In 1997, the state passed a new law enabling county land conservation committees and their staffs to expand their conservation activities from controlling soil erosion on cropland to addressing all land and water resource issues of concern in their county. The goals of this new program are to identify methods to conserve long-term soil productivity, protect the quality of related natural resources, enhance water quality, and focus on severe erosion problems. A new kind of plan, the county "land and water resource management plan," will help focus locally-led planning and priority setting on implementation activities. These plans will take the place of the former county soil erosion control plans.

The details of the program will take some time to develop. However, the Land and Water Conservation Board (LWCB) has developed guidelines for use by counties to develop land and water resource management plans. For information about the plans and possible funding for the plans, contact the county land conservation office.