Ellis County Conservation District reports funding wins, outreach plans

Linda O'Neil, district manager of the Ellis County Conservation District, updated the county commission on recent staffing, outreach and program activity, and local funding the district secured this year. She said the district received $25,633 from the State Water Resource cost‑share program and an additional allocation that brought the county total to $27,150 for producer conservation efforts.

O'Neil also reported $15,247 from the Nonpoint Source Pollution Fund and said the district requested an extra $20,000 in state funds, designating $10,000 for a grazing‑lands initiative and $10,000 for county priorities such as terrace rebuilds and waterways. "We were given $25,633," O'Neil said as she described how those dollars were directed to producers. She noted district funds paid for 3.5 miles of terrace rebuilds and two windbreaks last year and that 15 applications are now active in the office.

Dustin Kiley, supervisory district conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, described federal program obligations and their local impact. "For our EQIP program, 2025, we obligated $534,671," Kiley said, and he estimated that combined conservation programs will bring roughly $11,423,000 into Ellis County through stewardship contracts and on‑the‑ground practices. Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about staffing and outreach; O'Neil said the district plans another farmer‑to‑farmer event in August and hopes to add a summer intern and school outreach to 4th graders.

The update drew no formal action but gave commissioners fiscal figures and program priorities to inform future county support.