Who We Are
The James River Soil and Water Conservation District is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, organized and managed by local people assigned under the law to protect and improve our soil and water resources. The District is comprised of two staff members and a Board of Directors. The public elects two directors from each county, and two positions are appointed, each serving a four-year term. The Board of Directors is composed of six citizens from Chesterfield and Prince George counties, which directs the activities at the District.
Our mission is to promote stewardship and conservation of soil and water natural resources by educating and providing assistance that encourages citizens to manage, protect and enhance land and water quality.
Board Meeting Minutes
Our History
During the Dust Bowl crisis in 1935, Congress passed Public Law 74-46, recognizing that “the wastage of soil and moisture resources on farm, grazing, and forested lands… is a menace to the national welfare,” and established the Soil Conservation Service(SCS) as an agency in the USDA. In 1994, the name was changed to the Natural Resource Conservation Service, indicating a broader scope of the agency’s mission. To supplement this effort and to provide a local level of administration, the Standard State Soil Conservation Districts Law was passed, providing for the organization of “Soil Conservation Districts” as governmental subdivisions of the States. Franklin D. Roosevelt described the program in a letter to each state governor. In Virginia, Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) are authorized through the Code of VA 10.1, Chapter 5. Districts in Virginia are self-governed subdivisions of the State and are comprised of one or more localities. Each SWCD is governed by a locally elected Board of Directors, ensuring that they remain a local influence with local people, local decision-making, and local programs. There are over 3000 SWCDs in the U.S. covering about 98% of the countries land area. Districts accomplish their mission through partnerships and leveraging of local, state, and federal resources.
On September 26th, 1940 the James River Soil and Water Conservation District was established, it included Prince George, Chesterfield, and Henrico County as part of a three-county unit. In 1975, Henrico split to form a single county District. Chesterfield and Prince George remained to comprise the current James River SWCD