North Dakota State Soil Conservation Committee
North Dakota State University - NDSU Extension Service
The North Dakota State Soil Conservation Committee (SSCC) was created by the
1937 Legislative Assembly and is maintained as a state agency.
The SSCC has a membership
of seven voting members, five elected and two
appointed by the Governor.
The term of office of every member of the SSCC shall be three years and
until a successor is elected or appointed. A member of the SSCC shall be eligible for re-election and
re-appointment, but no member may serve for more than two full, successive
terms. Vacancies in either elective
or appointive terms may be filled for the unexpired term by
appointment by the
Governor.
Elective
Members
For the purpose of electing the five elective members of the SSCC, the State
of North Dakota is divided into five areas as follows:
Area I -
Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Foster, Grand Forks,
Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Towner, Walsh and Wells Counties.
Area II
-
Barnes, Cass, Dickey, Griggs, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland,
Sargent, Steele and Traill Counties.
Area III -Bottineau,
Burke, Divide, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville, Rolette and Ward Counties.
Area IV -Burleigh, Emmons,
Kidder, Logan, McIntosh, McLean, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, Sioux and Stutsman
Counties.
Area V - Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley,
Grant, Hettinger, McKenzie, Mercer, Stark, Slope and Williams Counties.
One member of
the SSCC is elected from each of the five areas by vote of the members of the
boards of supervisors of the districts in that area.
Elections of members of
the SSCC are held under rules adopted by the SSCC
and in cooperation with and at the time of the North Dakota Association of Soil
Conservation Districts Area Meetings.
Elections
of members of the SSCC are conducted by the SSCC.
Appointive
Members
Two members of the SSCC shall be appointed by the Governor.
The Governor shall appoint individuals who can represent those interests
within the state not already represented,
or less fully represented, by one or
more of the five elected members of the SSCC. The Governor shall attempt, so far as feasible, to make possible suitable
representation for
all interests in the state in the membership of the SSCC,
including the interests of farmers, livestock growers, rural areas, small towns,
cities, and industry and business, recognizing
that any single member of the
SSCC may sometimes appropriately be regarded as representing more than one of
these interests.
Advisory, Nonvoting Members
The SSCC has six advisory, nonvoting member who are representatives of the
State Association of Soil Conservation Districts, NDSU Extension Service,
Natural Resources Conservation
Service, State Water Commission, Commissioner of
Agriculture and Game and Fish Department.
The NDSU
Extension Service was directed by the 55th Legislative Assembly to assist the
Committee in performing the Committee’s duties, within the limits of
legislative
appropriations. The
Extension Director shall instruct Extension Agents to cooperate in the delivery
of information and services to the Districts.
North Dakota
State Soil Conservation Committee
Duties and Powers
The
SSCC assists with administrative matters and provides program planning
assistance to the soil conservation districts in the state. The members of the SSCC receive
forty-five dollars per day as
compensation for their services on the SSCC in addition to travel expenses
incurred in the discharge of their duties.
Meetings of the SSCC are
open to the public.
Principal
Duties And Powers:
*To offer such assistance as may be appropriate to the supervisors of
districts in the
carrying out of any of their powers and
programs.
*
To keep the supervisors of each of the several districts informed of the
activities and experience of all other districts, and to facilitate an interchange of advice
and experience
between such districts and cooperation between them.
*
To secure the cooperation and assistance of state, federal, regional,
interstate, and local, public, and private agencies with districts; and to
facilitate arrangements under
which districts may assist or serve county
governing bodies and other agencies in the administration of any activity concerned with the conservation of natural resources.
*To review agreements, or forms of agreements, proposed to be entered into
by districts with other districts or with state, federal, interstate, or other
public
or private organizations, and advise the districts concerning such
agreements or forms of agreement.
*To recommend to the Extension Director biennial budgets necessary to
finance the activities of the SSCC and districts; and to distribute moneys
appropriated by the legislative assembly for grants to soil conservation
districts.
*
To represent the state in matters affecting soil conservation.
* To require annual reports from districts.
