About The Conservation District
We are located at 7830 Meadowlark Way Suite C-1 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho which is off Prairie Blvd behind the Farmer's Market, sandwiched in between Goverment Way and Highway 95. We share office space with the NRCS and USDA Rural Developement , located in the the USDA building.
The Kootenai-Shoshone Soil & Water Conservation District is one of fifty (50) Conservation Districts in Idaho.
The Kootenai-Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District was formed in 1941 soon after the dust bowl era to assist farmers in applying conservation practices and improving their land. The northern part of Shoshone county didn't join until 1972. The district actively promoted conservation cropping systems, contour farming, crop and residue use, pasture and woodland improvements, grassed waterways, farm ponds and drainage improvements.
Hugh Hammond Bennett is known as the father of soil conservation. During the dust bowl era, overuse and overgrazing created damage to land and pasture. Land was no longer usable and best management practices had to be established. On May 11th of 1934, a large dust storm swept partials of dust from the Midwest to D. C. and out into the Atlantic Ocean. This happened again in 1935. Bennett used these dust storms to lobby congress to pass the Soil Conservation Act of 1935.
"Take care of the land and the land will take care of you"
- Hugh Hammond Bennett
Our mission is to be a leading partner with other government agencies, private landowners and users, and the public in promoting voluntary, non-regulatory, locally-led conservation and wise use stewardship of the natural resources with which our area has been so richly blessed.
We hold monthly Board Meetings the second Wednesday of every month at 9:00 in the NRCS conference room located at 7830 Meadowlark Way Suite C-1, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83815. This is located in the USDA building. The public is welcome to attend.
How Can We Help You?
If you are a farmer, rancher, private landowner, or community partner who has a soil/water concern, we can help. We are a public service that is a sub-division of the state. We work directly with the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) locally to provide technical and educational assistance to Kootenai-Shoshone. We specialize in coordinating and channeling the correct expertise for your property needs. We do this through our extensive partnership at all levels of government.