3. The Beginning The Beginning – A National Focus on Soil Erosion
Work of Hugh Hammond Bennett; “Soil Erosion, A National Menace”
Hugh Hammond Bennett – NC native and soil scientist
Evangelical zeal for conservation
The Beginning

4. 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

5. National Focus – The Early Days
Demonstration projects
CCC camps primarily on public lands
Led to establishment of Soil Erosion Service

6. Supports Soil Conservation Movement
Federal Legislation
Supports Soil Conservation Movement
Public Law 46
Soil Conservation Service created
National soil conservation policy established
Shift toward private lands

8. Creation of SWCDs President Roosevelt & Standard State District Act
N.C. adopts General Statute 139
Districts bridge gap between federal technicians
and local private landowners

9. Board of Supervisors is district Brown Creek Conservation District –
Key Points
Feds & districts - relational rather than
statutory connection
Board of Supervisors is district
Brown Creek Conservation District –
first in nation

11. State Committee G.S. 139 established the State Committee
Statutory supervision of districts by the State
Committee established
State Committee consisted of three members

14. Districts Organize State-wide
NCASWCD established
Not statutory, important none the less
Stage set for a state-wide conservation effort
between federal, state, and local partners

16. Districts Organize Nationally
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

18. Statutory Connections Grow
State Committee evolves
Three association members
State Committee increases to six members

19. New State Committee

20. 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

22. GS-139 amended – association members to
State Committee Grows
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
Association was allowed to elect three members to the commission, replacing the original three members
These association members

23. Finalizing Commission Appointments
Association makes recommendations
for commission appointments
Governor formalizes official appointment
appoints chair, and appoints the at-large
Association was allowed to elect three members to the commission, replacing the original three members
These association members

25. 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

26. 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

28. 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

29. District Employees Organize
In 1990, District employees unite by establishing
District Employees’ Association (DEA)

30. Late ‘90s – Formal Agreements Introduced
Mutual, Cooperative, Operational Agreements
More formally connected Feds, Counties, State and
SWCDs

32. Expanding influence of SWCD’s
Response to .0200
Initiation of Community Conservation Program
Pilot counties for animal waste compliance
Holding conservation easements
Voluntary Ag districts
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

33. Conservation Partnership Expands
Foundation for Soil and Water
Conservation, Inc. established in 1999

35. Partnership Expansion
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

37. Districts First district – Brown Creek SWCD
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

38. 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
Develop, maintain and interpret the technical guide and practice standards
used by districts and the commission for the Ag Cost Share Program and
portions of the Community Conservation Assistance Program
Provides staff to support districts at local, area and state levels
Oversees job approval authority for agricultural related engineering and
non-engineering practices
Provides technical training and overall technical guidance and supervision
Provides and manages cost share funds provided through Farm Bill programs
such as EQIP, WHIP, FRPP, WRP, etc.
Provides resource persons to each of the association’s standing committees
Participates in and supports the Ag Task Force and the Technical Review
Committee as chaired by the division
Provides computer software to support conservation planning and application.
Provides engineering design approval that exceeds authority at field office level
Relationships to partnership (districts, commission, division, DENR and state)
formalized through mutual, cooperative and operational agreements

39. 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
Provides primary support to the commission
Provides area coordinators who provide direct support to individual districts for program development, long range planning, marketing, outreach, etc.
Administers the ACSP, CCAP, CREP and implements commission policy in regard to these programs.
Funds supervisor travel and processes vouchers
Provides staff support to such environmental education activities as the Envirothon; Food, Land and People and outreach activities such as Farm Family judging and celebration and the association annual meeting
Facilitates the state level Poster, Speech and Essay Contest
Provides primary staff support for the District Employees’ Workshop
Chairs the Ag Task Force (ATF) and the Technical Review Committee (TRC)
Provides a staff representative to the Technical Review Committee (TRC)

40. 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
Serves as the policy and rule-making board for the state program in areas like
Supervisor travel, state cost share programs and district operations
(such as developing long range plans)
Establishes policy and procedures relative to NCASP and CCAP, allocates cost
share funds and considers programmatic changes
Appoints new supervisors or those filling unexpired terms after recommendation
from local boards
Establishes rules such as the Tar-Pamlico agricultural rules and enters into
agreements for watershed projects or established certifications on nutrient
management and animal waste
Hears and makes final decisions on disputes related to ACSP and CCAP contracts
Considers SWCD boundary changes upon recommendation of local district

41. 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)
Represent district interests concerning conservation programs, financial support
for conservation initiatives and priorities and positions on public and regional issues
Recommends policies for legislation through a committee system
Elects a supervisor to serve on the Technical Review Committee
Elects three members to the Soil and Water Conservation Commission and
recommends appointment by the governor
Provides three members of the commission by virtue of their position: President,
First Vice-President and Immediate Past President and recommends appointment by
the governor
Provides a representative to the N.C. Ag Development and Farmland Preservation
Trust Fund advisory committee and to the N.C. Sediment and Erosion Control
Commission
Appoints a member supervisor to serve on the NRCS State Conservationist’s Advisory
Committee
Provides three representatives to the NC Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation
Board of directors; the President, First Vice-President and Immediate Past President
Elects a board member and alternate to the national Association of Conservation
Districts (NACD)

42. National voice for conservation Lobby on Capitol Hill
Primary role is to lobby on capitol hill on behalf of local districts regarding pending conservation legislation

43. Enlists financial support for Districts to: - Build overall capacity
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
A 501 C (3) organization created to enlist financial support for districts
Operates as a member of the conservation partnership in direct support
of districts and the association
An independent, self-perpetuating board of directors that guides the
Foundation but stays connected to the association through three seated board
members
Focuses on building capacity in conservation districts, educating citizens
and improving the natural environment

44. 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

45. 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