Money Governor Rod Blagojevich initially said the State didn't have to fund local soil and water conservation districts in the coming year, along with local University of Illinois Extension offices, has been saved.

The Governor Thursday decided to release the 40-million dollars that had been held up, as a way to urge lawmakers to come up with money to fill a 750-million dollar budget shortfall.

74th District State Representative Don Moffitt said prior to the Governor's announcement the possibility of the funding being restored was, in his words, encouraging.

"Simply, the Governor needs to release them," Moffitt said.  "It's our understanding that there's a real movement that direction.  I was very pleased to hear that."

Knox County U of I Extension Educator Kyle Cecil said the Governor's decision is a sigh of relief for all the Extension does.

"That will be a really important thing for a number of different agricultural programs, and community and economic development programs that are going on, and the like, so we're really glad to hear that this is coming down the pike," Cecil said.

Reports indicated the funding was being released as a negotiating tactic to get lawmakers to pull their support of a constitutional amendment to allow the Governor to be recalled.