DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey encouraged Iowans interested in protecting the state’s soil and water resources to consider running to serve as a soil and water conservation district commissioner.
Anyone interested in becoming a commissioner should contact their local soil and water conservation district. Nomination papers must be filed by Aug. 31, 2016.
“Each of Iowa’s 100 Soil and Water Conservation Districts are managed by five volunteer commissioners who help their community meet their conservation priorities,” Northey said. “Commissioners help oversee the distribution of federal, state and local conservation aid in their community.”
Each of the 100 soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) in Iowa (one in each county and two in Pottawattamie) is composed of five commissioners and are the local legal subdivisions of state government responsible under state law for soil and water conservation work within their boundaries. Candidates are elected locally on a nonpartisan ballot during the general election.
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provide assistance to the commissioners as they seek to address the natural resource issues that are most critical in their districts.
More information can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov and click on the "Conservation" link on the top of the page.