Minnesota Association of

Soil and Water

Conservation Districts

     providing leadership and a common

     voice for Minnesota's Soil and Water

     Conservation Districts

Above from left to right:  Rock SWCD Assistant Director Doug Bos, MASWCD President and Chippewa SWCD Supervisor Steve Sunderland, and MASWCD Assistant Director Sheila Vanney, outside the House Agriculture Committee Hearing Room.

MASWCD REPRESENTATIVES MEET WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DURING NATIONAL CONFERENCE

July 21, 2010 - Representatives from the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD) recently met with members of the state's Congressional Delegation while in Washington DC.  MASWCD President Steve Sunderland, MASWCD Assistant Director Sheila Vanney, and Rock SWCD Assistant Director Doug Bos were in the nation's capital as part of a conference coordinated by the National Association of Conservation Districts.

The meetings on Capitol Hill were an opportunity for MASWCD to provide information to Minnesota's members of Congress on the importance of federal conservation programs to local SWCDs.  Discussions focused on programs within the Conservation Title of the 2008 federal Farm Bill, and looking ahead to the 2012 Farm Bill.  Sunderland, Vanney and Bos also communicated the local SWCD role with implementing provisions of the federal Clean Water Act and other conservation issues including energy and forestry.  Meetings were held with Rep. Collin Peterson and with staff from the offices of Rep. Tim Walz, Rep. Betty McCollum, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Rep. Jim Oberstar, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Al Franken.