The Beginning
National Focus on Soil Erosion
• Dust bowl in the West, severe erosion in the S.E.
• Hugh Hammond Bennett’s work
“Soil Erosion, A National Menace”
• $160,000 – first federal appropriation
for soil erosion investigations
National Focus – The Early Days
• Demonstration projects
• CCC camps primarily on public lands
• Led to establishment of Soil Erosion Service
Federal Legislation
Supports Soil Conservation Movement
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Public Law 46
Soil Conservation Service created
National soil conservation policy established
Shift toward private lands
Creation of SWCDs
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President Roosevelt & Standard State District Act
N.C. adopts General Statute 139
Districts bridge gap between federal technicians
and local private landowners
Key Points
Feds & districts - relational rather than
statutory connection
• Board of Supervisors is district
• Brown Creek Conservation District –
first in nation
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State Committee
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G.S. 139 established the State Committee
Statutory supervision of districts by the State
Committee established
State Committee consisted of three members
Districts Organize State-wide
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NCASWCD established
Not statutory, important none the less
Stage set for a state-wide conservation effort
between federal, state, and local partners
Districts Organize Nationally
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32 SWCDs met in Washington, D.C.
1600 Districts had formed in 48 states
NACD established
Organized to deliver unified message
on national policy matters
Statutory Connections Grow
• State Committee evolves
• Three association members
• State Committee increases to six members
Evolution of State Committee Staff
• Supported districts without staff for 22 years
• 1959 – legislature funds administrative officer
• 1961- renamed NC Soil & Water Conservation
Committee
• 1965 – legislature funds asst. admin. officer
• DSWC forerunner providing staff support to the
Commission as it is today
State Committee Grows
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GS-139 amended – association members to
represent state’s three geographic regions
Amendment allowed one at-large member
Commission seats rose to seven, as it is today
Finalizing Commission Appointments
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Association makes recommendations
for commission appointments
Governor formalizes official appointment
appoints chair, and appoints the at-large
State Government Reorganizes
• U.S. Clean Water Act addresses non-point pollution
• Soil conservation and water quality become more
important
• Enormous impact on the state conservation agency
• Nonpoint Source Pollution section added
• State Committee changed to N.C. Soil and Water
Conservation Commission
State addresses Water Quality Concerns
• 1979 – Soil and Water Conservation gained
Division Status within state government
• 1985 – Commission guidance establishes
N.C. Ag Cost Share Program (ACSP)
• Division provides program staffing
Evolution of SWCD
Technician/Administrative Staff
• SCS/NRCS initial and major support for districts
• Today, counties/state provide major staff support
• SWCD technical employees exceed federal
District Employees Organize
• In 1990, District employees unite by establishing
District Employees’ Association (DEA)
Late ‘90s – Formal Agreements Introduced
• Mutual, Cooperative, Operational Agreements
• More formally connected Feds, Counties, State and
SWCDs
Expanding influence of SWCD’s
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Response to .0200
Initiation of Community Conservation Program
Pilot counties for animal waste compliance
Holding conservation easements
Voluntary Ag districts
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
Conservation Partnership Expands
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Foundation for Soil and Water
Conservation, Inc. established in 1999
Partnership Expansion
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Farm Bureau Federation
N.C. State Grange
Land Trusts
Conservation Trust for North Carolina
Clean Water Management Trust Fund
N.C. Ag. Development & Farmland
Preservation Trust Fund
NC Tobacco Trust Fund
• First district – Brown Creek SWCD
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Early districts-multi-county, organized by watershed boundaries
1960’s – organized by county boundaries
96 districts covering 100 counties
Albemarle SWCD – only multi-county district (5 counties)
Governed by 5 member board – three elected, two appointed
Locally responsible for NCACSP, CCAP accountability
Sets local priorities, chairs local work groups
Districts Formed
Reorganized using county boundaries
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Technical guide and practice standards
District staff support
Job approval authority for agricultural practices
Technical training, guidance and supervision
Farm Bill cost share funds, i.e. EQIP, WHIP, WRP
Association standing committees
Ag Task Force (ATF)and Technical Review Committee (TRC)
Computer software
Engineering design approval
Formalized partnership agreements
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Serves as staff to Commission
Administers programs and implements Commission policies
Provides area coordinators to serve local Districts
Funds supervisor travel and processes vouchers
Provides staff support to environmental education activities
Facilitates state level contests
Coordinates/staffs District Employees’ Workshop (DEW)
Chairs Ag Task Force (ATF) & Technical Review Committee (TRC)
Provides engineering/soil survey technical services/watershed
planning staff assistance
• Policy and rule-making board for state programs
• Establishes cost share procedures and allocates funds,
considers programmatic changes
• Appoints supervisors after local board recommendations
• Establishes agricultural rules, certifications, watershed project
agreements
• Settles ACSP and CCAP contract disputes
• Considers SWCD boundary change requests from local districts
• Overall supervision of districts
• Provides job approval authority for non-agricultural practices
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Represents districts’ interests statewide, emphasizing consistency
Recommends policies for legislation
Works through eight standing committees
Actively supports and seeks funding for districts
Provides representatives to committees/commissions/boards:
- Soil and Water Conservation Commission (SWCC)
- Technical Review Committee (TRC)
- NC Ag Development & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund
Advisory Committee
- NC Sediment & Erosion Control Commission
- NRCS’ State Conservationist’s Advisory Committee
- NC Foundation for Soil & Water Conservation Board of
Directors
- National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)
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National voice for conservation
Lobby on Capitol Hill
• 501 C (3) organization
• Enlists financial support for Districts to:
- Build overall capacity
- Provide supervisor leadership development
- Accelerate educational outreach opportunities
- Improve the natural environment
• Independent, self-perpetuating board–association has 3 seats
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Personal/professional development vehicle for district employees
Provides training and development workshops
Works to improve the efficiency of statewide district offices
Supports Association’s annual meeting
Strengthens district programs by sharing information/assistance
DEA Leadership helps SWCDs address challenges/opportunities
Partners with Association on joint projects such as Gator Raffle
and training initiatives
Local County Governments
• Financial support provided by Board of County Commissioners
• Office space, vehicles, equipment, supplies, etc.
• District staff salaries and benefits
• Matching funds to qualify for state match
• Holds district funds and provides for audit in some counties