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District Brochure |
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History of the North Cook
Soil & Water Conservation District |
| 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. |
| On November 7, 1950, the first election to
organize our board of directors took place.
Emil Hattendorf, Karl Rost, Henry Koehler,
Herbert J. Mueller, and Wilmer Rohlwing became
the first Board of Directors of the North Cook
County Soil & Water Conservation District.
These gentlemen were faced with erosion damage,
lack of protective cover, and depletion of
organic matter in the soil. Soil erosion and
sediment control are still major concerns within
the District. The North Cook County Soil &
Water Conservation District is unique in that it
has undergone a transition from a completely
agricultural District to a District which is
approximately 98% urban. |
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| History of Conservation
Districts |
| 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. |
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| Mission Statement |
| 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. |
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| Funding |
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. |
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| 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. |
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