Who We Are
Kent Conservation District is...
A governmental sub-division of the State of Delaware authorized by the state legislation in Title 7 of the Delaware Code, Chapter 39 and responsible for conservation work within Kent County. In Delaware, there is a conservation district in each county.
The district functions to:
- Focus attention on land, water and related resource problems
- Develop programs to solve them
- Enlist and coordinate help from public and private sources to accomplish the district goals
- Increase awareness of the inter-relationship between human activities and the natural environment
Districts are managed by citizens who know local problems. KCD is guided by a ten member Board of Supervisors – four farming members elected by landowners in local elections, two non-farm members appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), one representing Kent County government, the Delaware Cooperative Extension Agent, and two associate members appointed by the Director of DNREC’s Division of Soil and Water Conservation for expertise deemed valuable to the operation of the District.
It is the district supervisor’s responsibility to plan and direct the district programs, coordinate the help of governmental agencies, assign priority to requests for conservation technical assistance from private landowners, and serve as a community clearinghouse for information services.
How KCD Works
The KCD Board of Supervisors meet monthly and all meetings are open to the public. Much of the districts’ effectiveness is due to their ability to work with local, state, and federal agencies to solve local environmental problems. KCD enters into agreements (memorandums of understanding) with cooperating agencies and organizations that outline the obligations of each party and the assistance available.
KCD operations are supported by federal, state and local governments and private individuals. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the DNREC provide technical leadership to KCD.
KCD receives an annual allocation from Delaware administered through DNREC, which is used to cost-share with landowners for environmentally sound improvements of their land. This funding also provides a portion for personnel and administrative costs to run the program. KCD also receives funding from state and county government to address the needs of the tax ditch systems within Kent County. Additional funding is received through special conservation grants and equipment rental.
Employees within KCD provide technical, administrative and clerical support to district programs. At times, Earth Team Volunteers assist with carrying out the districts conservation programs.
Agencies cooperating with KCD include: NRCS, DNREC, the University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension Service, the Farm Services Agency, the Rural Development Agency, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, and the First State Resource Conservation and Development Council.
What KCD Does
KCD works directly with farmers, landowners, and municipalities on the following types of challenges:
- Water quality protection
- Aquifer protection
- Erosion and sediment control on:
- Land undergoing development
- Farmland
- Critical areas
- Public land
- Storm water management
- Land use planning
- Flooding problems
- Wetlands protection
- Soil survey information
- Sustainable agriculture
- Ag-land preservation
State and National Associations
Delaware’s district supervisors have a statewide organization known as the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD). DACD is a voluntary, non-profit alliance, providing a forum for discussion and coordination among the districts as they work to ensure the wise use and treatment of renewable natural resources.
The 3,000 conservation districts across the United States belong to the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). This organization’s primary goal is the conservation, orderly development, and the judicious use of the nation’s resources.
Both of these organizations make the effort of conservation districts more effective by providing a vehicle through which the conservation districts can band together to promote their causes at the state and national levels
KCD Annual Report Archive
• Calendar Year 2004
• Calendar Year 2005
• Calendar Year 2006
• Calendar Year 2007
• Calendar Year 2008
• Calendar Year 2009
• Calendar Year 2010
• Calendar Year 2011
• Calendar Year 2012
• Calendar Year 2014
• Calendar Year 2015
• Calendar Year 2016
• Calendar Year 2017
• Calendar Year 2018
• Calendar Year 2019
• Calendar Year 2020
• Calendar Year 2021
• Calendar Year 2022
• Calendar Year 2023
