Health & Fitness
Soil and Water Conservation Board in Hillsborough County: Then and Now
Background, current issues, and 2012 election of the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors.
After 66 years of continued advocacy for environmental protection and conservation most Hillsborough County residents aren't even aware that the Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors exists, or what it actually does.
The Board was created out of the Dust Bowl era to work on a local level to educate the public on environmental issues, and to create dynamic solutions to local soil and water conservation concerns. The Hillsborough County Soil and Water Conservation Board was founded in 1946 several years after the actual Dust Bowl period.
Today, the Board still educates the public through partnerships with public schools from kindergarten through high school. Additionally, the Board utilizes grant funding to distribute to local applicants for soil and water conservation projects. Currently there are 63 soil and water conservation districts in the State of Florida.
Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Hillsborough County Soil and Water Conservation Board is composed of five supervisors who serve four year terms without a salary. The Board currently has public meetings in downtown Plant City quarterly to address local envirnonmental concerns, plan upcoming outreach activities, and to distribute grant money for conservation projects. The Board works with the US Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and the County Commission to implement policy, planning, and local measures to address soil and water conservation issues.
In the November 2012 general election there are four candidates running countywide for two seats on the Hillsborough County Soil and Water conservation Board. You will have to look closely to discover these candidates, given that the position is unpaid there won't be billboards or television commercials to remind you of their campaigns. But don't miss out, the Board continues to play an important role on issues of environmental protection & planning and always is a close election.
Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Current Hillsborough County Soil and Water Board Supervisor Betty Jo Thompkins ran in this year's Republican primary for State House District 59, but lost to attorney Ross Spano.
To stay completely updated on election issues be sure to check the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections website: www.votehillsborough.org.
