What Are the Soil and Water Conservation Districts?
Florida currently has 62 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), which are self-governed by a board composed of five locally elected supervisors. Candidates are elected in a general election to a four-year term. Vacancies are filled by appointment by the remaining supervisors until the next regular election. Under the authority of the Soil Conservation Act, the SWCDs identify areas within each district that require further conservation measures. SWCDs are advisory in nature and do not enforce regulations. The SWCDs may conduct research, construct works for soil and water conservation, and develop comprehensive plans for soil erosion control and flood prevention. In addition, the SWCDs may adopt land-use regulations that may require certain agricultural practices such as contour cultivation, strip cropping, and the planting of erosion-preventative vegetation. However, the SWCDs do not have the power to enforce these regulations. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a
