Soil and Water Stewardship Week is April 24-May 1
Joe Freeman (front row, left), secretary of the Llano County Soil and Water Conservation District, and District Director Joe Wells brought a resolution declaring April 24-May 1 Soil and Water Stewardship Week to the Llano County Commissioners Court meeting Monday, April 25. Approving the resolution were Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Don Moss (back row, left), Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke, County Judge Ron Cunningham, and Precinct 1 Commissioner Peter Jones. Precinct 3 Commissioner Mike Sandoval was absent. Courtesy photo
The Llano County Commissioners Court passed a resolution at its regular meeting Monday, April 25, declaring April 24-May 1 Soil and Water Stewardship Week. The resolution emphasized the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas. This year’s focus is “Healthy Soils, Healthy Life.”
“The basis of our lives all starts with the soil beneath our feet,” reads a media release from the Llano County Soil and Water Conservation District. “Soil provides the food on our plates, the clothes on our backs, the foundation for our homes and offices, the luscious grass that the children play in and the trees we need to breathe. It all starts with soil … healthy soil, healthy life.”
According to the release, soil performs five essential functions:
- water management;
- sustaining plant and animal life;
- filtering and buffering potential pollutants;
- cycling nutrients;
- and providing physical stability and support for everything above ground.
Since 1939, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and districts across Texas have worked to encourage the wise and productive use of natural resources.
Local soil and water conservation districts help residents develop conservation plans for farm and ranches to improve soil health and provide resources on responsible natural resource management. Conservation plans can be tailored to individual landowners’ needs, including crop rotation, wildlife habitat enhancement, forest management, nutrient management, pest management, irrigation system efficiency, and erosion control measures.
As the state population increases, maintaining the productivity of soil and water resources becomes increasingly vital in meeting the food, fiber, and resource needs for all Texans.
The Soil and Water Stewardship Week campaign aims to bring more awareness and support to voluntary land stewardship.
For more information on “Healthy Soils, Healthy Life,” visit tsswcb.texas.gov.