Why do we have a local soil and water conservation district?
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- November 23, 2024
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I would imagine you have heard of the Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District. But have you ever wondered why it exists and what functions it performs, day in and day out? To gain a perspective on why the SWCD exists, we have to look back in time at a series of events.
There were many soil conservation activities that occurred in the United States in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that actions became serious. On May 12, 1934, the worst dust storm in the nation’s history swept eastward from the Great Plains to the Atlantic Ocean, obscuring the sun and depositing films of dust as it moved. This catastrophic storm served as the catalyst for public outcry and congressional action for soil and water conservation throughout the nation.
On April 27, 1935, Congress passed and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, Public Law No. 46, which established the Soil Conservation Service within the United States Department of Agriculture.
The new soil and water conservation thrust originated with the federal government working directly with landowners, primarily farmers. Farmers previously had little direct contact with USDA, and they were very skeptical of the federal government’s involvement.
The director of the SCS recognized the lack of trust with the local landowners and the federal government, so Congress passed a resolution, which FDR signed, calling for states to become the conduit for soil and water conservation assistance from the USDA to landusers through enactment of a law establishing a state soil conservation agency and procedures whereby local soil and water conservation districts could be organized.
By the end of 1937, twenty-two states had enacted such a law, but Ohio’s attempt to secure enactment in 1939 failed because of lack of support of agricultural leadership in the state.
As the decade of the 1940s began, world conflicts were bringing our nation closer to war, and pressures were developing on farmers to increase food production on the land they managed.
The Ohio 94th General Assembly retained soil conservation on its agenda, and on May 16, 1941, it passed House Bill 646, which became the Ohio Soil Conservation District Enabling Act when it was signed by Gov. John W. Brickeron on June 5, 1941. This act created the Ohio Soil Conservation Committee as an agency of the State of Ohio with offices at the Ohio State University. The act also established procedures for the formation of local soil conservation districts and the election of local district board of supervisors in addition to defining the authorities and responsibilities of these local boards and OSCC.
Tuscarawas County Soil and Water Conservation District was formed in 1943 and continues to serve the population of the county still today. Through the years OSU and other agricultural universities’ research and development in agriculture have helped farmers and land managers develop tools and methods to address challenging natural resource issues.
The Tuscarawas County SWCD office has a qualified staff to help farmers and land managers with myriad natural resource challenges including soil fertility, soil health, pasture management, manure management, flood plain issues, invasive species control, forestry questions and more. The SWCD is still relevant today, as it was in 1943.
If you need assistance regarding natural resource issues, feel free to contact our staff, located at 85 E. Iron Ave., Dover. Our phone number is 330-339-7976. We also have a presence on Facebook.