The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced application details of the 2025 Fall Covers for Spring Savings Cover Crop Incentive Program. Pre-enrollment opens 8am Wednesday December 4 and final submissions will be accepted starting 8am Monday Read more…
Ashley Curran, Grants Manager for the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts, sends an update on grants the association is working on in service of our local SWCDs and our efforts towards healthy Read more…
The University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience features a two-year documentary project by Rich Saal telling the stories of 10 individuals who have spent their lives farming in the Sangamon River Valley. You can see Read more…
The Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District held the second installment of their Women in Agriculture networking and educational series Friday November 1, 2024 in Kane County. About 30 people gathered for an opportunity to Read more…
By Ryan Arch “What’s in it for me?” It’s a fair question, isn’t it? And I can tell you as an executive director of an Association for 9 years, it’s also a question I get Read more…
The AISWCD Forestry Committee and Illinois Extension 4-H are partnering again for a fourth year of statewide tree planting to take place in the spring of 2025. This effort continues to utilize the strengths of Read more…
Community members visited Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District Wednesday to acknowledge Burke Davies’ four decades of service in the field of conservation agriculture. Burke has served as resource coordinator for the district in Read more…
The Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD), a 501(c)4 organization, is seeking an experienced, dynamic, and mission focused individual to serve as the next executive director. STORY The AISWCD was established in Read more…
Precision Conservation Management and PepsiCo are asking SWCDs to spread the word about their cost-share program – an opportunity for farmers to get paid for new and old cover crops, reduced tillage, and/or reduced nitrogen Read more…
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced they will accept sealed bids this fall for about 30 agricultural lease contracts for crop years 2025-2029. IDNR utilizes agricultural leases as a tool to support wildlife Read more…
The Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District, with sponsorship from American Farmland Trust and Kane County, put on an introductory gathering for Women in Ag: Farm Conservation Community Series last Thursday, August 29, 2024, at Read more…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced $5 million in new funding for projects that will improve water quality in Illinois. The Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO) Program has been made possible by Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Read more…
Thanks to those who represented Soil & Water Conservation Districts in the Illinois State Fair this year. The Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts entered a float with the MAGIC of Conservation theme Read more…
Illinois lawmakers are arguing the USDA isn’t allocating enough federal funds for our state, given it ranks fourth in the nation in planted cropland, and asks for doubling or tripling the support for healthy soils Read more…
Richard Lyons of Harvel was named the 2024 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award winner Friday August 9 at Agriculture Day during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. The award honors farmers and forestland owners who go Read more…
The Illinois Department of Agriculture recognized several Soil & Water Conservation District Families Friday August 9 at Agriculture Day at the 2024 Illinois State Fair in Springfield. Conservation Farm Family of the Year Hobby Farms Read more…
The Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD) in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has secured nearly $17 million investment in programming, staffing and district fiscal support. With an eye on celebrating Read more…
Sarah Earles from the Illinois Soil and Water Conservation District Employees Association passes on an appeal for nominations for the Outstanding Soil & Water Conservation District Employee of the Year. If you know of an Read more…
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SWCDs are local, trusted resources that provide a wide variety of services in rural and urban settings that includes technical expertise and assistance towards natural resource management, conservation planning, outreach and education.
SWCDs work to protect Illinois’ greatest assets – the rich, fertile soils and water resources of the state through strategic conservation efforts. The AISWCD and its member distrcits supports the mantra of 'clean water, healthy soils.'
SWCDs implement conservation practices, protect groundwater resources, conserve and restore wetlands/habitat, and work with other levels of government, homeowners, and developers to manage Illinois’ land in an environmentally sensitive manner.