*
To establish uniform accounting methods which shall be used by districts,
and to establish a uniform auditing reporting system.
*To receive from other state and local agencies for review and comment
suitable descriptions of their plans, programs, and activities affecting the
conservation
of natural resources for purposes of coordination with district
conservation programs; to arrange for and participate in conferences necessary
to avoid
conflict among such plans and programs; to call attention to omissions;
and to avoid duplication of effort.
The State Soil Conservation Committee
And
District Records
T
1. All actions taken in the organization of each District.
2. A record of each supervisor - when elected or appointed.
3. Additions of territory, changes of district boundaries, consolidation of
districts, change of district names and dissolution of districts.
ü
District minutes.
ü
District long-range programs and revisions.
ü
District annual plans of operation.
ü
District annual reports.
ü
The financial audit of each District
ü
District rules, regulations, contracts, agreements and other
information, such as newsletters, and reports as may be necessary.
Why
it is necessary to keep a record of this type for each Soil Conservation
District at the State level:
subject to provisions of the State constitution and various rules
and regulations which require a State entity for governmental subdivision to
keep such records.
In order for the SSCC to carry out its general duties and powers spelled
out in Section
4-22-06
of the District Law, it is necessary for the SSCC to keep
such records
and other information available at all times.
A complete record of Districts and their activities are necessary in
statewide planning for development in the field of land and water resources, and
land-use planning and
economic development.
Records of each District provide information necessary for state
appropriation requests and other legislative action.
Such records tell the story of Soil Conservation Districts, their
accomplishments and short comings that are essential for Districts to meet the
challenge of a changing
world and keep the conservation of our natural resources
under local control.
Watershed
Projects
The State Soil Conservation Committee was designated by Governor Norman
Brunsdale to receive, approve and assign planning priority to watershed
applications.
Applications are to include facts about the size and location
of the watershed, descriptions of the land and water problems, information about
proposed work needed to
solve the community problem, information about the
sponsoring organizations and their source of funds. Watersheds, by law, are limited to 250,000 acres in size.
Since
1954 when the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (Public Law 83-566)
was enacted, many rural and urban communities have applied for technical
and
cost share assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Act provides that sponsors of watershed projects may include purposes
such as
flood prevention, agricultural water management and water supply,
municipal and industrial water supply for both present or future use,
recreation, and fish and wildlife
development.
Watershed
projects bridge the resource development gap between the soil and water
conservation work of individual land owners and large federal and state public
works projects for water resource development on major rivers.
The
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has the primary responsibility for
carrying out the small watershed program.
In
addition to assistance under Public Law 83-566, aid is available from other
federal, federal-state, and state programs dealing with land, water, plants,
recreation,
and fish and wildlife.
II.
Sponsoring Watershed Projects Districts
are eligible sponsors for watershed protection and flood prevention projects
(Public Law 83-566). They are
responsible
for the land treatment features of the watershed program.
It is necessary to have as a co-sponsor an organization that has taxing
authority and right of eminent domain.
This
can be a county, city, or a unit of state government; however, a Water Resource
District is most ideally suited for co-sponsorship.
The
water resource district would be responsible for obtaining easements and
rights-of-way, contracting for construction of structural measures, and their
future maintenance.
It
is most important that soil conservation district boards of supervisors maintain
close working relationship with the directors of the water resource district.
Districts
that have specific questions regarding watershed projects cost-sharing for
watershed development or organizing water resource districts, should contact the
local
District Conservationist of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Authorities - Duties and
Responsibilities
LAWS
2.
Soil Conservation District Technician Program
3.
Surface Mining Reports Law (N.D.C.C.
38-16)
4.
Reclamation Plans for Surface Mining of Coal (N.D.C.C.
38-14.1-21[2])
5.
State Technical Committee - Advisory Group for USDA Conservation Programs
6.
State Program Committee for the Rural Abandoned Mine Program (RAMP)
[Index
General
State Soil
Conservation Committee Soil
Conservation District Law District
Operations
Personnel
Agreements Cooperating
Organizations]