In The News All the Dirt on Board This year "the" political race in Prince William County is for director of the Soil and Water Conservation District, where six candidates are vying for three elected seats on the board of directors. There have been many questions and much confusion in recent days as to what the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District does and what its purpose is. I would like to provide this background review on its mission. Soil and Water Conservation Districts had their beginning in the 1930s when Congress, in response to national concern over mounting erosion, floods and dust storms, enacted the Soil Conservation Act of 1935. The act stated for the first time a national policy to provide a permanent program for the control and prevention of soil erosion and directed the secretary of agriculture to establish the Soil Conservation Service (now known as the Natural Resources Conservation Service) to implement this policy. The Soil Conservation District's Law of Virginia was passed in 1938, and a tri-county Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District was established on July 30, 1945. The Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District was formed on May 25, 1971, after the separation of Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William counties into independent districts. The Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District is governed by a five-member board of directors comprising local residents who are familiar with local problems. Three of the directors are elected countywide in a general election, and two are appointed by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board. The mission of the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District is to provide leadership in the conservation of soil, water and related resources to all Prince William County residents, through technical assistance, information and education. Highlights of the districts' programs and activities are: • Farm Field Day exposes fourth-graders to the agricultural community. • Three newsletters published during the year for students, teachers and residents. • Arbor Day poster contest for students that has produced many state and national winners from Prince William County. • Adopt-a-Stream program that involves residents in the cleaning of our local streams. • Stream monitoring for biological and chemical analysis. • Youth Conservation Camp for a district sponsored student(s) interested in furthering their environmental education. • Envirothon -- a high-level state competition among high school student teams. • Equine Outreach Program to make horse owners aware of the availability of technical, financial and educational assistance. • Farmer (dairy) seminars. • Internship programs for college students. • Teacher training to assist in the state Standards of Learning. • Nutrient reduction and management plans. • Soil and water quality conservation plans. • Best management practices plans. • Pasture management. • Erosion and sediment reviews for some cities in the county. Financial and administrative assistance for these programs comes from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Prince William County, Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department, City of Manassas and occasional federal and grant funds. The district partners closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, DCR, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Ducks Unlimited and the Prince William County Department of Public Works. In addition, it has formed working relationships with several other local agricultural, conservation and education groups and businesses. The district participates in broader cooperative conservation efforts through the Potomac Council, Potomac Watershed Roundtable and various regional events and meetings. Jeff Guide Vice chairman Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District Washington Post, Prince William Edition Sunday, October 21, 2001; Page PW02 Return to Homepage

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