Spirit Fund Program

Background

With the support of the County Executive and approval by the Land Conservation Committee, the ARPA Strategy and Outcomes Commission, and the County Board, the Winnebago County LWCD Spirit Fund Program (SFP) was developed in 2023. The approval of the SFP allocated $3,030,300.00 of the County's "Spirit Funds" for conservation projects administered by the LWCD. Funds are to be used to support Best Management Practices (BMPs) that protect surface water and groundwater, reduce soil erosion, and educate and/or demonstrate the importance of resource protection.

Program Benefits

Provides cost-sharing up to 90% for eligible projects.
Provides technical assistance in planning, design and supervision of project installation.
Leverages additional funding from other grant sources.

Conservation Practice Categories

Structural Best Management Practices:
- Waterway Systems
- Barnyard Runoff Control Systems
- Shoreline and Streambank Protection
- Manure Storage System Closure
- Wetland Restoration
- Water & Sediment Control Basins (WASCOB)
- Prescribed Grazing
- Demonstration Projects
- and more....
Conservation Buffers
- Field-Road Buffers
- Streamside Harvestable Buffers
- Streamside Vegetative Out-of-Production Buffers
Soil Health
- No-Till (Strip-Till)
- No-Till (Strip-Till) & Cover Crops
- Cover Crops (No-Till already a practice)
- Add-on Practices: Spring Interseeding, Planting Green, Adding Tillage Radish to Wheat, Frost Seeding Red Clover into Winter Wheat, Harvesting and/or Grazing Cover Crops on High Phosphorous Fields, Low-Disturbance Manure Application.