TEMPLE - Soil and water conservation districts in State Districts One, Three, and Five will elect a member to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) on Tuesday, May 5, 2015. Elections will be held at the area Texas Conservation Awards Program banquets.
The State District One Board Member is Scott Buckles of Stratford. Buckles, who has been a member of the TSSWCB since May 2011, has a farming and ranching operation in Sherman County. The State District Three Board Member is José Dodier, Jr., of Zapata. Dodier, who has been a member of the TSSWCB since May 2005, is a partner in the Don Jose Land & Cattle Company in Zapata County. The State District Five Board Member is Barry Mahler of Iowa Park. Mahler, who has been a member of the TSSWCB since May 2007, is an Iowa Park businessman and cotton and wheat farmer.
"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 soil and water conservation district directors 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 odd-numbered year, TSSWCB member elections are being held in State Districts One, Three, and Five," added Isom.
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 gubernatorial appointees must be actively engaged in the business of farming, animal husbandry, or other business related to agriculture and wholly or partly own or lease land used in connection with that business. They, however, may not be a member of the board of directors of a soil and water conservation district.
"In short, the services and programs provided by the TSSWCB target rural Texas farmers and ranchers through soil and water conservation districts, but the results of these services benefit all Texans. For example, soil and water conservation districts provide technical assistance in cooperation with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to assist agricultural producers implement voluntary conservation plans that best address the capabilities of the land they operate," said Isom.
"In addition to on-site soil and water conservation benefits to a farmer or rancher, the public enjoys residual benefits which includes wildlife enhancement, as well as, the prevention of sediment, pesticides, nutrients, bacteria, and other contaminants from impairing Texas waters," added Isom.
The TSSWCB, which was organized in May 1939, has its state headquarters in Temple, Texas. Within the state there are 216 soil and water conservation districts.
The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board administers Texas’ soil and water conservation law and delivers coordinated natural resource conservation programs through the State’s 216 soil and water conservation districts. The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board is the lead agency for planning, implementing, and managing programs for preventing and abating agricultural and silvicultural nonpoint sources of water pollution. The agency also administers a water supply enhancement program to increase available surface and ground water through the targeted control of water-depleting brush; works to ensure the State’s network of 2,000 flood control dams are protecting lives and property; and facilitates the Texas Invasive Species Coordinating Committee.