Conservation Leaders Warn Northern Illinois Farmland Faces Growing Pressure

ROCKFORD -- Illinois conservation leaders are urging lawmakers to increase funding for local soil and water conservation programs, warning that development pressures and farmland loss are creating growing concerns across Northern Illinois communities.

Advocates say healthy farmland remains critical to the economy and environmental stability of Northern Illinois, where agriculture continues to play a major role alongside expanding industrial, logistics, residential, and commercial development.

The Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts, or AISWCD, is calling on lawmakers to strengthen operational funding for Illinois’ 97 local Soil and Water Conservation Districts as the General Assembly approaches its May 31 budget deadline.

Conservation leaders say local districts are increasingly being asked to address flooding, erosion, nutrient runoff, water quality concerns, and farmland preservation challenges with limited resources.

“Illinois cannot afford to treat conservation as an afterthought,” said AISWCD Executive Director Eliot Clay. “Communities across Illinois are dealing with increasing pressure on farmland, water resources, and local infrastructure.”

According to AISWCD, statewide operational funding for local Soil and Water Conservation Districts has remained around $4.5 million annually in recent years — roughly $40,000 per district each year.

Supporters say lawmakers are now considering several proposals aimed at stabilizing conservation funding statewide, including Senate Bill 4044, sponsored by David Koehler, and House Bill 4755, sponsored by Sharon Chung.

SB 4044 would create the Agricultural Land Conservation Act and establish a one-time fee on farmland permanently converted to non-agricultural development. Revenue generated would help fund conservation programs and local SWCD operations statewide.

Conservation leaders say the issue is especially important in Northern Illinois, where growing development corridors continue expanding outward from Chicago and surrounding suburban communities. Advocates warn that without stronger conservation planning and investment, productive farmland and sensitive natural resources could face increasing long-term pressure.

During recent Senate testimony, Clay said Illinois lost more than 75,000 acres of productive farmland to development in FY25 alone.

AISWCD President Dale Shumaker said the conservation challenges facing Illinois continue growing more complex every year.

“We are dealing with diminishing farmland acres. We are dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding. We are dealing with nutrient loss and drinking water contamination,” Shumaker said. “SWCDs are the conservation delivery system in Illinois.”

Advocates say protecting healthy farmland in Northern Illinois is not only an agricultural issue, but also a long-term economic and environmental priority tied to flood prevention, water quality, food production, and community sustainability across the region.