# Land & Water Conservation Committee

Waupaca County Land & Water Conservation Committee meeting, held July 21, 2026 (the transcript’s local meeting date; metadata is dated July 22 UTC). Staff reported that all current-year Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts had been approved and obligated: 15 of 53 applications received funding. Work is underway on funded conservation practices, and applications for the next program year are being accepted through September 18. The committee approved the 2027 capital improvement plan with no requested items. Staff said a truck had recently been ordered through the state bid process and a Trimble survey unit was being updated and ordered. A roughly $42,000 reimbursement for a Pigeon Lake watershed plan was received; staff said it was not budgeted and, absent an identified use, would return to the general fund. Separately, a proposed $342,000 addition to a five-year NRCS demonstration-farm agreement was denied in Washington; existing funds may cover the contracted employee only into early next year while staff await a possible later funding decision.

The committee passed Resolution 12, a nonbinding statement opposing foreign-government and foreign-entity purchases of agricultural land, for referral to the next approval steps. Two other draft resolutions concerning dams and flooding were tabled so a supervisor could first review staff’s watershed and rainfall information. Staff also discussed state conservation funding priorities, including farmland preservation and staffing grants, and an office renovation underway; no related spending approval was reported. The next committee meeting was scheduled for August 24, in part to continue budget work.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Environment
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** July 22, 2026

### Sources
- [Land & Water Conservation Committee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx73VUWtll4) - Waupaca County