Codington Conservation District Seeks County Funding Amid Rising Costs
- Steve Jurrens
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD The Codington County Board of Commissioners is considering a request to restore annual funding for the Codington County Conservation District, an entity born of the lessons of the “Dirty Thirties” that now struggles against modern economic pressures.
During the Tuesday morning meeting, Board Member Dan Konkey provided historical context for the district, noting its origins in 1942 as a federal response to the Dust Bowl. While the county provided $7,500 in annual support as recently as 1996, the district voluntarily withdrew that funding during a period when the county faced its own budget shortfalls.
“The district had funds at the time, and the county was short on funds,” Konkey explained to the board. “So they agreed... to drop funding to allow the county to have more funds. But throughout the years, the funding has dropped off... and costs have increased like labor, fuel, and repairs”.
Financial Straits and Lack of Taxing Power
Unlike many other local government entities, conservation districts in South Dakota lack the authority to levy taxes. This leaves them entirely dependent on the fees they generate from services like tree planting and equipment rentals. District Manager Deanna Kunkel emphasized that this model is no longer sustainable in a high-inflation environment.
“The only funds that we have to keep our doors open are the services that we do,” Kunkel said. “We don’t have taxing authority like Game, Fish and Parks has with those license plates... the trees that we plant and the CRP that we put in the ground... that’s the only place we get the money from”.
Kunkel revealed that last year, for the first time, the district had to apply for an operating line of credit to maintain cash flow until seasonal payments arrived. “We don’t have enough money to keep everything going,” she added.
Vital Services and Educational Outreach
The district presented a robust portfolio of its impact on Codington County, including:
· CRP Planting: Establishing 1,769 acres of Conservation Reserve Program land since 2021.
· Tree Programs: Planting 132 acres of trees and selling fruit trees to residents.
· Equipment Access: Renting out a no-till drill for 2,332 acres, allowing producers to trial modern conservation methods without the high overhead of purchasing equipment.
· Youth Education: Sponsoring “Rangeland Days,” where students learn to identify native grass species and weeds.
Konkey noted the long-term value of this education, sharing that his own son recently qualified for a national rangeland competition in Oklahoma. He also highlighted the practical need for conservation awareness, describing a personal incident where a neighbor mistook high-value native plants for weeds. “It’s $400 a pound for these flower seeds... and we ended up having to spray off half a section because he thought it should only be grass,” Konkey recalled.
The district requested that $25,000 be allocated primarily to cover labor costs, which Kunkel noted have become a major hurdle. “Kids can go to McDonald’s and make $18 an hour,” she said.
“If I’m going to get kids to plant trees... I can’t offer them $12 bucks”.
To justify the amount, the board pointed to support levels in neighboring counties:
· Grant County: $25,000
· Clark County: $14,500
· Day and Deuel Counties: $12,500 and $12,000, respectively
“I’ve been sitting here for 16 years, and this is the first time I’ve seen this," Commissioner Myron Johnson commented. “I appreciate you doing this”.
The commission has asked the district to submit a formal written proposal by May 31 for consideration in the upcoming budget cycle, as County Auditor Brenda Hanten said was the deadline.
