WADE Conference June 14, 2016 Sleeping Lady, Leavenworth WA Mark - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

WADE Conference – June 14, 2016 Sleeping Lady, Leavenworth WA Mark Craven, WACD President Ron Shultz, WSCC Policy Director

 Roles of the conservation districts and Conservation

Commission – relationship to funding.

 How conservation districts and the Conservation Commission

are funded.

 Historic funding amounts.  Funding status for the next several years.  April 20-21 meeting of WSCC / WACD / CDs  Plans for next steps for conservation district and Conservation

Commission funding.

Statutory duties and functions: CDs constitute a governmental subdivision of the state, and a public body corporate and politic exercising public powers, but shall not levy taxes or issue bonds. Shall have the following powers: (1) To conduct surveys, investigations, and research relating to the conservation of renewable natural resources and the preventive and control measures and works of improvement needed…; (2) To carry out preventative and control measures and works of improvement for the conservation of renewable natural resources, within the district…; (3) To make available, on such terms, as it shall prescribe, to land occupiers within the district, agricultural and engineering machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds, seedlings, and such other equipment and material as will assist them to carry on

• perations upon their lands for the conservation of renewable natural resources;

(4) To administer any project or program concerned with the conservation of renewable natural resources located within its boundaries undertaken by any federal, state, or other public agency by entering into a contract or other appropriate administrative arrangement with any agency administering such project or program;

 Independent state agency established in 1939.  Oversee the activities of the conservation districts.  Serve as a coordinating agency for incentive-based activities

relating to impacts to natural resources from ag activities.

 To compile and submit to the governor and legislators a

budget of the needs of the districts and Commission.

 Local Funding:

• Assessments / Rates and Charges
• County funding (i.e. stormwater funds)
• Grants – state (i.e. DOE 319); federal (i.e. TSP, EPA or NRCS

specific program grants)

 State Funding:

• State General Fund – operating
• State Capital Fund

 Federal Funding

• USDA / EPA / NWPCC

 Grants / NGOs

 SCC duty to:

“…recommend the inclusion in annual and longer term budgets and appropriation legislation of the state of Washington of funds necessary for appropriation by the legislature to finance the activities of the commission and the conservation districts”

 SCC builds a budget that includes requested funding for both

the agency activities and CD work.

 Based on the activities and needs of both entities.

Budget a Whole With Parts

Funding Sources

WSCC Budget = District Budgets + Agency Needs + New Adds State Federal Other General Fund Water Quality Account Columbia River Account Flood Account EQIP CREP TSP EPA USDA NGO Grants Other?

Budget Evaluation

2015-17 SCC Budget REQUEST / Operating & Capital 2015-17 SCC Budget ACTUAL / Operating & Capital

2015-17 SCC Budget NEEDS / Operating & Capital

How do we address these needs?

 State Fund Sources

• General Fund

 Primary source of funding for state government operations.  Approximately $42 billion next biennium  Funds all education, social services, prisons and criminal justice, universities and colleges, and natural resources.  Historically, natural resources account for about 1% of the state budget.

Joint Work Session of the Senate Agriculture and House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees November 29, 2012

Joint Work Session of the Senate Agriculture and House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees November 29, 2012

Joint Work Session of the Senate Agriculture and House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees November 29, 2012

Joint Work Session of the Senate Agriculture and House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees November 29, 2012

 State Fund Sources

• Capital Budget
• Funds projects and “on-the-ground” work.
• May fund some technical assistance.
• Biennial funding may be re-appropriated in future

biennia.

• Cannot be used to hire staff (generally).

