The Power and Importance of Soil and Water Conversation Districts

 

Why Soil & Water Conservation District Boards and Supervisors?

What is a Soil & Water Conservation District? SWCDs are local units of government that manage and direct natural resource management programs at the local level. Districts work in both urban and rural settings, with landowners and with other units of government, to carry out programs for the conservation, use, and development of soil, water, and related resources.

What is an SWCD Board? SWCD boards set overall policy and long-term objectives regarding natural resource management programs for their district and work with the hired SWCD staff to see that policies and plans are implemented. 

Minnesota’s 88 Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are each governed by a board of five Supervisors who are elected by citizens in their respective counties. Each SWCD board is responsible for policy development, annual plans, budgets, and more. Supervisor positions are four-year terms, require between 1 to 3 monthly meetings and receive compensation for their service, but compensation rates depend on the county.  

Soil and Water Conservation Policy includes:

• Control or prevent erosion, sedimentation, siltation, and related pollution in order to preserve natural resources
• Ensure continued soil health, defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system that sustains plants, animals, and humans, and soil productivity
• Protect water quality
• Prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs
• Reduce damages caused by floods
• Preserve wildlife
• Protect the tax base
• Protect public lands and waters

What powers does an SWCD Board have? 

• General authority
• Advisory Assistance
• Surveys, investigations, and research
• Publication of information
• Demonstration projects
• Implementation of SW Conservation Policy
• Comprehensive plan
• Assumption of conservation projects
• Administration of local controls

The role as an SWCD Supervisor

• Policy Development
  • Primary focus is not to run the day-to-day activities but rather setting overall policy and long-term objectives.
    • Examples:
      • Development of Plans
      • Establish budgets
      • Use of cost share dollars
      • Agreements with other agencies or units of govt
      • Membership in organizations
• Planning and budgets
  • Developing annual and comprehensive plans is a statutory requirement
  • County Water Plan can be adopted as Comprehensive plan
• Working with Staff
  • Delegate responsibilities to employees
  • Set work priorities
  • Evaluate new programs or opportunities and expand existing programs

The Why for Land Stewardship Action:

SWCD Board Members are on the front lines of the maintenance, support, and promotion of sustainable ag practices at a local level. Board Members are leaders in their local democracies who can influence land use practices in their communities in support of clean air, water, and soil and successful farmers. Through education, technical assistance, and financial assistance, a SWCD Board Member can foster a new land ethic in their community.

How do they advance Land Stewardship’s work?

• Electing supportive SWCD officers will help us pass a stronger statewide soil health bill by showing support from local leaders
• Electing supportive SWCD officers will mean Minnesota implements soil health programs that are actually impactful for small and mid-sized farmers
• Electing supportive SWCD officers will result in them hiring staff that will be creative and innovative with how programs are implemented and will have a lens of equity in funding distribution
• Electing supportive SWCD officers will build more relationships between government and farmers
• Electing supportive SWCD officers will allow for a better experience for farmers and those working with the office to receive funding for different types of operations
• Electing supportive SWCD supervisors will help drive county and state NRCS funding toward local efforts that uplift small and mid-size farms, not to large operations that aren’t acting as stewards of the land

Land Stewardship Action’s Support

• This election season, LSA will be endorsing and supporting SWCD candidates in line with our values and priorities. Our values are stewardship, justice, democracy, health, and community and our vision is a just and sustainable farm and food system where with more farmers on the land. 
• After vetting candidates through community engagement and a questionnaire, LSA will formally endorse SWCD candidates we feel are in line with us.
• LSA will engage its base around supporting these races and candidates, leading up to the fall general election.
• LSA cannot coordinate with candidates and all the work it does is independent of any candidate or campaign.

 

Click here for our flyer about why Soil and Water Conservation Districts are important in creating our shared future!