Soil & Water Conservation Districts in the 21st. Century

I’ve been working with conservation districts since 1973 -- I’ve watched them, partnered with them, fought with them, and now advocate for them as a Supervisor. Districts have grown up with a 20th Century operating model created for them by the Federal Government in 1939. Now is the time to create a new model of Conservation for the 21st Century -

- Districts need to develop stronger partnerships with the Maine Department of Conservation, the Maine Farmland Trust, the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association, and other organizations that are advocating for sustainable land use and conservation. NRCS and the Maine Department of Agriculture are good partners, but are limited by their budgets to focus on priority Farm Bill and Nutrient Management activities. There is much more to be done to promote good land management on farms and forests.

- Districts need to develop a formalized relationship with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, similar to our arrangement with the Department of Agriculture. We need an advisory committee to the DEP Commissioner and senior management, and we need ongoing funding from the Department. As Maine grows, we need to develop our services for all residential land owners, communities, and organizations.

- Districts need to be on the forefront of public education about land management and conservation. Our education programs must be cutting-edge and broad-based to foster conservation values and ethics in our society. We need to take a fresh look at conservation education and update our teaching technology and techniques.

- District Boards need to be expanded to 7 or more members to allow more diverse representation of landowner interests and to encourage new leadership.

- Districts need to tap into the capabilities of all State and Federal natural resource agencies through a State Land & Water Resources Council, a renewed State Soil & Water Conservation Commission, or some new organization which can formalize and expand our partnerships and focus agency resources on our common needs. This is particularly relevant to Commissioner Bradstreet’s response to natural resource agency reorganization. For his proposal to work, the relevant State agencies and Districts must be at the same table on a regular, structured basis.

The fact that soil & water conservation districts have endured for seven decades despite limited funding indicates to me that there is an ongoing need and demand for our services. Even in hard financial times, the public supports conservation. We need to be effectively and efficiently organized to advocate for ourselves. The question is: will we be up to the task?