More than 650 agricultural and natural resource conservation leaders gathered in Bastrop at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort on October 27-28, 2008 to participate in the 68th Annual State Meeting of Texas Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Directors. Virtually the entire State of Texas is divided into 217 SWCDs, political subdivisions of state government, which are governed by a locally elected board of directors that establish natural resource conservation goals and agricultural objectives, and provide technical assistance to farmers and ranchers.

During the general sessions of the meeting, Chairman of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) Jerry D. Nichols (Nacogdoches) introduced an impressive line up of speakers. Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson, State Senator for District 18 Glenn Hegar, and Chairman of the Texas House Committee on Appropriations Warren Chisum all presented their thoughts on critical natural resource challenges facing the State. Other presenters included the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) State Conservationist Don Gohmert, Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald, and Vice-President of the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Scott Buckles.

Local SWCD directors also attended topical presentations conducted by John Barton, P.E., Assistant Executive Director for Engineering Operations with the Texas Department of Transportation, and Dr. Dan Sebert, the CEO-Executive Director for the National Watershed Coalition. Other presenters included Texas AgriLife Extension Service Extension Program Specialist Jennifer Peterson, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Dam Safety Program Division Chief Warren Samuelson, and USDA NRCS' Assistant State Conservationist for Water Resources Steve Bednarz, P.E.

The annual meeting is conducted each year to provide those in attendance with an opportunity for an in-depth look at the issues facing them in their quest to strengthen soil and water conservation programs in Texas.

As the lead agency for the State of Texas in addressing agricultural and silvicultural forms of nonpoint source pollution, the TSSWCB works closely with state's local SWCDs to reduce nonpoint source pollution from various agricultural activities.

For more information, please contact TSSWCB Headquarters in Temple at (254) 773-2250 or visit our website at www.tsswcb.state.tx.us.

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