leverage sheet through the SWCD. Conservation on the ground, clean water, and reducing soil erosion is our goal. As we are leading these goals with cost share assistance, we're also boosting the community economically. This is $1,000,000 that is funneling directly back into the county. Examples of this being purchasing gravel, fabric, for an access road or heavy use pad from Blackwell or Ingrams. Fence posts are fencing from vendor lumber, automatic waters, and pipeline from Lawrence County Farm Supply, or Chapter Supply. Seed fertilizer from standards or bedfurt feed and seed. You get the idea. But also, what about equipment, Randall? Not everyone's own, their own certain equipment needed to install these practices that they're implementing. So they rent equipment from Lazy Diamond or Try County. Or even better, they hire one of our many local contractors that we have on our contractors list in our office. That can construct their practice to me in our CS specs. With every lengthy soil and water receives, comes grant requirements. These requirements consist of, but not limited to, education events, field days, outreach, 25% land on a cashmatch, worth of keeping, and quarterly reporting. If you haven't been to our office, it's located behind Rose in the USDA Service Center, along with Farm Service Agency, FSA, and Natural Resource Conservation Service in our CS. Most soil and water offices are in close proximity with FSA and NRCS, as we collaborate on most conservation programs. We have an agreement with NRCS to assist with customers, phone calls, and technical assistance in exchange for office space, computers, phones, et cetera. Currently, NRCS has over 200 active contracts, equally $8,809,000. Up to this point in 2025, they've also approved 78 additional contracts, equally $3,270,000. These dollars are handled the same way as the soil and water grants. Off-funded participants are required to field visit designs, practices, before payout. Quick math, that is almost $13 million, that the soil and water has helped facilitate into the county. One last thing I want to mention, let's not forget education. Lawrence County soil and water conservation district are also investing in the next generation. Visiting classrooms, hosting workshops, and helping young people understand the value of conservation. When we teach our kids to care for the land, we're teaching them to care for the future. With the increased cost share grants that we have received over the last five years, we weren't able to get them the school classrooms as much as we needed to. So instead of asking the county for another paid position for our office, we applied for a 2024 part-time educator position. This is a three-year 20-hour week position with no benefits. These positions have a very high turnover rate. We're lucky and found a passionate college to add major that the kids love. Hopefully we get a keeper till the end of the grant 2027. What makes this all more powerful as the SWCDs are locally led, they're not distant government agencies. They're made up of people right here in our community. The soil and water conservation district board of supervisors is composed of five individuals who are dedicated to conserve and supporting Lawrence County. The soil and water conservation district is not just a partner in agriculture, they're a partner in the community. Let's continue to support their work, share their message, and be proud of the progress we're making right hand Lawrence County.
{# E23 (Nick, ruling section 1 answer 10): quoting a bill or a court opinion works
the way quoting a news article works. Select a passage above and the same panel
opens: the passage goes to the official you choose, with this document's own
address as its source and its own type. #}