Operating

 2007-09

$17,791,000 ($10,617,000 WQ)

 ($500k OFP / $500k Pioneers / $150k PSP / $174k cons markets / $250k poultry)

 Actual: $15,039,000

 2009-11

$16,019,000

 Actual: $14,841,000

 2011-13

$14,510,000

 Actual: $13,209,000

 2013-15

$16,878,000

 ($1m fed and $300k VSP/ $1,050,000 toxics)

 Actual: $12,527,000

 2015-17

$32,327,000

 ($1m fed and $7.6m VSP / $1m toxics / $7.8m fire)

 Actual: $12,626,000

Recent budget instructions from OFM: Agencies must find ways to manage budgets without increased funding

 Extraordinary funding needs of education in the next biennium.  State agencies and their local partners should expect to manage

within current projected state resources.

 Competition for available resources will be intense.  While agencies should always strive to reduce costs and find new

ways to save resources, these efforts will be especially important

• ver at least the next two biennia.

 Requests for new funding should be limited and focused on the

highest priority services that deliver significant performance improvements and outcomes for the people of Washington.

Recent budget instructions from OFM: In reviewing agency budget requests, OFM will ask these questions:

• What strategies and activities will be most effective in

achieving agency and statewide goals and priorities?

• Given financial or other constraints, how can we maximize the
• utcomes of our highest priority services and activities?
• How else can the state meet desired outcomes in a more

cost-effective manner?

Recent budget instructions from OFM:

 State agency strategic plans, activity descriptions and decision

package information should all focus on answering these questions.

 The best budget proposals are persuasive not only at the

agency level, but also in the broader statewide context that the Governor, OFM and the Legislature must consider when making decisions across state government.

 Proposals that make the strongest case will be those that

discuss the value and benefits of the services they deliver to achieve positive statewide outcomes.

Strategic framework — focus on results and strategic plans

 Agency budget requests should reflect Governor Inslee’s statewide

strategic goals articulated through Results Washington and agency- specific strategic plans.

 Results Washington – Decision packages must identify the Results

Washington statewide goals and outcome measures they are designed to address. Packages should clearly articulate how budget requests will achieve implementation of strategies and plans developed by the Results Washington goal councils.

 Agency Strategic Plans – For 2017-19 biennial budget requests,

OFM is again requiring agencies to submit strategic plans. Budget decision packages should align closely with agency strategic plans, goals and performance measures.

Strategic framework — focus on results and strategic plans

 OFM will work with the Governor using Results Washington goals,

• utcome measures and action plans — along with agency strategic

plans, strategies and performance measures—to prioritize budget purchases within and across agency budgets as we develop the Governor’s 2017-19 budget recommendations.

 Improving the efficiency and streamlining the operations of state

government is an expectation Governor Inslee has of all agencies. “Fostering a Lean culture that drives accountability and results for the people of Washington” remains a central tenet of the Results Washington management effort.

Compelling budget requests – dos and don’ts Agencies are encouraged to limit budget requests and to ensure that those requests are comprehensive and capable of withstanding a highly competitive fiscal environment.

Do:

• Look for ways to save resources.
• Develop options to meet your highest priorities in the most cost-effective manner.
• How else can we accomplish this?
• What can we reprogram to meet our needs?
• How can we reduce the cost?
• Focus intensely on performance and outcomes. o What will the decision package

accomplish?

• Who will be served? At what level?
• How will we know?
• What are our performance targets?
• How likely are the targets to be met?
• Spend your time on the most critical things.
• Look forward to the future, not back to the past.

Agencies should severely limit requests for new or expanded programs or for new policy initiatives. Don’t:

• Request restoration of prior cuts; in most cases, agencies are not

entitled to a prior level of funding.

• Request a prior “share” of the budget (there is no such thing).
• Request past unfunded inflationary or other cost increases.

(These are not compelling arguments for limited resources. If resources are needed, make your strongest case based on articulated need, performance, outcomes and results.)

• Request a new program or initiative without a comprehensive and

realistic plan to fund its full implementation in the future.

• Try to bury policy-level requests in maintenance level; when in

doubt, ask.

 All-districts meeting in Ellensburg, sponsored by the SCC and

WACD.

 Original intent was to discuss long-term sustainable funding.  Revised purpose of the meeting was to develop a path

forward for conservation districts and the Commission in the development of the base budget for the 2017-19 biennial budget.

