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Angela Kazakevicius Bureau of Land and Water Resources Region 5 Representative

Angela Kazakevicius Bureau of Land and Water Resources Region 5 Representative. Quick History. 1818 -Illinois becomes the 21 st state 1819 - Illinois Agricultural Association established 1853 – Illinois State Agricultural Society established with 2 year budget of $1000

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Angela Kazakevicius Bureau of Land and Water Resources Region 5 Representative

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  1. Angela Kazakevicius Bureau of Land and Water Resources Region 5 Representative

  2. Quick History • 1818 -Illinois becomes the 21st state • 1819 - Illinois Agricultural Association established • 1853 – Illinois State Agricultural Society established with 2 year budget of $1000 First state fair on October 11th • 1871 – New Illinois Constitution creates the Department of Agriculture

  3. Today’s IDOA • $109 million budget • 600 employees throughout the state • Activities: • Conserving land and water resource • Protecting health and welfare of livestock and companion animals • Overseeing state and county fairs • Regulating seed, feed, and fertilizer • Ensuring the financial stability of grain dealers and elevators • Promoting Illinois food and agriculture products • Operating state horse racing program • Collecting and distributing agricultural statistics • Controlling Emerald Ash Borer

  4. Soil Erosion on Cropland • Many early settlers farmed for high production with little regard for the soil • George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, like many of their peers, needed new farm land because they wore it out. • Louisiana Purchase was partly to provide new cropland.

  5. Changes • Our country spread from coast to coast and farmers began protecting their soil. • It was too little, too late.

  6. Dust Bowl • The destruction of millions of acres of land due to soil erosion endangered the nation • April 27, 1935, Congress established the Soil Erosion Service. • It was a permanent agency under the USDA

  7. Helping one on one • Charged to work directly with farmers and ranchers to control soil erosion. • Today, this is the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

  8. State erosion effort • In 1936, USDA developed a pamphlet, “A Standard State Soil Conservation Districts law” • It was sent to each governor in the nation • University of Illinois, Illinois Department of Agriculture and interested agricultural organizations reviewed, modified the Standard Law

  9. Local leader • Harold “Hank” Hanna from Dix, Illinois, helped draft the 1937 Illinois Soil and Water Conservation District Act. • Among other accomplishments, he taught agricultural law here at SIU.

  10. The beginning in Illinois • The Illinois Soil and Water Conservation District Act was passed July 9, 1937 • In 1938, the first soil and water conservation district was formed by landowner referendum – Shiloh-O’Fallon now the St. Clair County SWCD.

  11. SWCD Legislated Mission • “conservation of soil, soil resource, water and water resources; • control and prevention of soil erosion; • prevention of air and air pollution;

  12. Prevention of erosion, floodwater and sediment damages, and thereby to conserve natural resources, control floods, prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs, assist in maintaining the navigability of river, and harbors, conserve wildlife and forests, protect the tax base, protect public lands, and protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the State.”

  13. A SWCD is: • “public body, corporate and politic, exercising public power” (no taxing ability) • Legal subdivisions of State government • Organized through referendum, chartered by the Secretary of State • Governed by a 5 member board, elected by landowners and occupiers in the SWCD.

  14. Link with NRCS • To achieve the mission of the Soil Erosion Service of working with farmers and ranchers one on one, a soil and water conservation district had to be established in the area for the Service to send staff and provide assistance. • Today in Illinois, most SWCDs and NRCS offices are co-located and share staff and equipment

  15. The link with IDOA • The Illinois Soil and Water Conservation District Act created the Soil and Water Conservation Advisory Board Members include the Director of IDOA Director of U of I CES (ex officio) 5 Governor appointees who have farmed during the last 5 years, know about SWCDs and spread out throughout the state.

  16. SWCD Advisory Board Assists the local SWCDs in carrying out their mission Keeps SWCDs informed of all SWCD activities Coordinates programs between SWCDs Seeks cooperation with federal, state, private groups to help SWCDs Considers, reviews, expresses its opinion on any rules, regs, ordinances or other SWCD actions.

  17. more Prepares and submits a budget to the Director Develops and coordinates statewide erosion and sediment program Promotes land management re:Illinois Forestry Development Act Makes grants

  18. The link • The Illinois Soil and Water Conservation District Act legislates that the Illinois Department of Agriculture staffs and funds the Soil and Water Conservation Advisory Board. • The board funds the local SWCDs through grants.

  19. IDOA grants SWCDs to: • Carry out a comprehensive soil erosion and sediment control program. • Operations funding • Cost share practice funding • Transect survey

  20. Other SWCD partners • Any federal, state, local, private group that contributes to the SWCD’s Declaration of Policy • County boards • Public health departments • IDNR,IEPA,IDCEO • Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, etc. • Schools, • US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife, etc

  21. SWCDs in other states • There are SWCDs in all 50 states • Some are part of county government (WI) • Some are staffed with state employees (MO) • Some are part of the state’s Department of Natural Resources (MO) • Some are divided by watersheds instead of counties (NE)

  22. more differences • Some state’s SWCD boards have 5, 7, or 9 members, some differ by population • Some states have the county extension service representative automatically on the SWCD board

  23. Trivia • Why create a new organization in each county to work on soil erosion control when the Cooperative Extension Service already existed? • The Secretary of Agriculture was having trouble with the head of CES, he wasn’t reporting to him as requested. So, he wasn’t going to give him the new responsibility

  24. Not so trivia • Why doesn’t IDOA just implement programs statewide? From the very beginning and even today, the IDOA believes that the local landowners and the local leaders can best define its natural resource concerns and develop/implement local solutions

  25. Southern Illinois SWCDs • You can keep track of the activities of the southern 19 soil and water conservation districts by visiting their website: • www.siswcds.webs.com

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