Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts

06/09/2026

We still need vendors and sponsors for our annual conference hosted in East Peoria this year! If you are interested or maybe have more questions, please read out directly today! We also are looking for auction item donations. If you or a local business is willing to donate, please email [email protected].

Thank you all for your support!

06/09/2026

Come see us at the annual FFA convention at the BOS center in Springfield. 🚜🧑‍🌾🌾

05/14/2026

Another successful day at the Capitol! 🌱

AISWCD Board President Dale Shumaker joined Rep. Chung in presenting HB 4755 before the House Appropriations – General Services Committee, legislation requesting $10 million in FY27 operations funding for Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

Dale did an outstanding job telling the story of where our districts are today and why investing in local conservation matters. After getting word the night prior that the bill would be heard, he made the 8-hour round trip to Springfield for a 10-minute testimony slot — a true example of dedication to conservation and our districts.

The committee response was encouraging, with strong engagement and support from members. We also had the opportunity to briefly highlight HB 5593, our companion legislation creating a dedicated funding source through an agricultural conservation fee, demonstrating our commitment to finding responsible, long-term funding solutions.

Thank you to everyone continuing to advocate for soil and water conservation across Illinois. The work is being noticed.

05/13/2026

We received the word that HB 4755 (Chung), which would appropriate $10 million to SWCD operations in FY 27, is going to be heard today at 4 PM in the House Appropriations - General Services Committee. We believe the bill will likely not receive a typical vote, but, just like SB 4044 demonstrated last week, getting the witness slip reflecting broad, statewide support is something these House members will remember as we enter these last crucial weeks of the legislative calendar.

We have less than 5 hours to get these witness slips in before the hearing starts.

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Proponent Witness Slip Instructions for HB 4755:

***NOTE*** We HIGHLY recommend that supporters create an account on ILGA before submitting their witness slips. The benefit this provides is the ability to edit your witness slip up until when the committee starts. I know we have had some folks who have made small errors when filling it out (which is ok!), but this takes a bit of that anxiety away in case a correction is needed!

Slipping as a Proponent for HB 4755:

1. Navigate to the witness slip page for 4755. https://ilga.gov/house/hearings/details/3050/22999/CreateWitnessSlip/?legislationId=165887&GaId=18&View=Create

2. Complete the first identification section (Fax # not required)
3. Complete the Representation section:
**** If you are submitting on behalf of your district/organization, list them here; Or:
**** If you are filling this out on your own behalf, just put "self".
4. Scroll to the Position section and follow these steps:
**** Select "Original Bill" under the first drop, select "Proponent", and then click the "Add Position" button. You should see the bill populate in the adjacent window with "Proponent" listed. Under the next
5. Under Type of Testimony, select “Record of Appearance Only.”
6. Finally, click "Submit Witness Slip" at the bottom of the page

Welcome to the Official government website of the Illinois General Assembly

05/06/2026

It was a great day for SB 4044. Senator Koehler spoke in favor of the benefits of the Agricultural Land Conservation Act during the Senate Appropriations Committee early this morning. This bill is a budget neutral impact to substitute additional funding for SWCDs across the state to continue and expand our conservation initiatives.

We can't thank you all enough for your support. Today we had 310 Proponents listed, much higher than any other bill talked about today.

Let's keep the pressure on!

05/05/2026

We have until 8:00am tomorrow morning to get these witness slips filed where our bill will be heard in Senate Committee. We need your help to pass SB 4044 to secure funding for Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs)!

Support conservation implementation in Illinois by taking 30 seconds to fill out a witness slip!

1. Open the witness slip link below.
2. Fill in your info (no fax needed)
3. Representation = org name or “self”
4. Add SB 4044 - select Proponent - click “Add Position”
5. Testimony = Record of Appearance Only
6. Submit!

https://ilga.gov/.../details/3108/22958/createwitnessslip

05/04/2026

Help us pass SB 4044 to secure funding for Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs)!
Support conservation implementation in Illinois by taking 30 seconds to fill out a witness slip!

1. Open the witness slip link below.
2. Fill in your info (no fax needed)
3. Representation = org name or “self”
4. Add SB 4044 - select Proponent - click “Add Position”
5. Testimony = Record of Appearance Only
6. Submit!

https://ilga.gov/Senate/hearings/details/3108/22958/createwitnessslip

04/11/2026

04/06/2026

Love to see it! Thankful this project keeps giving to communities across the state.