Sharon ConnerDistrict Manager

Hanover-Caroline SWCD

Planning is essential with any successful organizationPlanning processes occur at many levels within the District• Strategic Plans• Annual Plans• Local Plans or Contracts

The broader public must be reached to understand their stake in conservation and contribute their political, volunteer, and financial support!

Continuous program to help people understand what a Conservation District is, what is does, and why it is importantGood public relations will:• Ensure that localities and citizens are

aware of the availability of District programs

• Build rapport with other groups• Increase inter-agency relations• Improve the quality of people who serve

a District as Directors• Increase the amount of funding Districts

receiveConsistency:• Directors must be engaged with the public – Don’t sell yourself

or your District short as a local resource! • Directors must develop strong relationships with local officials.

Your elected position is as important. You are the voice for Natural Resource Issues. Sending Staff is rarely as effective.

Stay Connected:• Personal Contacts• Community Meetings• Newsletters• Conservation Directories• Radio and Newspaper Spots• Videos • Field Days and Demonstrations• Presentations• Personal Invitations to District Functions and

Meetings• Annual Meetings • Awards Banquets including Clean Water Farm

Awards• Legislative Breakfasts• Workshops on Topics of Interest• Websites

Services to the Locality•Planning Departments•Public Works Departments•Utilities/Public Grounds•Economic Development•Health Department•Other County Committees

Services to Producers•Traditional Farm Sector•Transitioning Farm Community

Services to Educators•K-12•Governor’s School•Colleges and Universities•Private/Home Schools

Services to Landowners•Homeowners•Homeowner Associations•Civic Groups and Associations

Services to Business Community

•Landscapers•Greenhouses•Building Contractors•Local Businesses and Business Associations

Partner Agencies and Non- profits

Thomas Jefferson SWCDStorm water Commitments

Contract with Albemarle County to provide assistance with MS4 Storm water program elements including Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation and Involvement, and Illicit Discharge DetectionProvide services on an hourly rate for staff time . Brings in $10,000 per year.

Erosion and Sediment Control Reviews plans for colleges and universities for a flat retainer fee ($4000 per year) per institutionReview and inspect Town of Scottsville’s E&S plans – charges on a per plan basisReviews E&S and Storm water plans for the counties of Louisa and Nelson as part of dedicated funding allocationsProvide Shoreline Protection services in support of local ordinances for Louisa County and Lake Anna

TMDL’s (Impaired Streams)Subcontracted with the Nature Conservancy to determine the stream issues (phase 1) - this included $7000 administrative funds for the District in addition to costs for stream walks

Thomas Jefferson SWCD

Continued working with the Nature Conservancy to help install projects that were not cost-sharable under the state BMP cost-share program. This equated to $20,000 for the District and $180,000 for the projectsAllocated almost $700,000 in BMP cost-share funding in 2009

Prince William SWCD

Receives the majority of its locality operating funds through the Department of Public Works, Watershed Management Division, from a Storm water Management Fee. The relationship has been ongoing for 22 years.The District assists the locality with Soil and Water Quality Conservation Planning for farms (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act)The District administers with DCR the Adopt a Stream Programs in the localities (35 reaches)Outreach Education opportunities can be ordered on-line by K-12 schools Agricultural Services are not duplicated or offered by any other County Department or County-supported agencySimilar services are provided to the City of Manassas and the Town of Haymarket for additional funding

Grants – Over $145,000 in grant funds have been received over the past 2 fiscal years.

Chesapeake Bay-Friendly Horse Farm Project – DCR Water Quality Improvement Fund. This addresses issues that DCR cost-sharing is not available for.O2 Composting Project – Fairfax WaterFamily Nature Adventure – Chesapeake Bay Restoration FundSoil Tunnel – Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund

Prince William SWCD

35 Partners on the Horse Farm Project

Setting up a 501c3 organization called the Prince William Environmental Excellence Foundation to accept donations and grant funds not currently available to SWCDs

Hanover-Caroline SWCD

Soil and Water Quality Conservation PlanningContracts with both localities to provide conservation planning for agricultural operations in both Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas and Non-Bay AreasProvides planning for activities associated with land conversions and those exempted by the Erosion and Sediment Control LawProvided an additional $35,000 per year

Storm water Assistance – provide Education and Outreach in support of the localities MS4 obligationsK-12 Education – provide Chesapeake Bay 2000 agreement requirements that all students will have a Meaningful Watershed ExperienceOperational budgets from both localities have doubled in a decade

Equipment program generates $10,000 annually from the rental of 2 no-till drillsA yearly rain barrel program generates $5,000 per year in fundingAn ongoing wildlife box program generates between $500 and $1000 yearlyGrants – over the last two fiscal years, over $150,000 have been secured

Hanover-Caroline SWCD

Pamunkey Farm Innovative Grazing Systems Project secured $78,000 in funds from NFWFUnion Bankshares Corporate Greening of Virginia - secured $50,000 in funds from NFWFYork Roundtable – several grants have been secured via the roundtable for administration and educational outreach totaling approximately $5000Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience – secured partnership funds from DEQ in the amount of $1200Have partnered on numerous other grant projects that have brought funding into the District including a $45,000 LID project with Randolph Macon College and the State Fair of VirginiaAllocated over $800,000 in Ag BMP cost-share funding in 2009

Utilizes a funding formula based upon workload and programs. Their budget is put together based upon local need and a balanced budget. The first half of the budget is divided between their 5 counties based upon proportion of population within the District. The second half of the budget is based on workload of the previous 12 calendar months for the 5 counties.

