Department of Agriculture and Forestry, State of Louisiana - Mike Strain DVM, Commissioner

Soil and Water Conservation

The mission of the Office of Soil & Water Conservation is to sustain and conserve water quality and soil stability on croplands, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and waterways of Louisiana. This is accomplished by providing financial assistance, administrative support and centralized coordination to the State’s 44 Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) who work with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide conservation planning services for landowners and managers.

The OSWC also employs technical specialists who work directly with landowners in Louisiana’s coastal zone and in priority watersheds to remedy identified water quality, soil loss and wetland loss concerns in those areas.

The OSWC works closely with other state and federal resource management agencies that serve to broaden and extend resource management practices on the landscape. To help sustain Louisiana’s renewable natural resources, the OSWC conducts various initiatives such as the Agricultural Solid Waste Management, Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement, Coastal Wetlands Re-vegetation, Conservation Information & Education, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, and Farm Bill Program Assistance. The OSWC also assists the Soil & Water Conservation Districts in watershed management implementation and other special projects.

Resources:

Conservation Information & Education
Information on various educational programs for teachers, schoolchildren, farmers and general public.

State Soil & Water Conservation Commission
Information on the regulatory powers of the State Soil & Water Conservation Commission.

Soil & Water Conservation Districts
Provides financial assistance, administrative support, direction and coordination to Louisiana’s 44 Soil & Water Conservation Districts.

Agricultural Solid Waste Management Program
Agricultural producers can learn how to reduce or eliminate hazardous ag waste.

Agricultural Prescribed Burning Program
Learn how to minimize environmental concerns during sugarcane harvest.

Coastal Wetland Re-vegetation Program
Partners with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources/Coastal Restoration Division and the eleven coastal Soil & Water Districts to help land owners re-vegetate suitable coastal wetland areas.

EPA/Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement Program
Information on reducing non-point source pollution, a type of water pollution that results from rainfall run-off from broad landscapes.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
Eligible land owners may receive financial incentives to remove environmentally sensitive crop land and grazing land from production for up to 15 years.

Related Links:

USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (Website)

National Association of State Conservation Agencies (Website)

Conservation Technology Information Center (Website)

Soil & Water Conservation Society (Website)