Maine?s Conservation Districts Highlighted

October 15, 2014

For more information contact: John Bott at: 207-287-3156

State Officials stress their importance to soil health, water quality and wise use of land, forest and water resources

Augusta ? Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) officials are highlighting the important work of Maine Soil and Water Conservation Districts in speeches in Skowhegan and Gorham this week. Commissioner Walt Whitcomb and Deputy Commissioner Dave Lavway are scheduled to speak at meetings of the Maine State Grange and Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District about the value of Conservation districts to Maine communities, agriculture and the natural resource economy.

?The last Census of Agriculture highlighted the strength of Maine agriculture and its potential to put more food on the table, provide jobs and create economic opportunities,? said Governor Paul R. LePage. ?There are more Maine farms now, and the market value of Maine agricultural products has increased 24 percent. Soil and Water Conservation Districts are an important part of that success. For the amount of money invested, Conservation Districts provide taxpayers with the biggest bang for the buck in natural resource management. The valuable work that they do does not receive enough attention or financial support.?

?Maine needs to develop its natural resources economy through prevention of soil erosion, improvement of soil health, protection and restoration of water quality, and wise use of our land, forests, and water,? said DACF Commissioner Walt Whitcomb. ?Meeting these challenges requires a public-private partnership that Conservation Districts have developed over the past 70 years. The LePage Administration has actively strengthened an important partnership that improves natural resource management.?

Speaking to the Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District (Cumberland SWCD), Deputy DACF Commissioner Dave Lavway congratulated the district for its nationally recognized program for urban stormwater management and transformation into the largest and most successful Conservation District in New England.

?Agriculture is growing in Cumberland County, with more farms and more acres devoted to producing locally-grown food with sustainable farming practices,? said Deputy Commissioner Lavway. ?Cumberland SWCD has recognized this trend and is developing programs to promote soil health and public awareness of agriculture.?

Benefits of Soil and Water Conservation Districts:

  • Soil & Water Conservation districts help prevent of soil erosion, improve soil health, protect and restore water quality. They promote wise use of land, forest and water resources. They achieve these objectives by establishing public-private partnerships.

  • Conservation Districts bring numerous partners together: federal and state agencies, local governments, farmers, woodlot owners, lakeshore residents, business and industry ? to find effective solutions to local natural resource problems.

  • Soil & Water Conservation Districts are important partners in the merged Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. They epitomize the collaborative approach to natural resource management that Governor LePage envisioned when he and the Legislature combined three agencies into Maine?s largest natural resource Department.

  • Conservation Districts extend the Department?s ability to reach local landowners. Districts are one of the most trusted sources for unbiased information on natural resource management.

  • Maine?s Conservation Districts leverage over $15 million in grants, appropriations, cash contributions, and volunteer labor to conserve, improve, and sustain natural resources. Every State dollar invested in Conservation Districts produces over $ 18 in additional funding for conservation work.

More information on Maine Soil and Water Conservation Districts is available at:

http://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/commissioners/soil_water/index.shtml