BERGEN COUNTY

ABOUT THE DISTRICT

The Bergen County Soil Conservation District is a special-purpose subdivision of the State of New Jersey. New Jersey has 15 soil conservation districts, each serving one or more counties. The District provides the public with soil information, technical assistance, and conservation education. We also implement the Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act, Chapter 251, P.L. 1975. This State Law substantially minimizes soil erosion and sedimentation caused by construction activity. The District operates under the guidance of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture State Soil Conservation Committee. We are governed by a board of five supervisors who are nominated locally and appointed by the State Soil Conservation Committee. As a member of the New Jersey Conservation Partnership, our mission is to provide leadership in the planning and implementation of natural resource management programs for the agricultural and development communities and the general public through a locally based delivery system in coordination with local, state, and federal partners. Our Nation’s soil conservation districts were formed in the 1930s ′s as a result of the Dust Bowl. Poor land management practices resulted in mounting soil erosion, floods, and sky-blackening dust storms that swept across the Nation. In response to growing public concern for water quality, New Jersey’s soil conservation districts have become the primary local governmental agencies responsible for controlling point sources of pollution due to soil erosion and sedimentation associated with construction, mining, quarrying, and agriculture.