OKEECHOBEE -- The Okeechobee Soil and Water Conservation District (OSWCD) 75^th Anniversary reception was Thursday, Jan.8, at the Okeechobee County Historical Courthouse. 

OSWCD District Administrator Audrey Kuipers said that as a result of the devastation caused by the 1930’s Dust Bowl, U.S. Congress declared soil and water conservation as a national policy and priority. More than 3,000 local districts over the U.S. were established to address conservation concerns, serving as liaisons between the federal government and local landowners.

OSWCD was organized in 1951 under the provisions of the Florida Conservation Act of 1937 and amended by the Soil Conservation Act. F.S. Chapter 582 and is one of 49 districts established in Florida. Each of these districts are governed by a board of five, nonpartisan, unpaid elected supervisors.

OSWCD is responsible for developing and carrying out locally led agricultural programs for the conservation, protection and development of soil, water and related plant and animal resources within district boundaries.

Services include:

• Provide technical assistance with conservation planning and best management practice implementation through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.
• Provide program enrollment, verification and financial assistance for state mandated programs through Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Ag Water Policy.
• Conservation education and agriculture program outreach.

In the past year, OSWCD:

• Administered $2.5 million in state Best Management Practices (BMP) cost share projects that help reduce nutrient runoff to Lake Okeechobee and the Northern Everglades and Estuary Protection Area.
• Entered into cost share agreements with the Florida Department of Agriculture Office of Agricultural Water Policy and 33 agricultural producers in the Northern Everglades Estuary Protection Area, totaling 345,000 acres enrolled.
• Assisted the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with 16 new federal obligations of $1.65 million encompassing 6,166 acres in Okeechobee and Glades Counties
• Assisted with managing 100 existing Farm Bill Program contracts in Okeechobee and Glades Counties with $11,257,900 in obligations covering 92.500 acres. Additionally, there are 28 federal conservation easements totaling 25,766 acres in Okeechobee County.
• Recycled 10 pounds of monofilament fishing line collected from local boat ramps and tackle shops.
• Awarded Educator Grants to fund UF/IFAS Extension soil testing program that assisted 39 citizens with proper soil testing to help meet water quality compliance regulations and Okeechobee County Ag Venture Inc. for reusable water bottles to promote water conservation.
• A grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts was secured to provide $225,000 in financial assistance for landowners to install perimeter fence around sensitive areas and ag commodities to deter feral swine soil disturbance. Additionally, cost share requests for feral swine traps totaled $5,650.45.
• Ongoing maintenance of the Agri-Civic Center Natural Trail.
• The Soils Trailer was utilized by Hendry/Glades and Collier SWCDs Ag-Venture programs.
• Students at Okeechobee AgVenture programs learned about the importance of pollinators.
• Aided the Indian River Lagoon Environthon with exposing student to soil and water interactions.
• OSWCD engaged students to think about natural resources and agriculture through local, regional, state and national level opportunities.