Conservation Serving Higher Numbers

It’s budget time for Winneshiek County officials, and Conservation staff are pointing to an increasing presence in the community for Conservation, both in numbers served and in their reach all across Winneshiek County.

Conservation Director Barb Schroeder was on hand at Monday’s meeting of the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors.

Schroeder pointed to something new this year with budget time with a list of questions to be filled out by county departments before budget requests were presented to supervisors.

“It actually was very valuable,” said Schroeder.

Accomplishments included the 2024 Outstanding Environmental Education Program (3 or more interpreters) for Larry Reis, Hannay Meyer and Evan Neubauer assisted by John Kraus, Ryan Wiltgen and Christian Cutsforth/MAggie Schwartz as well as interns, externs and camp counselors.

“The staff has done a phenomenal job at that,” said Schroeder.

Schroeder pointed to rising numbers of people served.

Contacts, defined as a person participating in a program session, are up by annual average of 19.9 percent.

That has seen numbers go from just over 5,700 in 2008 up to 34,728 in 2024.

That is an increase of nearly seven-fold in under two decades.

“We’re in every community,” said Schroeder. “Not just Decorah.”

A concern alongside the increased service and widespread service reach is that grants are down.

Competition is a significant factor in the drop in grant funding to around $30,000 for 2023-24.

In recent years, Conservation has seen grants bringing in as much as over $500,000.

Storm damage in June/July has Conservation working with FEMA for funding.

“I don’t have an exact number, but we’re over $90,000 we’re going to be seeing from FEMA,” said Schroeder.

Conservation will not be asking for additional funding said Schroeder, though some line items will shift from one column to another.

Supervisor Steve Kelsay asked about Conservation moving to an online booking system for camping.

He said the City of Spillville has had good success with this.

According to Schroeder, the logistics have not appeared beneficial to adopt.

“Right now, it hasn’t worked for us,” said Schroeder.