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Congratulations! Welcome and congratulations on becoming a conservation district supervisor! You have joined over 450 other conservation district supervisors in Colorado, and more than 15,000 other leaders of conservation district programs and services across the United States committed to the stewardship of natural resources at the local level. Colorado conservation districts are subdivisions of state government created by law. Colorado has 76 conservation districts, each led by individuals who believe decisions affecting natural resources are best made by people closest to those resources – the people in the local community. As a conservation district supervisor, you are elected public officials that will represent and protect the needs and interests of the public through your actions and decisions. You’ll be at the helm with your unique knowledge, experience and interest in natural resources and you’ll be looked to for guidance and to add valuable expertise to your conservation district team. More importantly, you are being entrusted with the power to administer state and local programs; receive and spend public funds; educate the public on conservation issues; and much more. The citizens of your local district as well as the state of Colorado as a whole are counting on you and are pleased you have come aboard.
VC Marshall Quote The soil conservation district is the workshop through which those who love the land pool their efforts and information in making the land more stable and productive and our country more prosperous, more attractive and a better land in which to live. The fact that landowners themselves have the responsibility for petitioning for and voting in a district, formulating its program and work plan, administering its business and entering into cooperative agreements with their fellow landowners and operators, makes soil conservation districts a democracy in action. V.C. Marshall (Credited with being the “Father of the soil and water conservation district program in Texas”)
Where to Start? • Get to know the other folks who serve on the District board with you – not just their names, but who they really are. Where do they live? What are their occupations? Do they have families? What are their real interests and concerns? What motivates them to serve on the board? • Get to know the District Manager – the other part of the District board team. There must be a high level of trust between those who govern and the person they have chosen to manage. • Learn where to go for answers to your questions. Your best defense against being totally lost at this early stage of your term is to know the people and resources to get your answers to the tough questions quickly. The District Manager and fellow board members are your best guides to the ways and means of the Conservation District. • Learn to learn. Learning the job of boardmanship is a never-ending task. Attend state and national conferences, take part in boardmanship workshops, read pertinent literature. Learn that this job deserves your very best effort. You come to the District board as an amateur, but you must do the job in the most professional manner possible. It’s important to remember that you can’t learn everything at once. As you gain experience on the District board, you will continue to learn facts, statistics, history, procedures, and a thousand other things. But first things first:
Things to Read There are several documents on file in the District office, which you should read and ask questions about. Your District Manager or President will be able to provide you with a copy of the following:
Supervisor Roles Your new role as a conservation district supervisor is an important one. Your main responsibilities will include: • Setting and scrutinizing the district’s mission and overall strategy and working to achieve it; • Supporting your district employees, and assuring they function efficiently and responsibly. They represent your district to the community on a day-to-day basis; • Managing the district's resources – both funds and property; • Serving as a bridge and buffer between the district and its cooperators and partners; and serving as an advocate for the district to build support in the community. The good news is that Colorado has some of the most effective conservation districts in the country with professional and knowledgeable staff willing to support you in your new role. A network of local, state, and national conservation partners are also available to help.
How Did I Get Here? One of these basic principles is the right to vote for specific individuals representing the district landowners through the election process. Conservation Districts are both special districts and political subdivisions of the state as defined in CRS Title 32 Article 1. Conservation Districts are authorized under C.R.S. 35-70-101 through 35-70-122. Unless authorizing legislation specifies otherwise, conservation districts follow statutory requirements for special districts. Conservation districts consist of local people who represent democracy in action on the land through basic principles of representation “of the people, by the people and for the people” (quote from Abraham Lincoln).
Supervisor Elections District supervisors are unpaid ELECTED officials and have important responsibilities related to the election process for selecting supervisors to represent the landowners in each district. District elections are considered “non-partisan”. One of the most important responsibilities of the district boards is to ensure elections are conducted at a regular election. A regular election means the election on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday of May in every even-numbered year, held for the purpose of electing members to the boards of special districts for any supervisor elected or appointed to a term expiring in May of that particular even-numbered year. Elected four-year terms for conservation district supervisors begin and end in May of even-numbered years the next day following the May election date. (Detailed in Election Process module)
Unopposed Candidate The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), Division of Local Government provides technical assistance in the area of Special District Elections on DOLA’s website: https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg/ta/special_districts/elections/index.html#overview An election manual, calendar, and sample forms are available to assist districts in the conduct of their regular biennial election in May. In addition, the division offers technical support to election officials by hosting several election workshops throughout the state as well as online webinars. These classes are designed to help special districts prepare for their regular biennial election. Special districts have the option of holding TABOR Issue elections during a state general election, a biennial local district election, or on the first Tuesday in November of odd-numbered years. The division provides a coordinated election calendar to assist district officials in the preparation of an off-year election. Special districts must file all election results with the division of local government. The division maintains information on each special district, including election results from the district’s organizational, regular, off-year, or special election. Go to DOLA for Up-To-Date Election Rules
Supervisor Qualifications Conservation district supervisors in Colorado are by law elected in an election. A person may also assume the position of a CD supervisor by direct appointment due to a resignation, death, etc. to complete the prior term. In the case of death /resignation the remaining supervisors select a person to fill the unexpired term of office: Appointment papers are filled out on the candidate and signed by a majorityof district board members Appointment papers are sent by the CD to the CSCB headquarters
Qualifications The makeup of the conservation district board is critical to its success. The term “diversity” is often used and it means a variety of things to different people. But it is important regarding the makeup of the conservation district board. Without a diverse board, a district may find itself lacking in critical knowledge areas from farming practices to administration procedures. The board must have a good representation of the population and production within the district boundariesas well as business skills.
Effective Boards A board is only as effective as the members who make up the board. Therefore, it is important to examine the characteristics of an effective individual board member.
Recruiting: Things to Consider • An important question “What would you want to accomplish as a conservation district board member?” • People are motivated in different ways – Political, economic, business, social, community service, accomplishments, heritage, other. • Recruitment is matching the personal motivation with opportunities to accomplish. • Good district board members have a strong conservation ethic, skills and knowledge in conservation , as well as management skills and leadership abilities. • Recruitment of potential board members begins with the identification of the qualities desired. Board members should be selected based on the identified qualities – and not on the criteria of “who’s available that we know”.
Three Things ALL Board Members Need To know role and responsibilities To be kept informed To have a meaningful contribution No one wants to attend a meeting once a month and feel like it’s a waste of time. Everyone is involved because they feel like they are accomplishing something.
Removing Supervisors The procedure for removal of Supervisors and Officers is usually specified in the local district’s bylaws. Conservation Districts, as special districts, must follow the bylaws procedure to remove any member of the Board by the procedure outlined in Section 32-1-906 and Section 32-1-907 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. “Any officer of the Board may be removed from such office at any time by a majority of all Board members. Any Board member may be removed from any committee or other appointment by majority vote of the Board. If a member of the Board fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Board without the Board having entered upon its minutes an approval for an additional absence or absences; except that such additional absences shall be excused for temporary mental or physical disability or illness, he/she shall be removed from the Board.”
KEY POINTS • Colorado law requires 66% of the district board members be agricultural producers. • Supervisors can serve 2 consecutive terms, if their district is term limited. • Conservation districts are political subdivisions of the State of Colorado. • DOLA (Department of Local Affairs) provides special district election and technical assistance for elections.
