2026 Issue 2

Upcoming Board Meetings

Second Thursday of every Month

Check website for times and agendas

Locally Led Conservation

Election Results

Congratulations to the KDSWCD Directors-Elect of 2026: Thomas Konen, Gerard Fabrizius and Dr. Karen Stewart. Their two-year terms began in March.

Officers were also inducted:

Chairman - Thomas Konen

Vice Chair - Maggie Soliz

Secretary/Treasurer - William Pauling

Director - Gerard Fabrizius

Director - Dr. Karen 'Ren' Stewart

Local Work Group Update

The Illinois Local Work Group Conservation Needs Assessment Report for 2025 outlines the data compiled by soil and water conservation districts throughout the state last year.

Our Local Work Group met last April, comprised of a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from KDSWCD, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), conservation organizations, local government officials, farmers, landowners and community groups. We discussed local resource issues and identified priority areas.

KDSWCD is part of NRCS Area 1. Key takeaways for our region include: top three resource concerns identified focus on soil erosion and compaction, with additional concerns about flooding, sediment transport and urbanization pressures called out. The top conservation practices recommended to address soil health are cover crops, reduced/no-till, grassed waterways, filter strips and nutrient management. Click on the chart below to review the state summary, as well as the Area 1 report.

The KDSWCD Local Work Group will reconvene soon! If you participated in 2025, watch for an invitation in your email. If you did not participate in 2025 and would like to join us, please send an email to contact@kanedupageswcd.org.

Native Tree, Shrub & Plant Sales are LIVE!

KDSWCD's 2026 spring native tree, shrub and plant sale catalogs are available on our website - favorites are selling out fast!

Native Plant Sales

In the Fields

Conservation Agriculture Support

Technical support and cost share funds are available for landowners across the District through the IDOA Partners for Conservation (PFC) program.

Eligible practices include:

• filter strips, grassed waterways & terraces

• drainage water management & saturated buffers

• grade stabilization structures & diversions

• no till/strip till

• conservation cover & cover crops

• denitrifying bioreactors & saturated buffers

• rain gardens & pollinator habitats

• well decommissioning

All designed to help improve soil health, protect water quality and keep working lands productive! Funding is limited!

Deadline: FRIDAY APRIL 3

Email to Apply

Kane County seeking

Farmland Preservation Administrator

Kane County and the U.S.D.A. through its federal farmland protection program have invested over $32.6 million dollars in Kane County to permanently protect its rich farmland in agricultural conservation easements. Since 2001, Kane County has invested over $19.9 million dollars in Riverboat funds matched by more than $12.6 in federal funds from the Federal Farmland Protection Program.

Twenty-nine family-owned and operated farms (4,927 acres) have been permanently protected through this voluntary program since 2001. This award winning program has a waiting list of farms totally 1,500 acres waiting to be protected.

The Farmland Preservation Administrator is responsible for direct outreach to farmers and landowners within Kane County and leading the application, contracting, and implementation of Farm Bill Programs, as well as agriculture initiatives. Preview the comprehensive job description and apply - click below and then scroll down to the posting.

Farmland Preservation Administrator

Email for Details

I-Cover Program

IDOA secured a $7 million USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant to launch the program, which offers cost-share/financial incentives to producers and landowners who are new adopters of cover crops or who utilize new techniques for earlier establishment of cover crops. I-COVER is a three-year program for cover crops planted in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

The following rates will be available to selected applications for the following practice scenarios for each of the three years of the program. Scenario rates vary based on species number and type.

$61.13/acre for one or more cover crop species, winter-killed
$85.65/acre for single cover crop species, spring-terminated
$105.40/acre for one or more cover crop species, spring-terminated

Pre-enrollment period opens April 1

Applications can be submitted from April 15, 2026 to May 1, 2026

USDA FSA Now Accepting Applications for Second Stage of Crop Disaster, Milk Loss and On-Farm Stored Commodity
Loss Assistance

Deadline April 30, 2026

Click for INFO

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting applications for assistance through the second stage of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), as approved by Congress. This applies to agricultural producers who, due to qualifying natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, suffered eligible non-indemnified, uncovered or quality crop losses, forced to dump or remove milk, or losses of farm stored commodities.

