Soil and Water Conservation Board
Active dates:1975-1987
Function: State administrative agency for the 92 soil and water conservation districts statewide (including grants administration, technical assistance, plan approval/disapproval, forum for information exchange, and general policy and program coordination).
Preceded by:
Soil and Water Conservation Commission
History:
The board was originally established in 1937 as the State Soil Conservation Committee (Laws 1937 c441 s3) to organize soil and water conservation districts and to give promotional, administrative, and financial assistance to the districts. In 1967 it became the Soil and Water Conservation Commission (Laws 1967 c16). It became a part of the Department of Natural Resources in 1971 (Extra Session Laws 1971 c44 s6). The commission became a board in 1975, and in 1983 it was transferred to the Department of Agriculture (Laws 1983 c66).
On October 1, 1987, its name was changed to Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. A soil and water conservation district, of which there are 92 in the state, is a legal subdivision of state government and is organized by the process of petition, hearing, and referendum. The board assists in developing long-range planning objectives based on soil surveys of the districts. It also informs the supervisors of each district of the activities of the other districts and helps them exchange advice and cooperate on projects such as control and prevention of soil erosion, land resource planning, and reduction of siltation. The board is composed of seven members appointed by the governor, and five agency personnel representing the University of Minnesota Institute of Agriculture, the Agricultural Extension Service, the Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Department of Natural Resources. (Source: Laws and statutes, legislative manuals, board minutes, September 23, 1987).
Membership:
11 members: seven members appointed by the governor and five agency personnel representing the University of Minnesota Institute of Agriculture, the Agricultural Extension Service, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Entries for this agency in the Annual Compilation and Statistical Report of Multi-Member Agencies Report:
1988, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, 1980, 1979, 1978.
Note: This report provides membership details as well as meeting information and a summary of the group's activities.
Notes:
Moved from DNR to Agriculture Department in 1982 (Department of Admin. Reorganization Order no. 120).
Note: The Legislative Reference Library may have additional reports on or by this group available through our catalog.
Documents/Articles:
News clippings and documents. Agencies Notebook Collection, 1955-1985.
Record last updated:
11/19/2013
All information on this group from the Library’s collection of agency notebooks has been digitized. These
materials are incorporated into the “documents/articles” section of the record. Please contact a librarian with any questions. The Minnesota Agencies database is a work in progress.