Soil and Water

Ever wonder what the Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor does?  Or why we are asked to elect them?  I know I have.

This week's Independent includes a thorough article about the history and activities of this body.  Here's a snapshot:

There are more than 3,000 districts nationwide and 98 in North Carolina, including the nation's first, Brown Creek in Anson County—home to Hugh Hammond Bennett, the "Father of Soil Conservation." During the Dust Bowl era, he became the chief evangelist and architect of the soil and water conservation system, and his life's work made clear the link between economics and conservation.

The system that emerged from the crisis of the Dust Bowl was a New Deal program, but hardly the kind you hear bashed for being socialist. The strategy behind the programs that supervisors administer is a sweeping recognition that most of the land is and will be privately held, and to have the greatest impact, landholders play the central role.

"They're like a separate government entity," says Bridget Munger, spokesperson for the state's Division of Soil & Water Conservation, of the soil and water boards. They are, by law, meant to ensure that decisions on projects are made on a local basis.

You can find a listing of North Carolina's 98 offices and their contact information here.

Have you ever worked with your local Soil and Water Conservation District?