The Weatherization Rebate Program offers rebates of up to $800 for:

1) Air Sealing: the process of identifying and eliminating air leaks in your home (examples: caulking and weatherstripping)

2) Attic Insulation: the installation of material in the attic to lessen the transfer of heat or cold air into the home (examples: foam, fiberglass, cellulose or mineral wool)

To qualify for the rebate, farmers must provide three forms of documentation to a Kane County staff member:

· Proof of residence in Kane County

· Proof of occupation

· Proof of work completed yourself (DIY) or a qualified contractor

Weatherization Rebate Program for Kane County Farms

Studies have shown that air sealing and attic insulation can reduce a home’s energy usage by 12-18%, leading to long-term savings on your utility bills! The Kane County Board has unanimously approved Resolution 25-198, allocating $20,000 from the Electric Aggregation Fund to supporting Kane County farmers in weatherizing their homes. KDSWCD is proud to partner with Kane County in the administration of this rebate program.

Funding will be awarded first come, first served. Questions? Contact Austin via email at powell.austin@kanecountyil.gov or phone 630-444-3157.

Info & Application

In Other Developments

23rd Annual KDSWCD

Soil Erosion & Sediment Control Seminar

2026 Focus: Green Infrastructure

Video on YouTube!

More than 130 municipal, county and engineering professional attended this year's SESC Seminar held at Elgin Community College in January.

Presentations included case studies from throughout NE Illinois, discussion of digital tools for infrastructure asset management and implementation of sustainability plans.

Sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)

VIDEO on YouTube

Illinois Urban Manual
2026 Calendars

Just a few calendars still available! Featuring soil erosion and sediment control BMPs, trivia, tips and more ...complimentary. Pick up your copy(ies) from our office before we run out!

Funding for this project provided, in part, by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency through Section 604 of the Clean Water Act.

In the News

Envirothon 2026 Winners

This year's Northeastern Illinois Envirothon competition hosted 29 teams from high schools all throughout the region. More than 150 students participated in sessions focused on soil, aquatics, forestry and wildlife. They made presentations on the 2026 topic "Non-Point Source Pollution: it begins at home!" to a three-judge panel consisting of local environmental professionals.

The overall winner for the Northeastern region was Lane Tech High School (Cook County), repeat winning 2025 team. Second overall was University of Chicago Lab HS (Cook County) and third overall team in Adlai Stevenson HS Team 2 (Lake County). See below for Kane and DuPage County winning teams!

Congratulations to all participants!

Batavia High School

Kane County Winner

Glenbard West High School

DuPage County Winner

Glenbard East High School

Future Farmers of America Division Winner

Sponsor support ensures

that all eligible students can participate

and that each event is successful!

Any donation amount is welcome.

Thank You 2026 Sponsors!

A Voice from our Community

G is for Glaciers

by David Schoenknecht

It was the spring of 2022.

My granddaughter’s class was in the midst of their “A-B-C Countdown” of days toward the end of the school year at D301’s Howard B. Thomas Elementary School. They were eagerly leaning into “Z”-day: Zip up and Zoom Out!

I had offered to come into her class to talk about the glaciation of Kane County on “G”-day. Something I had never done before. But I did have my Kane County Certified Naturalist accreditation, so I was somewhat official. I even wore the KCCN embroidered polo!

The teacher agreed to have me. So that’s what brought me on a warm May day in front of several waves of students and teachers. Not just my granddaughter’s class, but ALL the eighty-some 4th graders at HBT. Most of whom had no idea that their school was built atop a ridge of terminal moraine, very near the fourth-highest point in all of Illinois.

Looking at the image above, you might be able to detect the primary object of my amateur wonderment, the outline of something the geologists call “Glacial Lake Pingree.” For a while, as the pandemic was winding down, D301 schools were in session, but the buses were not running. Twice each school day, I traveled between the Gilbert’s Drift and the Marengo Moraine. I sometimes took Rt. 20; sometimes Plank Road, Plato Road, Silver Glen, and the story was similar—start high, go low, go back up.