What is a Conservation District?

District Official Training

Jennifer Nelson

In this Section:

    • Conservation district purpose & function
    • Organization and Functions of Soil Conservation Districts
    • Legal definition in district law
    • District as government entity
    • Board member qualifications
    • Overview of Board Member Responsibilities
    • Board member responsibilities & duties in

    -policy development  

    -planning

    -governance

    -district operations

    -personnel management

Conservation District Purpose & Function

Conservation districts may go by different names—”soil and water conservation districts,” “resource conservation districts,” “natural resource districts” and “land conservation committees”—but they all share a single mission: to coordinate assistance from all available sources—public and private, local, state and federal—to develop locally-driven solutions to natural resources concerns.

In addition to serving as coordinators for conservation in the field, districts:

Organization and Functions of Soil Conservation Districts

Although it is difficult to show exactly how your district is structured, Delaware districts are generally organized in the same manner.  The Board of Supervisors provides overall supervision and sets policy assuring that the district performs those tasks required by law and memorandums of understanding.

The everyday business of running a district is handled by district staff.  The district coordinator or manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of district operations, personnel management, and field operations.  The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service district conservationist is responsible for providing technical supervision. They report to the Board of Supervisors and provide the board with the information it needs to make policy and planning decisions. 

Legal Definition in District Law

(6) “Soil and water conservation district” or “district” means a governmental subdivision of this State, the boundaries of which coincide with county boundaries, and having the powers and duties prescribed by this chapter.

District as Government Entity

Soil and Water Conservation Districts, often referred to as CDs, are “political subdivisions of state government” that utilize state, federal, and private sector resources to solve today’s conservation problems.

A CD is neither a state government agency or local government entity.  A conservation district is NOT a non-profit organization. CDs are self-governed by a Board of Directors.

A political subdivision of state government is “Created by the legislature to exercise some portion of the state’s sovereignty in regard to one or more specific governmental functions. It is independent from other governmental bodies, in that it may act to exercise those powers conferred upon it by law without seeking the approval of a superior authority. It employs its own consultants, attorneys, accountants and other employees whose salaries are fixed by the political subdivision, and it often incurs debts which are not debts of the State  but are debts of the political subdivision” 

Essentially, we can sum this issue up by understanding that the Soil and Water Conservation District you represent is a subdivision of the State of Delaware and a democratic means for local conservation leadership.

Board Member Qualifications

(1)      (a)       The elected members of the Kent and Sussex Districts shall be farmers residing in those respective counties. In New Castle County, two (2) of the elected supervisors shall be farmers residing in the southern portion of the County, and the remaining two (2), who shall not be farmers, shall reside in the northern portion of the County, according to a division established by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, 7 Del. Code, Section 3907(b).

           (b)       The division of New Castle County established by the Secretary for this purpose is that the northern portion of the county shall include all land north of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and the southern portion shall include all land south of the Canal.

(2)       The Department further requires that a candidate shall reside in a specified section of the District to provide geographical distribution of supervisors in order to facilitate the performance of their duties.

(3)       The four Supervisor Areas in each county shall be shown on a map prepared by the Board of District Supervisors and approved by the Department.

-Delaware Code

Overview of Board Member Responsibilities

The Board of conservation district supervisors is the key to the success of the district.  They direct the conservation program at the local level.  They exercise the primary leadership role in planning and implementing conservation programs. They must provide the strong leadership necessary to involve landowners and occupiers in effective voluntary land management programs, and to foster a strong commitment to soil and water conservation.

District supervisors should seek to develop a strong and credible working relationship with local tax ditch managers and government officials in the district’s jurisdiction, including planners, zoning administrators, county commissioners and executives, mayors, city managers, and city council members.  Similar contacts should be developed and strengthened with major farm organizations, such as: Farm Bureau, Grange, Farm Service Agency, County committees, and with Chamber of Commerce officers, independent realtors and developers.

District supervisors should be aware of local and statewide programs and problems.  They must be willing to commit the time and effort required to assess district operations, develop overall policies and strategies to accomplish short and long-range goals, and to provide district staff the guidance and supervision necessary to attain the district’s stated objectives as defined by law and according to agreements or memorandums of understanding entered into with other agencies, federal, state, or local, to implement specific plans or programs.

Board Member Responsibilities & Duties

Policy Development

Why establish district policies?

District employees and supervisors need to establish and know district policies for a variety of reasons

Policies may be useful to:

Planning

  • The primary responsibility of the Board of Supervisors is to develop and carry out a program which will result in conservation and protection of soil and water resources.
  • Each district official should be familiar with existing or potential problem areas within the district, and should take an active role in designing a realistic long-range conservation plan, considering projected workloads, the number and qualifications of district staff available to implement the plan and the number of programs the district is currently addressing.
  • Once a long-range plan is developed, an annual plan can be designed to address relatively short-term goals within the long-range framework.
  • The process of doing long-range and annual planning provides an excellent opportunity for the Board to include all cooperating agencies, groups, or individuals with interest and responsibilities in conservation, planning and implementation of a dynamic, coordinated, integrated conservation program broad enough in scope to achieve the desired results.

Governance

  • Attend and participate in all Board meetings and functions.
  • Accept the responsibilities of any office to which you are elected on the District Board.  Serve on committees and present reports of accomplishments and activities, fulfilling all offices to the best of your ability.
  • Cooperate with fellow Board members in establishing district policies.
  • Review and approve conservation agreements, particularly Memorandum of Understandings with NRCS, DNREC, Extension, DDA and any other state or federal entities working with the district.
  • Developing an annual budget which should cover all aspects of the proposed conservation program (annual plan of work), for presentation to various funding sources including federal, state, and county governments.  This budget should include operating funds, equipment and staffing needs, etc. Each supervisor should be knowledgeable and aware of the needs of the district office and be willing to work with various funding sources to obtain the necessary support to achieve district objectives.
  • Become thoroughly acquainted with Delaware’s soil conservation and water quality laws.
  • Maintain complete and correct minutes of meetings and records of district business.
  • Hold an annual election of officers/supervisors.
  • Establish sound business procedures required for adequate accounting and financial management of the district’s fiscal affairs to be in accordance with state law.

Personnel Management

Employee Supervision

Questions

  • Does the description above sound like your District? 
  • Are there areas that need attention?
  • Are these areas addressed in discussions in your board meetings, or documented in a work plan or strategic plan?

Resources

The Task Force clearly identified that successful districts shared such common characteristics as a well-trained, talented, diverse and passionate district officials and staff that understand their roles and responsibilities; are effective in utilizing their skills and managing their time; are quick to adapt to changes in technology; show diversity in programs and opportunities for locally led conservation that far exceeds Farm Bill programs; and actively seek new partners while continuing with current partnerships to carry out their mission.

-Blueprint for Locally Led Conservation