Farmers and ranchers across the state work with the OACD on improving their land to grow crops and raise animals. The organization was founded in the 1930s to provide conservation education and technical assistance following the devastation from the Dust Bowl.
But with around 80% of its funding coming from the USDA, the organization paused much of its programming, said Sarah Blaney, executive director of the OACD.
A funding freeze to the federal agency was put in place under the new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins. Some funds were released in February, though the OACD has not received the expected payments.
“There is a lot of confusion and different changing directives to the agencies about what they can pay, when they can pay it, how they can pay it – and then there's several different court lawsuits that have been working, so, it seems to be changing the guidance that we get,” said Blaney, who is also the president of the Association of Conservation Executive Directors.
In a statement to StateImpact, a spokesperson for the USDA said Rollins is reviewing agency funding.
“USDA has a solemn responsibility to be good stewards of the American people’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars and to ensure that every dollar spent goes to serve the people, not the bureaucracy,” the agency wrote.
The conservation nonprofit also receives private dollars through sponsorships and events, although that funding wasn’t enough to keep the OACD’s full staff on board. Blaney said two staffers were placed on unpaid leave and others received pay cuts.
The organization is in contact with members of the USDA, but Blaney said the threat of federal layoffs and cuts have prevented employees from making decisions about grants.
“They're trying really hard, but they're in a difficult spot,” she said.
In February, the OACD planned to present a new conservation program after spending two years recruiting farmers and ranchers statewide. Instead, Blaney said the organization delayed the launch, potentially threatening the nonprofit’s relationship with 400 producers.
The uncertainty of funding could be eroding the trust Oklahoma farmers and ranchers have for the organization, Blaney said.
“What we're trying to do right now is to figure out if the federal government fails to honor those contracts, how do we still honor what we said we would do with farmers and ranchers?” she said.
Without resuming its usual programming, Blaney said the cuts could have broad implications for people outside of the agriculture industry in Oklahoma. Producers benefit from the OACD’s education and equipment leases, she said, which help remove financial risks and keep local food growing.
The conservation efforts also limit the amount of soil that seeps into waterways, improving public health and reducing processing costs.
“It impacts everybody because we all need to eat, we all need to have clean water and clean air,” Blaney said.
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