 The path forward includes strategies to protect the base

budget through outreach and engagement with local landowners, local and statewide groups, and legislators, to inform them of our work and build commitments for their support going into next legislative session.

The meeting agenda included the topics of: Strategic Approach to Budget and Funding Identification of resource needs, and building broad support for CD and SCC work over the next year. Building the Base

 Identifying our existing base funding levels and how to build on the base

funding.

 Potential opportunities for increasing our current base in both operating and

capital funding.

 Any increase is dependent upon building third party support for our

programs. Protecting the Base

 Focusing on how to protect and build support for our base funding.  What is this work? Who will do this work? How will the work be done?

Needs and Funding the Needs How do we identify the needs? How do we demonstrate what we’ve done with the funding so far? What is the path forward for pursuing a fund source?

A key decision point of the meeting:

 collective agreement to focus immediate, near-term work on outreach

and engagement with local cooperators, stakeholders, and legislators.

 The reason: understanding among the meeting participants that more

work could be done to provide information to these entities to build support for conservation district work.

 This is a necessary and critical step before any long-term fund source

could be pursued.

 Still significant interest among conservation districts for evaluating and

pursuing a long-term fund source,

 however the more immediate need is to build a strong foundation of

support to protect our base funding.

Next steps and action items were developed by the group following discussions in each of the agenda topic areas. These action items are:

 Each district with land owner testimonies. Used at individual district and

forwarded to WACD Executive and Communications Work Group to be utilized to build support for decision packages. Communication group to develop guidance.

 Start today and by September 2016 outreach to local stakeholder groups

to support funding for conservation needs important to their members. Communication back through WACD channels…stakeholder groups take to their respective organization and to the legislature. Each district send results to the WACD Task Force, regional manager by September 2016 and beyond.

Next steps and action items were developed by the group following discussions in each of the agenda topic areas. These action items are:

 Each district meet with local legislators. Host an event (meeting, meal,

reception, tour, or other). Going for a more “specific unmet needs” ask to the next level. April to October 2016

 WACD Committee to work with districts and track elected officials

education activities. Work with Jim & Ron…include crafting messages (talking points) for working with legislators and keep districts informed of contacts.

• Develop and distribute checklist of ideas for elected officials education by districts.
• Talking points or one pager developed for districts regarding incentive-based

approach complementing other approaches.

 WSCC to build decision packages. Working teams formed to draft decision

packets (signup). Descriptions by May Commission meeting. Finalize by September 2016

• 1. Irrigation Efficiencies
• 2. RCPP
• 3. CREP
• 4. Shellfish
• 5. Non-shellfish
• 6. Engineering
• 7. Monitoring
• 8. VSP
• 9. CRM / Issues Facilitation

Natural Resource Disaster Preparedness and Recovery (fire, flood, severe storms, landslide, etc.)

 Emergency Disaster Training  Fire Recovery / Flood Recovery / Disaster Re  Firewise / Defensible Space  Forest Health (for fire resiliency)

Water Quality / Water Quantity

 Stormwater (urban/suburban runoff & pollutants focused)  Water Conservation & Irrigation Efficiencies  Non-shellfish  Soil Health & Soil Erosion

Habitat

 Non-CREP Riparian  Marine Shorelines  Invasive species/noxious weeds  Endangered Species  Forest Health (for habitat purposes)  Air Quality

Conservation Technical Assistance (formerly just livestock TA)

 Focused Watershed Planning  Resource Assessments (at parcel and watershed scales)  Outreach and Education  Conservation / Farm Planning / Forest Management & Rangeland

Planning

 VSP-like counties and CD involvement

Working Lands Viability

 Energy Conservation / Climate Adaptation & Resiliency  Food System / Small Farms  Farmland Preservation  Vets on the Farm

Natural Resource Disaster Preparedness and Recovery (fire, flood, severe storms, landslide, etc.) Water Quality / Water Quantity Habitat Conservation Technical Assistance (formerly just livestock TA) Working Lands Viability