By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

URBANA, Ill. — Pete Fandel, University of Illinois extension crops educator for Woodford County, said the recently-announced restructuring and consolidation of extension offices should have a minimal effect on 4-H funding and structure.

“4-H is the one area that shouldn’t change at all, or very little,” Fandel reported. “Individual counties should still be able to run separate 4-H programs.”

Though county extension offices will be consolidated in order to cut a number of directors’ positions from the extension payroll, money budgeted to the realigned county offices will still be dispensed county-by-county for 4-H, said Fandel. He coordinates and directs county 4-H youth activities and oversees the county’s 4-H livestock entries at the Heart of Illinois Fair in Peoria.

Earle Mailand, Boone County extension director, also said he expects core programs such as 4-H and Master Gardeners to remain locally-directed and not be forced to merge with other counties.

Not everyone, however, is convinced that when extension decides its final new configuration on May 19, 4-H will not be adversely affected. Barb Sager, a 4-H leader from Capron, told the Rockford Register Star she’s worried inadvertent harm will come to 4-H because of extension’s restructuring.

“I feel like the kids are the ones that are going to suffer,” Sager said last week. “I could be wrong, but they probably will.”

Longtime 4-H leader Cleo McManaway of rural Dietrich told the Effingham Daily News that while the outlook is unclear for county 4-H programs, her county has already made changes because of the state’s continuing budget crisis.

“We’ve already reached a point where kids are paying $20 for materials. Up until this year, 4-H was always free for kids in Effingham County,” McManaway stated.

The restructuring of extension was announced in early April, after the state trimmed extension’s budget of $65 million by $5.56 million. Five center offices in the state will close by June 30, with more expected to close when their respective leases expire.
A number of county offices will be closed and consolidated with two to four neighboring county offices. In addition, 46 county director positions will be cut due to the restructuring.

New office locations will be decide by June 19. County directors will present fiscal year 2011 budgets by June 15.