May 20, 2024
Esteemed members of Metro Council,
We, community partners of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, urge Metro Council to reject the Mayor’s proposed budget allocation of $30,000 and allocate the full request of $113,200.
This budget cut is an extremely important issue to us as it means the closure of the Conservation District. This would result in the forfeiture of hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal funding for the county, the loss of important technical expertise, and the dissolution of a valuable community partner in conservation and urban agriculture work in Louisville. This closure would be an anomaly on the state level, as every other county in Kentucky prioritizes the full funding of their Soil and Water Conservation District, either through millage tax or fiscal court allocation.
Each of Kentucky’s county Soil and Water Conservation Districts have a Memorandum of Agreement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to bring federal dollars and additional technical assistance to the county. That includes the District’s soil technician, who we work with closely on a variety of workshops, educational outreach, and events. The soil technician is paid 75% by NRCS, a great return on investment for all of the work and expertise they provide to us and the county.
The services provided by the Soil and Water Conservation District are essential for mitigating the impacts of soil erosion, reducing sedimentation in waterways, and preventing nutrient runoff into our streams, creeks, and rivers. By providing technical assistance and funding for conservation practices such as cover cropping, rotational grazing, riparian buffer restoration, and green stormwater management, the District helps to safeguard our waterways, support agricultural productivity, and help to eliminate food deserts.
We urge you to amend the proposed budget to preserve full funding for the Soil and Water Conservation District and their partners at the county Extension Office who are facing similar devastating cuts. Investing in urban agriculture, traditional agriculture, and natural resource conservation is an investment in our future, and it is essential that we prioritize the protection of our natural resources for generations to come.
Signed,
Individuals:
Jennifer Chappell, former District Supervisor, Metro Council District 15
Dennis Craig, Director, Blackacre Conservancy
Joshua Crowder, Metro Council District 4 Candidate
Jody Dahmer, Metro Council District 4 Candidate
Mike Farmer, former District Supervisor
Honorable John Hodgson, State Representative District 36
Seth Husted, JCPS Educator, Art and Writing Contest Participant
Chris Kolb, JCPS School Board District 2
JP Lyninger, Metro Council District 6 Candidate
Kurt Mason, Retired NRCS Urban Conservationist of Kentucky
Erin McClish, JCPS Conservation Educator
Taylor McGovern U’Sellis, Metro Council District 8 Candidate
Honorable Attica Scott, former State Representative
Beth Watkins, JCPS Educator, Art and Writing Contest Participant
Stephanie Watkins, JCPS Educator, Art and Writing Contest Participant
Honorable Jim Wayne, former State Representative
Organizations:
AFSCME Local 3425 Executive Board (the Louisville Free Public Library Workers' Union)
Beargrass Thunder
Common Earth Gardens
Food in Neighborhoods Community Coalition
Food Literacy Project
Greater Louisville Sierra Club
Jefferson County Teachers Association
Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts
Kentucky Sierra Club
Louisville Democratic Socialists of America
Louisville Grows
Olmsted Parks Conservancy
Presbyterian Church USA, Hunger Program
Shelby Park Community Garden
Teamsters Local 89
The 490 Project
Trees Louisville
Wild Ones Louisville