The Southern Aroostook Soil & Water Conservation District is a legal subdivision of state government, responsible under state law for conservation work within its boundaries. Our mission is: to focus attention on conserving land, water and related resources; to develop programs to solve natural resource problems; to enlist and coordinate help from all public and private sources that can contribute to accomplishing the district’s mission; and to educate the public – all ages - in the preservation of natural resources by increasing awareness of the interrelationship between human activities and the natural environment. The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District receives a small donation from the State of Maine each year with the majority of our operating funds being provided by grants from such agencies as the EPA, the US Forestry Service, and the US Department of Agriculture. These grants allow the district to employ staff to carry out our mission. We also work in a unique cooperative partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides strong technical expertise, and state and local partners to the District. The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District is managed by a small board of unpaid citizens who know local problems. This board is comprised of five supervisors (two appointed and three elected). The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District develops its own programs to best suit the environmental needs of the county’s residents as well as the area’s resources. Common concerns include: developing conservation plans for landowners; water quality and supply; timber management; installing conservation practices; wildlife management; conservation education; preservation of agricultural land; establishing priorities for agency efforts; publicity; legislation; recognition of volunteer efforts; educational efforts such as exhibits, tours and environmental contests; erosion and sedimentation inspection activities; erosion and sedimentation plan reviews; watershed management; and natural resource surveys and inventories. Much of the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District’s effectiveness is due to our ability to work with local, state and federal agencies to solve local environmental problems.