►
From YouTube: Buncombe at Work: Soil and Water Conservation District
Description
North Carolina has a proud history of conservation and the local Soil and Water Conservation Districts play an important role. The Buncombe SWCD works in partnership with local, state, and federal governments to provide soil and water conservation services to the citizens of Buncombe County. These services include environmental education, cost-sharing of conservation projects, conservation technical assistance and farmland preservation and are delivered to county citizens through various programs. Description
A
It
was
1935
in
response
to
the
devastating
effects
of
the
Dust
Bowl
Congress
passed,
the
Soil
Conservation
Act
credited
for
leading
the
movement
was
North
Carolina
native
soil
scientist,
Hugh
Hammond
Bennett,
bringing
attention
to
the
issues
of
soil
erosion.
His
efforts
resulted
in
the
creation
of
the
Federal
soil
conservation
service
in
an
effort
to
get
local
farmers
and
citizens
involved
in
the
process.
The
local
Soil
and
Water
Conservation
District
was
born.
A
B
Primary
function
of
soil
and
water
conservation
districts
across
the
state
of
North,
Carolina
and
there's
96
of
them
in
the
state,
is
to
conserve
the
Soil
and
Water
Resources
in
each
individual
county.
In
our
our
mission
is
basically
to
help
people
help
the
land.
Primarily,
we
work
in
four
different
areas.
B
One
of
the
main
things
we
do
is
we
provide
what
we
call
technical
assistance
to
individual
landowners
where
they
be
a
farmer
or
a
homeowner
or
a
unit
of
government.
We
provide
the
technical
expertise,
whether
it
be
just
a
phone
call,
an
on-site
consultation
or
going
a
step
further
and
providing
them
actually
with
surveying
and
engineering
plans
and
designs.
We
provide
the
technical
assistance
for
that
and
we
also
provide
cost-sharing
assistance.
C
Planning
is
really
the
integral
part
of
what
we
do.
You
know
helping
them
address
the
resource
concerns
on
their
property,
whether
that's
an
eroding
stream
bank,
maybe
in
a
roading
crop
field
or
an
animal
waste
issue
that
they
might
have,
and
once
we
have
a
you
know,
an
idea
of
all
the
resource
concerns
there.
Then
we
put
all
of
that
into
a
conservation
planning.
We
offer
them
multiple
alternatives.
You
know
there
may
be
two
or
three
different
alternatives:
ways
to
address
the
situation.
C
Then
the
landowner
makes
the
decisions
as
to
how
they
want
to
proceed
and
what
actions
they
would
like
to
take,
and
then
we
take
all
of
that.
It's
based
on
it
and
we
try
to
find
them
and
fit
them
into
the
particular
cost
share
program
that
might
work
best
for
them.
Whether
that's
one
of
our
state
programs
like
the
north
carolina
agricultural
cost
share
program
or
the
north
carolina
a
grep,
the
egg
water
resources
assistance
program.
C
It
might
also
be
one
of
the
federal
programs
such
as
the
Environmental
Quality
incentives
program,
there's
also
a
couple
of
special
stream
initiative
projects
that
the
federal
government
has,
along
with
the
continuous
CRP
and
which
is
Conservation,
Reserve,
Program
and
CSP.
All
of
those
programs
offer
different
things.
They
all
have
different
rules,
they
all
have
different
requirements
and
different
cost
share
rates
and
percentages.
D
I've
had
three
major
challenges
in
taking
care
of
this
farm.
One
is
invasive
species
which
I'm
working
on
slowly,
but
the
other
was
erosion
and
I
wasn't
even
aware
until
I
talked
to
Buncombe,
County,
Soil
and
Water,
how
much
land
I
was
losing
to
the
stream,
because
the
cows
were
in
the
stream
and
causing
erosion
on
the
banks.
So
when
the
cost
share
came
up
to
fence
the
creek
off
from
the
cows,
I
thought:
oh,
that's
terrible.
What
are
they
going
to
drink?
But
then
the
cost
share
also
helped
me
drill
a
well.
D
So
now
the
cows
get
fresh
well
water
in
watering
stations
that
are
through
the
pastures
and
look
what's
happened
to
the
creek,
look
at
the
golden
rod
and
the
asters
and
the
willow,
the
tchenka
pens
that
have
come
back.
It's
no
longer
a
red
clay,
scarred
eroded,
creek
bank
anymore,
I'm,
so
pleased,
and
also
my
irrigation
pond
here
was
leaking.
So
how
was
I
going
to
irrigate
my
blueberries?
D
Water
is
so
essential
to
the
growing
of
the
crop
so
again,
I
turn
to
Buncombe,
County,
Soil
and
Water
for
a
guidance
and
answers,
and
they
had
some
programs
cost
share
programs
for
me
and
the
pond
actually
was
an
Ag
wrap
program
that
just
worked
out
great.
