ASHLAND — The Ashland County Soil and Water Conservation District has asked for $15,000 more heading into the 2026 budget cycle.
Jane Houin, the agency’s director, said the additional $15,000 will help pay for increasing costs in postage and printing, along with costs associated with state audits.
The director on Thursday said the district returns $8.11 for every local dollar spent on the agency’s services. Last year that number was $5.99, Houin said.
She said that return on investment increased so much because of the county’s successful implementation of H2Ohio, a state program aimed at improving water quality and reducing nutrient runoff from farms.
Houin said the county’s program was initially capped at 10,000 acres, but exceeded that cap quickly. Ultimately, 22,000 acres of Ashland County farmland is in contract with the program.
“I think it’s a testament … farmers have been working with us and are eager to prove themselves as good stewards of our land and water resources. So that’s a big component to our return on investment,” she said.
The district’s 2025 budget amounted to $352,000. Much of its budget comes from state match funding. The total local appropriations has amounted to a little more than half.