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State can’t raid conservation funds

As the chairman of the Blair County Conservation District, I am very concerned about a proposal by a handful of state House of Representatives members to balance the state budget.

These representatives propose to balance the state budget by taking a one-time transfer from non-lapsing funds, including the conservation district fund, the farmland preservation fund and the environmental stewardship fund.

The Blair County Conservation District strongly opposes the raiding of these critical dollars. This money is not extra funding. It is funding that has been allocated for specific projects, but not yet reimbursed.

Consequently, the transfer of these dollars has the potential to negate important community projects that have already been obligated in our county and across the commonwealth.

The conservation fund provides money for staffing, project implementation including water quality projects, training and numerous other technical assistance programs to all conservation districts.

The funding transfer being proposed from the conservation district fund is money already committed to conservation district projects across the state. If these dollars are transferred, the projects will have to be canceled.

A transfer from the farmland preservation fund is also problematic for Blair County Conservation District, as we work with farmers interested in selling their development rights through the ag land preservation program.

We, on behalf of the Blair County Agricultural Land Preservation Board, have committed to purchasing these easements from money already provided by the state. However, the funds are not reimbursement until the purchase is completed which could take a year to finalize.

If what is proposed occurs, the Ag Land Board may have to back out or delay purchases without signed sales agreements. You can see the devastating impact this will have on our agriculture community.

A similar scenario will occur by transferring money from the environmental stewardship fund. Again, this money is provided to conservation districts on a reimbursement basis, but it has already been committed. It is erroneous to say this funding is unused and unaccounted for.

Many conservation districts have a contract for a multi-year growing greener grant(s) meaning the project has been started but not completed. Conservation districts do not receive all the project money upfront but get reimbursed quarterly, however, contracts have been signed and executed.

Currently, Blair County Conservation District has a contract for three stream restoration projects in Blair County, all in the initial phases so the construction funds (majority of the grant) have not been utilized but have been committed.

The Blair County Conservation District certainly appreciates the support our conservation districts receive from the General Assembly.

However, we strongly believe that the proposed plan to balance the state budget by transferring money from the aforementioned funds will have a detrimental effect and devastating impact on our local communities.

Please realize that the proposed transfer of funds are not pots of money waiting to be spent.

Most of these funds have been committed but not yet reimbursed. Once those funds are gone, communities will be forced to cancel projects even though they were initially approved and financially supported by the state.

Harold W. Bailey

District Chairman

Blair County

Conservation District

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