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The Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District (PBSWCD) is a
subdivision of the state created expressly to “conserve natural
resources, control floods, prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs,
assist in maintaining the navigability rivers and harbors, preserve
wildlife, protect lands and protect and promote the health, safety and
general welfare of the people.”
Under the direction of the district
Board of Supervisors, Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District
strives to educate the local land users, residents and businesses to
protect our natural resources, promote best management practices and
conserve, improve and sustain the environment.
A Brief History
A Soil & Water Conservation
District (SWCD) is a governmental subdivision of the State of Florida.
The creation of districts was authorized by the Soil & Water
Conservation Law, Chapter 582, Florida Statutes, enacted in 1937. There
are a total of 63 districts in Florida. SWCDs form partnerships with
Federal, State and Local Governments, and private organizations, to help
carry out a variety of conservation, environmental and educational
programs, as well as provide technical assistance and other services to
help land users protect our natural resources.
PBSWCD is a tax-exempt,
non-taxing, non-regulatory advisory organization dependent upon funding
from local sources, grants, projects and intergovernmental support. A
board of five, locally elected supervisors, govern the District.
Supervisors are nonpartisan, non-salaried public officials with interest
in the conservation of soil, water and other natural resources.
The PBSWCD works in
cooperation with Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (DACS),
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Palm Beach County. The
USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides office
space, utilities, janitorial and phone service. In addition, PBSWCD
receives partial funding from Palm Beach County. This support enables
PBSWCD to continue its programs in conservation education.
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