District Brochure

The Soil and Water Conservation District Law was enacted July 7, 1937, by the United States Department of Agriculture.  In December of 1946, Mr. Harold Bergman and Mr. Owen Maue secured the required signatures of landowners in several townships in Cook County to create a Soil and Water Conservation District for North Cook County.  The list consisted of farmers between the ages of 25 and 45 who where public spirited and who wanted to bring the benefits of the USDA, Soil Conservation Service to Cook County.

At this time, they were able to get 738 signatures from the 1247 farms in North Cook County, a total of 59% of the landowners.  On August 30, 1950, the State of Illinois, Office of the Secretary of State (Mr. Edward Barrett), issued a certificate of incorporation to the North Cook County Soil & Water Conservation District. 

In the early 1930s, along with the greatest depression this nation ever experienced, came an equally unparalleled ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl. Following a severe and sustained drought in the Great Plains, the region's soil began to erode and blow away; creating huge black dust storms that blotted out the sun and swallowed the countryside. Thousands of “dust refugees” left the black fog to seek better lives.

But the storms stretched across the nation. They reached south to Texas and east to New York. Dust even sifted into the White House and onto the desk of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

On Capitol Hill, while testifying about the erosion problem, soil scientist Hugh Hammond Bennett threw back the curtains to reveal a sky blackened by dust. Congress unanimously passed legislation declaring soil and water conservation a national policy and priority. Because nearly three-fourths of the continental United States is privately owned, Congress realized that only active, voluntary support from landowners would guarantee the success of conservation work on private land.

In 1937, President Roosevelt wrote the governors of all the states recommending legislation that would allow local landowners to form soil conservation districts. Brown County Soil & Water Conservation District in North Carolina was the first district established. The movement caught on across the country with district-enabling legislation passed in every state. Today, the country is blanketed with nearly 3,000 conservation districts.

The mission of the North Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District is to provide information, education, and guidance in the conservation and wise use of natural resources within the District by:

1. Educating the public and encouraging local governments to plan, pass, and implement ordinances for protecting health, safety, and general welfare of the people of the District and its soil and water resources.

2. Work with all residents and units of government in protecting and increasing public lands.

3. Assist communities in understanding the need to identify, preserve, and enhance our natural communities of forests, savannas, prairies, and wetlands as well as areas that serve as important wildlife habitats.

4. Provide assistance in protecting the wetlands, lakes, and rivers in our communities from damage caused by point and non-point source pollution, flooding, erosion, and sediment.
 

State Funding

The District’s budget is partially funded through an annual grant from the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Although the grant amount budgeted for Districts varies from year to year all 98 Illinois SWCDs receive equal grant funds. The state grant covers approximately 60-70% of the annual operating budget of the North Cook Co. SWCD. These funds supplement the retention of the District’s Administrative Coordinator and Resource Conservationist positions and District operating expenses.

Federal Contributions

The District receives valuable technical support and information sharing fueled by our partnership with USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service. The North Cook Co. SWCD is still fortune enough to co-locate with the Cook County USDA-NRCS field office. This means that our technical support, Jim Rospopo District Conservationist with USDA-NRCS, is physically located within our District. This ensures our timely access to USDA-NRCS expertise and technical resources and provides for a partnered approach to conservation in Cook County. The close working relationship of NRCS, SWCD staff, our community, and our elected board make Soil & Water Districts distinctively valuable and effective organizations. This combined “team” presence provides the platform for which we develop partnerships throughout our county’s conservation community. Furthermore, as an added benefit, by co-locating with our federal partner, both parties lessen their financial burdens by sharing the expense of office leasing.

North Cook SWCD Funding

The District is a Not-For-Profit, non-taxing local government. The District does not currently receive contributions from Cook County. The remainder of the District’s budget is made up in fees charged for various programs and services administered by the District; such as those listed throughout this site.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.