We
redid
the
dam,
it's
holding
water
now
thank
God,
so
it's
been
very
beneficial.
E
Pretty
much
going
to
seed
and
I
certainly
was
aware
of
some
more
as
a
as
a
landowner
resource,
and
so
when
I
looked
at
the
sort
of
the
magnitude
of
the
project
here,
I
I
got
in
touch
with
with
Buncombe
County
Soil
Conservation,
District
folks
and
I
found
that
to
be
extremely
helpful
for
all
of
the
infrastructure
needs
that
were
required,
and
so
their
begin.
What's
now
gosh
a
15
year
relationship
with
with
soil
and
water,
and
it's
been
it's
been
a
real
pleasure
dealing
with
with
those
folks.
E
One
of
the
biggest
challenges
was
probably
redoing,
all
of
the
all
of
the
boundary
fences
and
then
then,
building
cross
fences.
I
wanted
to
do
so
using
the
locusts
that
we
had
growing
on
the
property,
and
so
that
was
was
quite
a
project
and
I
say
we
have
about
five
miles
of
fences
here.
After
that
it
was
a
lot
of
water-related
issues.
F
One
of
the
ways
I
think
that
we
set
our
priorities,
is
just
by
listening
to
the
public
jeff
foster,
I'm
a
one
of
the
district
representatives
for
the
soil
and
water
board.
We
try
to
as
a
board
help
the
local
farmers,
the
local
agricultural
community,
local
municipalities,
whoever
might
need
assistance
looking
at
Soil
and
Water
Resources
and
ways
to
improve
their
quality.
F
We
meet
once
a
month
to
review
contracts
for
those
outstanding
contracts
that
have
been
approved
for
soil
and
water,
improvements
on
primarily
local
farms,
whether
it's
low
cattle
exclusion
fence
or
whether
it's
a
pollinator
habitat
project.
We
have
any
number
of
projects
that
go
on
and
we
oversee
those
contracts
and
then
make
sure
that
the
taxpayers
money
is
responsibly
handled.
So
if
we
have
approved
a
certain
dollar
amount,
we
verified
that
the
work
is
indeed
been
performed
and
performed
according
to
the
contracts
just.
B
Recently,
the
Leicester
community
center
reached
out
to
us
to
help
them
solve
an
erosion
problem
along
their
stream
banks
there
at
the
community
center.
So
we
responded
by
developing
a
cost-share
contract
to
the
community
conservation
assistance
program
and
provided
them
not
only
with
75
percent
of
the
funding
for
that
project.
We
also
provided
the
necessary
engineering
and
permitting
assistance
buncombe.
G
Soil
and
water
was
just
amazing
to
work
with
in
helping
us
I
get
the
plans
together.
They
the
engineers
coming
out.
They
they
provided
both
the
financial
ability
for
that,
and
you
know
doing
it
and
also
they
have
a
cost-share
planned
and
we
were
able
to
get
approved
in
a
couple
years
ago.
That's
been
a
huge
help
with
you,
but
this
would
be
impossible
for
us
to
do
as
a
community
center
without
that
cost
share
stream.
B
Banks
here
were
beginning
to
erode,
the
stream
was
down,
cutting
the
tree
roots
were
being
undermined.
So
the
engineer
decided
to
take
out
the
trees
which
we
hated
to
do
because
there
was
quite
a
few
mature
trees,
but
it
had
to
be
done
and
we're
going
to
come
back
and
slope
the
banks
back
and
stabilize
the
banks
with
native
vegetation
and
that
should
stabilize
the
stream
long
term.
The.
B
We
also
have
a
very
strong
environmental
education
program,
which
is
typical
of
soil
and
water
conservation
districts.
And
that's
since
we
are
not
a
regulatory
agency
and
we
operate
on
a
voluntary
basis
with
landowners.
It
is
very
important
that
we
educate
landowners,
that
they
have
a
good
understanding
of
soil
and
water
resources
and
the
problems
that
an
issues
that
we
have
that
may
affect
those
resources.
So
we
start
out
all
the
way
down
to
first
grade
and
go
all
the
way
through
high
school
college
and
community
groups.
H
If
we
instill
conservation,
awareness
and
practices
when
the
students
are
young,
our
hope
is
that
it
will
establish
lifelong
conservation
habits
and
environmental
stewards.
I'm
tara
lands
on
the
environmental
educator
with
Buncombe
County,
Soil
and
Water
Conservation,
and
my
job
is
to
educate
students
and
teach
them
the
importance
of
conserving
and
protecting
our
natural
resources.
