When the United States passed the Clean Water Act 50 years ago, Soil and Water Conservation Districts were already working to provide outreach, education, and technical assistance to farmers, producers, foresters, and landowners. That priority continues through the efforts of Maine’s 16 Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Here are two examples of Maine SWCD’s recognized for their work to improve and preserve clean water:

Angie Wotton, Executive Director of Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District, was named one of Maine’s “100 Clean Water Champions” by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Angie’s leadership and focus on providing education and technical assistance through programs, workshops, outreach, and innovative projects exemplifies her dedication and service to conservation.

The National Association of Conservation Districts recognized Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District for their work on watershed improvements on the Androscoggin River, whose dramatically impaired water quality was the original inspiration for Maine’s Ed Muskie to champion the Clean Water Act 50 years ago.

Under the leadership of Michele Windsor, Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District District Manager, projects including installing best management practices addressing ditch and culvert erosion, shoreline filter / buffer planting, and gravel road improvements have significantly reduced phosphorus and sediment impacts to the watersheds. With the aid of partners, volunteers, and staff, the work continues to improve water quality for the Androscoggin River and associated watersheds.

Maine’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts have leadership opportunities!

Maine’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are non-regulatory subdivisions of State Government, governed by locally-elected volunteer Boards of Supervisors. There are sixteen SWCDs in Maine which generally correspond to county boundaries (see the map at the State of Maine website) . SWCDs establish priorities for conservation efforts with emphasis is on issues that are identified locally, as well as state-wide.

The volunteer board, which is responsible for guiding the District’s business affairs and operations, comprises three elected and two appointed supervisors, who each serve overlapping three-year terms. In addition, the SWCD Board welcomes Associate Supervisors, members appointed by the Board, who may have an interest in the general activities of the District or a specific area of interest or expertise to share.

Supervisors are local residents with careers or interest in farming, forestry, wildlife, urban ecology, conservation enthusiasts and supporters with an interest in aiding their communities.

Anyone interested in 1) running for the office of supervisor, or 2) voting in the election must be a registered voter within the boundaries of the local service area. Candidates need have only an interest in conservation and a willingness, at a minimum, to participate in a monthly board meeting at the District office. To run for an elected position, a candidate must submit a nomination paper signed by 25 county residents.

Contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District to learn more about volunteer leadership opportunities.

Joe Dembeck, executive director at Somerset County SWCD, offered a virtual webinar presentation highlighting real-world, program / projects on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cost-share programs available in Maine to provide financial support to woodland owners managing their land for timber quality, wildlife habitat and forest health.

Click here to view the YouTube webinar .

Joe shared advice, information, and ‘lessons learned’ with ME NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), from application to implementation, through his experience conducting a CSP project on forestland that he and his wife own in Maine.

THIS EVENT WAS HOSTED BY THE LOW-IMPACT FORESTRY PROGRAM AT MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS & GARDENERS ASSOCIATION (MOFGA).

Envirothon – Educating today’s youth to become tomorrow’s environmental leaders.

Maine Association of Conservation Districts is delighted to host the annual Maine Envirothon. This natural resource competition for high school aged students is held each spring.

Thanks to funding from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund , a series of four presentations – each representing one of the Envirothon ‘stations’ and delivered by environmental experts, provides information to students and advisors as they prepare for the regional and state competitions. These recorded presentations are available for viewing on YouTube.

YouTube WILDLIFE Presentation Missy Brandt, York County SWCD

YouTube FORESTRY Presentation Andy Schultz, Maine Forest Service

YouTube AQUATICS Presentation Jenna Martyn-Fisher, Cumberland County SWCD

YouTube SOILS Presentation Greg Grainger, ME Natural Resources Conservation Service

Protecting Maine Forests from Invasive Forest Pests

Maine’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts will host two informational webinars in May. Both webinars are free to attend and have continuing education credits. For more information and to register visit Cumberland County SWCD .

May 4, 2021

Maine already has several invasive forest pests targeting our trees and spreading throughout the state. There are additional invasive forest pests in neighboring states that we don’t want moving to Maine.

Join our discussion with local experts on Tuesday, May 4th from 3:00-4:30 PM to learn more about protecting our forests from these invaders. The Maine Board of Pesticide Control has approved this webinar for 1 credit. The Society of American Foresters has approved this webinar for 1.5 Category 1 credits.

May 18, 2021

The spotted lanternfly is a new invasive species that is spreading like wildfire along the eastern U.S. The number of trees and crops it feeds on has reached triple digits with devastating losses reported from grape growers. Initial research is showing that spotted lanternfly may not survive well in most of Maine but could be successful in southern areas, especially where its preferred host, the invasive tree of heaven, grows. Learn how to spot the spotted lanternfly and tree of heaven to help detect and report sightings in Maine.

Join our discussion with Maine Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Conservation staff on Tuesday, May 18th from 3:00-4:00 PM to learn more about protecting our forests and crops from these invaders.

The Society of American Foresters has approved this webinar for one Category 1 credit.

Webinars are free and funded by USDA-APHIS.

Looking for the REAL MAINE ? Experience local food, recipes, activities, shopping, and more by visiting the Real Maine website. Maine made items from maple syrup to lavender sachets are featured, as are farmer’s markets and CSAs – Community Supported Agriculture. Check out the REAL MAINE website when you’re planning that next in-state road trip and discover new-to-you destinations that will take you off the beaten path.

Hosted by Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District

What’s in Your Soil? Let’s Talk About Lead in Maine’s Soils

Free Webinar Tuesday, September 22nd 4:00 to 5:30 PM   Join us for a virtual panel to learn about healthy soils and lead contamination in Maine’s urban soils. The panel will cover soil health, testing for contaminants, exposure pathways, and safety on soils.   Register Here               VISIT OUR WEBSITE!

In addition to the webinar, we are organizing the Portland SoilSHOP at the Portland Farmer’s Market on Saturday, September 26^th. A SoilSHOP is a free soil testing event where anyone can drop off soil samples to be screened for lead contamination for free.

From The County website

HOULTON, Maine (July 17, 2019) — Aroostook County’s three soil and water conservation district organizations are trying out an unusual experiment with area farmers this summer using “soiled underwear” to highlight soil health.

About a dozen farmers and gardeners around Aroostook County are participating in the project by burying all-cotton pairs of underwear in their gardens and crop fields, and planning to dig up what’s left of them in two months.

“The idea is that the more alive your soil, the more the undies will decompose,” said Angela Wotton, district manager at Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. “It’s sort of a fun experiment. It’s a good visual for soil health.”

The more biologically active soil is, with a diversity of bacteria, fungi, earthworms and microorganisms, the quicker the cotton or other natural materials will break down. Agricultural fields with more soil life can better support crops and retain organic matter and nutrients over the long term.

In the last decade, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has helped more farmers adopt soil-building strategies such as cover crops planted over multi-year rotations of cash crops like potatoes and grains.

The demonstration in Aroostook County is a collaboration with the local offices of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Southern Aroostook, Central Aroostook and the St. John Valley.

Wotton credits the start of the initiative to Kelsey Ramerth, soil conservationist. The St. John Valley team will be digging up the underwear to display during the annual Ploye Festival Aug. 9-11 in Fort Kent.

“Our ultimate goal and our focus has been on building soil health. I feel like a lot of farmers in Southern Aroostook plant a fall or winter cover and try different combinations of cover crops. A picture is worth 1,000 words. It shows how alive the soil is,” said Wotton. “The farmers in our district have made a lot of gains. They’re doing a lot of work on their farms to focus on soil health.”