000 in federal project value) and a large CRP portfolio.
Christy said staff expect to perform roughly 120 field reviews plus more than 60 contract re‑enrollments and re‑signups, but local manpower is limited. The district requested a larger budget increase for 2027 (beyond their typical ~3% step) to fund at least one part‑time position to bridge the gap until federal hiring or other solutions arrive.
Commissioners thanked the district for the update and encouraged continued dialog as they review county budget requests; no formal appropriation decision was made at the meeting.
Quote: "Manpower is not, and that's where we're coming just to seek some assistance," Christy said.
