News Releases

Ryan Announces $300,000 To Support Conservation Projects In 24 Counties

Springfield, Ill. -- Gov. George H. Ryan today announced approval for $300,000 in federal Clean Water Act funds to support Conservation Reserve Enhancement Programs (CREP) in 24 Illinois counties.

The money, allocated through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, will go to the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The Conservation Districts work with agricultural landowners on efforts to protect the Illinois River.

The funding is part of the nonpoint source pollution control program under the federal Clean Water Act. It will enable Soil and Water Conservation Districts to hire staff to expedite CREP sign-ups in Bureau, Christian, Fulton, Knox, Marshall, Menard, Montgomery, Putnam, Sangamon, Shelby, Cass, Schuyler, McDonough, Hancock, Peoria, Tazewell, Grundy, LaSalle, Kankakee, Iroquois, Morgan, Scott, Greene and Macoupin counties. Under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, funding is channeled through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

"Illinois already leads the nation in CREP participation and by working at the local level, these efforts let the state move forward in 24 different communities simultaneously," Governor Ryan said. "We are committed to leveraging available resources to make sure that our Illinois River system continues to serve the people of Illinois, not only as a vital natural resource but as an important aspect of our economy."

"Because of these grants, Soil and Water Conservation offices in two dozen counties have the resources they need to inform and enroll members of the agricultural community in this essential program and that is a key reason why Illinois leads the nation in CREP participation," said Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano.

During the recent three day national CREP conference held in Peoria, it was announced that as of June 1, a total of 5,148 landowner agreements had been signed, with another 465 pending. So far, 122,370 acres have been enrolled in the program, which has a state goal of 132,000 acres.

The CREP effort originated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state of Illinois to implement the USDA's existing Conservation Reserve Program with an emphasis on protecting water quality in the Illinois River and some of its tributaries.

Program goals include reducing sedimentation and runoff, reduce phosphorus and nitrogen deposits in the river, increasing populations of waterfowl, shorebirds and state and federally listed species and increasing native fish and mussel stocks.

Using the resources made available under the new funding, Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be able to assign staff to focus on establishing contracts with farm owners and operators who will commit to converting certain watershed cropland acres to a planting of conservation vegetation.