Culpeper SWCD

Workloads include urban programs such as erosion and sediment control, storm water engineering reviews, code revisions, rezoning requestsGrants – WQIF has been utilized to develop ordinance guides for Storm water on Individual Home Sites and for roads and drainage waysStill allocate over $1.2 million annually in Ag BMP and TMDL Ag BMP funding

Head waters SWCD

Sale of Tree Seedlings have raised funds for Headwaters educational outreach opportunities for the past 11 years.

Piedmont SWCD

Equipment Rentals of an earth moving pan, straw mulch blower, no-till drill, and roller crimper generate over $20,000 in revenues each year.

The Eastern Shore SWCD has been busy with several major projects this year involving an EPA Capacity Building Grant. This grant has been utilized by the Eastern Shore Environmental Education Council created by the district, and chaired by the Education Director. The Council has developed and led several successful projects that have reached many of the residents of the Eastern Shore.

Eastern Shore SWCD

Projects include, the “Shore Outdoors,” a four page full color special insert to the Eastern Shore local newspaper that reaches over 65% of the households of the Eastern Shore, about 12,000 households. There have been nine environmental issues. Another activity, The Watershed Walk is an outgrowth of the former Watershed Festival, which was revived by the EE Council. The purpose of the Watershed Walk is to provide a fun filled, hands-on, educational event which allows over 1000 children (and adults) of the Eastern Shore to learn about their local watersheds, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Eastern Shore Environment.

Flexibility• Change with the demands of your constituents• Flexible with Staff job descriptions and training opportunitiesInteract with other SWCDs – partner on projects to reach larger audiences and expand funding opportunitiesExpand Involvement in committees, commissions, non-profits, educational institutions, etc.• Roundtables – projects and funding opportunities through the

watershed roundtables• Commissions – Rivanna River Basin Commission, Rappahannock

River Basin Commission• Non-Profit Agencies– Funding for projects through such non-

profits as Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Nature Conservancy

• Educational Institutions – Universities, Colleges• Partnerships , Committees, Forums , Councils – Shenandoah Pure

Water Forum, Streamwatch Committee, Rivanna Regional Storm water Education Partnership , Prince William Clean Community Council

Grant Opportunities

Sometimes the little things are what people remember• Personal phone calls from Directors – keep the lines of

communication open.• Regular meetings with local officials – don’t just send

the staff (that is rarely as effective)• Provide Quarterly reports• Provide written thank you’s for financial contributions• Follow through on all commitments!• Always give recognition to agencies, associations and

personnel for their support – they will be more eager to support you again if they are recognized for their efforts.

If you have developed good public relations and a good slate of services, budget requests to your localities will come easier.Don’t wait until budget time to approach your locality!Meet regularly with your local finance officer and administration; provide regular reports to your locality; attend locality work sessions/staff meetings/board of supervisor meetingsMake sure your District is a separate line item in you localities budgetDraft budgets early and with multiple scenarios.Always ask for funding - If you don’t ask, you don’t getIf funding is not an option, offer a funding alternative – a budget inclusion for printing services, computer services, office space, vehicles

BudgetsFinance Committees should meet regularly to review budget/actual progress throughout the year. Project revenues and expenses. Take into consideration and have a plan for any unexpended funds from the previous year.Be specific and detail what funds will be used for.Show District investment into locality including cost-share, grants, district generated funds and service benefitsInclude audit statements, financial reports, Strategic Plan, Annual Plan of Work, and Annual ReportAlways request a budget hearing or a one-on-one meeting with local government officials or staffIf you know about potential cuts (state cuts, cost-share cuts, etc.), inform the locality ahead of time, particularly if it will effect service levels.

If you are not having success with support from your locality, it is time to re-examine your relationship with your elected officials. Ask yourself how can you make those connections on a regular basis, are you offering the services needed by your locality, are you filling a niche that no-other department of agency can fill.

Realize that establishing a relationship with your localities is only half of the equation. Efforts to maintain established relationships should be ongoing and persistent. As a District Director, consider capacity building with your locality officials to be one of your biggest responsibilities.DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT!!! You are the local voice for Natural Resource Issues.

Sharon ConnerHanover-Caroline SWCD804-537-5225 ext. 109

www.h-cswcd.org