H
I
feel
environmental
education
is
the
most
important
aspect
of
community
outreach
that
buncombe
soil
and
water
conservation
district
has
to
offer
buncombe
saline
water
offers,
environmental
education
classes,
insoles,
Forest,
Street,
aquatics,
water
quality,
wildlife,
current
environmental
issues
and
the
water
cycle.
The.
I
H
J
Farmland
preservation
coordinator,
I
deal
with
a
handful
of
different
programs:
the
enhanced
voluntary
AG
district,
the
voluntary
AG
district
conservation,
easements,
the
Friends
of
Ag
breakfast
and
the
farm
Heritage
Trail.
One
of
the
important
parts
of
the
farmland
preservation
program
is
getting
our
farmers
to
come
in
and
join
the
voluntary
AG
district.
This
program
offers
farmer
protection
through
a
conservation
agreement.
J
Another
program
we
have
is
the
enhanced
voluntary
AG
district.
This
offers
the
same
farmer
protection
through
the
conservation
agreement,
but
also
includes
ninety
percent
cost
share
for
some
of
our
ad
cost
share
programs.
Our
main
focus
is
to
preserve
farmland
from
development
through
conservation.
Easements
conservation
easement
is
an
agreement
between
the
landowner
and
buck,
em
County,
Soil
and
Water
to
preserve
the
property
from
development
for
future
generations.
It's.
E
One
of
the
very
few
things
that
that
we
do
in
life
that
that
lives
beyond
ourselves
and
that's
a
that's,
a
special
dimension
of
of
conservation
easements.
The
notion
that
that
by
taking
care
of
the
land
and
respecting
in
the
land
and
then
putting
it
in
conservation
easement
that
good
work
carries
forward
in
into
many
many
generations.
And
I
found
that
kind
of
appealing.
Since.
J
2010
Buncombe,
County,
Soil
and
Water,
along
with
other
local
land
Trust's,
have
nearly
doubled
the
amount
of
protected
land
within
the
county.
If
you
are
interested
in
preserving
your
farmland,
we
really
encourage
you
to
contact
Buncombe
County
solon
water
farming
has
always
been
such
an
important
part
of
buncombe
county
history.
One
way
we
like
to
stay
involved
with
the
farms
is
by
hosting
a
quarterly
Friends
of
Ag
breakfast,
the
Friends
of
Ag
breakfast
offers
local
food
from
Buncombe,
County
Farm
and
an
educational
agricultural
speaker
with
topics
ranging
from
legislative
updates
to
new
farming
techniques.
J
This
breakfast
is
free
and
open
to
the
public
and
we
encourage
you
to
come
join
us.
We
just
finished
up
a
project
this
past
spring
that
we're
extremely
proud
of
the
farm.
Heritage
Trail
is
a
driving
or
cycling
trail
on
public
roads
in
the
northwest
section
of
buncombe
county.
This
trail
passes
by
the
majority
of
the
farms
protected
in
conservation
easement
in
that
section
of
the
county.
We
hope
that
our
map
helps
you
explore
this
section
of
the
county
in
a
different
way.
You
can
get
out
of
your
car
and
explore
a
farm.
K
Buncombe
county
has
always
been
committed
to
preserving
our
natural
resources,
for
our
beginning
is
a
tourist
destination
in
an
agricultural
center.
We've
always
put
priority
on
protecting
and
preserving
our
farmlands.
The
Buncombe
County
Commission's
always
understood
the
whole
concept
of
preserving
our
farms,
protecting
the
soil
and
natural
resources.
We
have
is
also
good
business
for
Buncombe
County.
We
get
farm
income,
we
get
fresh
food.
We
get
buffers
to
keep
our
water
and
streams
clean.
K
We
get
agritourism,
which
is
a
growing
industry
where
people
want
to
get
back
to
the
soul,
to
see
what
it
was
like
to
be
on
a
farm.
We
have
to
have
better
food,
we
have
better
meets.
We
have
so
much
to
gain
for
taking
care
of
these
natural
resources,
but
it
doesn't
make
any
sense
to
do
anything
else.
I'm,
proud
of
our
soil
and
water
conservation
board.
K
B
It's
got
tremendous
natural
resources,
it's
got
beautiful
streams
and
I
want
to
do
what
what
I
can
to
protect
the
soil
and
water
sources
of
buncombe
county,
because
there's
there's
some
things
that
that
can
happen
to
the
land
that
their
ear,
aversa,
Buhl's
and
yes,
basically
I,
want
to
see
in
the
soil
and
water
conservation
district
wants
to
see
the
land
protected.
We
want
to
see
our
water
quality
protected
and
retain
the
natural
beauty
of
Vulcan
County.
At
the
same
time,
we'd
love
to
hear
from
the
community
and
the
citizens
and
we'd
love
to
know.