TEMPLE — Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Area II will elect a member to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. The election will be held at 6:00 p.m. in Wall, Texas at the Parish Hall of the Saint Ambrose Catholic Church.
Area II is located in the Hill Country and Big Bend-Trans Pecos region of Texas. The district is home to 43 Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) that service 50 counties.
The current TSSWCB member for Area II is Marty H. Graham of Rocksprings. Graham, who has been a member of the TSSWCB since May of 2008, is a rancher in Edwards County.
“Since its beginning, the TSSWCB has been governed by five board members. Each respective board member is elected in a convention type election by delegates from SWCDs within the state district that the member resides. However, with the enactment of S.B. 1828 by the 78th Legislature, two Governor appointees also serve on the TSSWCB to create a seven-member board,” said Rex Isom, TSSWCB Executive Director.
Elections occur annually to comply with the soil conservation laws of Texas. The elections are held in state district conventions and TSSWCB members serve two-year staggered terms. Since this is an even numbered year, TSSWCB member elections are being held in Area II and IV.
Elected State Board members must be 18 years of age or older, hold title to farmland or ranchland, and be actively engaged in farming or ranching. The Governor appointees must be actively engaged in the business of farming, animal husbandry, or other business related to agriculture and wholly or partly owns or leases land used in connection with that business. They, however, may not be a member of the board of directors of a conservation district.
Established in 1939, TSSWCB administers Texas’ soil and water conservation law and delivers coordinated natural resource conservation programs through the state’s 216 SWCDs. Additionally, TSSWCB is the lead agency for planning, implementing, and managing programs for preventing and abating agricultural and silvicultural nonpoint sources of water pollution. TSSWCB also works to ensure that the state’s network of 2,000 flood control dams are protecting lives and property by providing operation, maintenance, and structural repair grants to local government sponsors.
“In short, the services and programs provided by the TSSWCB target rural Texas farmers and ranchers through SWCDs, but the results of these services benefit all Texans,” said Isom.