UNH extension, conservation district help county residents access grant funding, education

Both the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and the Belknap County Conservation District are subject to the whims of county politics as far as their funding goes. Belknap County Commissioners Peter Spanos, Glen Waring and Stephen Hodges are asking the county delegation to restore funding appropriations to those organizations following steep cuts made to their budgets.

So what do those organizations do? A lot, actually.

According to a report submitted to the county by the UNH co-op, their $165,000 2024 appropriation allowed them to leverage $297,110 in USDA and University System of New Hampshire funds, and the value of time of 45 outside educators — who provided residents with education and technical assistance — was $103,470.

The total value of extension services was $565,580 in salaries, benefits, travel reimbursement, educational supplies and computers, a steep return on the initial $165,000 investment from county taxpayers.

Across five of their programs, returns to the county were similarly high.

In 2023, the extension partnered with the state Department of Agriculture to apply for $2.6 million in funding for agricultural supply chain infrastructure needs, used to upgrade the state’s food system and create new market opportunities for agricultural producers. The extension worked with farmers and food business owners in Belknap to apply for funding, and they’re set to receive $394,978 this year as a result. 

Farmers also received $217,600 in direct payments resultant from crop-loss funding which originated in the NH Department of Agriculture from the state’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act monies. County farmers also received $22,000 in legal, tax, business planning and financial analysis services through a partnership with private sector service providers, after the extension secured USDA grant funding for a farmer mental health program.

Jada Lindblom, the extension’s community and economic development field specialist also helped the county win $67,000 in grant funding across four separate programs. She also provided grant writing and fundraising technical support to local organizations, resulting in about $50,000 which went toward a variety of community projects.

And through a competitive national bid process, Lindblom secured Meredith as the location for the 2025 National Extension Tourism Network and Travel and Tourism Research Association Northeast Chapter Joint Conference, estimated to bring around 130 attendees to Belknap County, potentially impacting local businesses to the tune of $200,990.

The extension service also secured monies for forestry projects and 4-H youth development, among other items. 

The conservation district has, similarly, leveraged relatively meager county funding many times over, providing over $200,000 in grants and program funds in Belknap County communities in 2024.

Their budget was reduced about 50% to $25,000 in the budget adopted by the county delegation on March 31, after receiving level- funding at $50,000 since 2021. The delegation is made up of all Belknap's representatives to the Statehouse.

“We are committed to serving the people of Belknap County and are strongly concerned how these impacts will affect individual landowners, producers, local food and conservation programs,” a letter penned by board members and addressed to the county commissioners reads, in part.

The conservation district isn’t a nonprofit organization — it’s a governmental agency defined by RSA — and it’s charged with the health, conservation and development of the soil, water and related natural resources; preventing soil erosion, floodwater and sediment damages; promoting soil health practices, drought resilience and adaptation to changes in the county’s environment.

The reduction in funding will have a litany of immediate impacts for the remainder of 2025, according to the board.

The program coordinator position — the only employee of the conservation district — is now reduced to part-time, about 20 hours per week, with wages, benefits and available hours depending on remaining funding. This reduces the conservation district’s ability to serve county residents, towns and natural resources or conservation groups with technical assistance and channeling grant funding.

In 2023 and 2024, the conservation district helped secure grant funds benefitting individuals, businesses and the broader community. For example, they assisted municipalities with stream-related soil erosion and forest management plans to the tune of $86,200, and reduced food insecurity among military veterans, seniors and families for $27,000. They provided 8,000 pounds of food in 2024, surplus food produced by local farmers and used to support food panties, seniors and hunger programs. 

They provided farmers with equipment rentals valued at $128,000, and worked on plans for local food procurement by schools for $30,000. Those projects represent about $271,200 of funding leveraged by the county’s initial investment into the conservation district, and more funds from those sources are planned to be expended through 2025.

“Farm equipment rentals would be reduced due to less staff time,” the letter reads.

“This is significant right now because throughout the growing season there are critical windows of time the use of equipment is effective. This is especially unfortunate as we now own [six] pieces of grant funded equipment in use and under strong demand by farmers, with another [eight] pieces requested and grant funds obtained.”