Focuses and Ideas

In my capacity as a Soil and Water Conservation District member, I will concentrate on the following suggested areas of concentration from the Florida Soil and Water Conservation Districts Supervisor Handbook:

  1. Soil Erosion – simple strategies can prevent long-term effects of erosion from various sources, such as:
    1. Wind
    2. Water
  2. Water Quality – Water is an extremely delicate and important resource. Our conservation district must research which sources of contamination are most prevalent within our district, and seek methods to reduce the harm caused by some of the following:
    1. Sedimentation
    2. Nutrient and Chemical Waste
    3. Animal Waste
  3. Water Quality Focus – specialized concentration on water sources at high risk such as:
    1. Groundwater
    2. Wetlands
  4. Water Quantity – preserved through best-use practices by the citizen in the areas of:
    1. Supply
    2. Conservation
    3. Flooding
    4. Irrigation
    5. Drainage
  5. Conservation and Environmental Education – implemented through informational web materials and other easily accessible databases to the citizen, as well as high school educational fairs oriented towards future farmers and agricultural specialists.
  6. Prime, Unique, and Important Farmlands – working with land owners to implement responsible conservation strategies who are situated on land parcels where their decisions could have large effects on the citizens and resources around them.
  7. Fish and Wildlife Habitat / Natural Systems – understanding the natural life cycles of local fish and marine life to better protect them as a resources and work to restore water sources to protect their species.
  8. Recreations – planning parks and areas of nature conservation to be useable by citizens for recreational purposes.

I will implement best-practices in the preceding areas of focus by:

  1. Working to secure increased funding through available state and federal grants.
  2. Working in cooperation with partner entities to increase productivity and capacity.
  3. Working to educate the citizens of Alachua County in various ways about the importance and significance of the conservation of resources such as soil and water.