Each year, the MASWCD membership utilizes the resolutions process as a means of voicing concerns or opinions to influence change with regard to natural resource conservation policy and funding issues.

• Resolutions are initiated at the local, grassroots level and must pass at the local SWCD board level by a majority vote to move forward to the Area level.

• Again at the Area level, a resolution must pass by a majority vote to be considered at the state level.

• The eight Area Directors then forward resolutions that passed at the Area level to the MASWCD Board of Directors, the board on which they serve.

• The MASWCD Board of Directors reviews the resolutions to consolidate identical resolutions, clarify intent when necessary and identify those which are already MASWCD policy.

• Upon the Board's review, the packet goes out to member districts for the statewide pre-balloting process.  Each local SWCD supervisor who is a voting member of the association is eligible to vote once on each resolution to approve, disapprove or bring to the floor of the Annual Convention for discussion or amendment.  One ballot is used per district to tally supervisor votes.  The ballots are sent back to the MASWCD office to be tallied.

• Those resolutions which move forward as a result of the pre-balloting process are addressed during the business meeting portion of the MASWCD Annual Convention. Resolutions voted on from the convention floor require a majority vote for passage. MASWCD provides a parliamentarian to address questions of amendment procedure, etc.

• When a resolution passes, either through the pre-balloting process or on the convention floor, it then becomes MASWCD policy to support that resolution.