Our Mission & History
Partnering in Stewardship
We were created to lead local efforts to protect water quality, soil health, and other natural resources.
Our Mission
Since 1946, the Grand Isle County Natural Resources Conservation District has been conserving natural resources through projects, partnerships, and education. Our services are voluntary, and our goal is to support stewardship by providing technical, financial, and educational resources to support the needs of the local community.
Explore our services to learn how we can help solve on-the-ground conservation issues.
History
How it all started
Conservation Districts were established by federal law in 1937 in response to the severe soil erosion crisis known as the Dust Bowl. That same year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged state governors to enact legislation allowing for the creation of local soil conservation districts to manage and direct soil erosion control programs.
Each Conservation District was designed to address local needs, working directly with individual landowners to provide guidance and expertise while supporting federal conservation efforts.
In 1939, Vermont passed the Soil Conservation Act, enabling the formation of Conservation Districts within the state. As conservation continued to take on new meaning and resource concerns expanded, they soon became known as Natural Resources Conservation Districts. Today, there are over 3,000 Natural Resource Conservation Districts (NRCDs) across the country, including 14 in Vermont.