Soil and Water Conservation Society

Soil and Water Conservation Society
Name	Soil and Water Conservation Society
Type	Nonprofit
Founded	1943
Headquarters	Ankeny, Iowa

Contents

Soil and Water Conservation Society is an American nonprofit organization focused on natural resource stewardship, founded in 1943 and headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa. It engages practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in sustainable land management and watershed protection, linking efforts across United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, and The Nature Conservancy. The Society convenes professionals from agencies such as Environmental Protection Agency, United States Geological Survey, United States Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

History

The organization was formed during World War II amid conservation responses tied to the Dust Bowl and the Soil Conservation Service initiatives, interacting with figures from Aldo Leopold and programs like the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, the New Deal, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Great Plains Shelterbelt. Early collaboration included stakeholders from Izaak Walton League, American Forestry Association, National Audubon Society, Conservation Foundation (United States), and state agencies such as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. Over decades the Society intersected with policy developments such as the Clean Water Act, the Food Security Act of 1985, the Farm Bill, and initiatives connected to United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Ramsar Convention. Leaders and contributors have engaged with institutions like Iowa State University, Oregon State University, University of California, Davis, Texas A&M University, and Cornell University.

The Society's mission emphasizes conservation of soil and water resources through science-based practice and professional development, aligning with research from National Academy of Sciences, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and Pew Charitable Trusts. Activities include technical assistance to practitioners involved with watershed management, rangeland, agroforestry, riparian buffers, and sustainable agriculture while collaborating with programs such as Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Soil Health Partnership. The Society provides training connected to standards promoted by ISO, guidance from U.S. Green Building Council, and models used by Food and Agriculture Organization and World Agroforestry.

The organization publishes a peer-reviewed journal and technical bulletins, coordinating editorial processes with contributors from Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Soil Science Society of America Journal, Journal of Environmental Quality, Water Resources Research, and Environmental Management. Annual and regional conferences feature sessions in partnership with Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, American Geophysical Union, Entomological Society of America, Society for Ecological Restoration, and International Association of Hydrological Sciences. Proceedings and special issues have included work connected to NASA remote sensing applications, USDA Agricultural Research Service projects, National Science Foundation grants, and collaborative studies with World Resources Institute.

Programmatic work includes technical assistance, certification courses, demonstration sites, and pilot projects conducted with partners such as The Nature Conservancy, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and regional networks like Missouri River Basin Association and Chesapeake Bay Program. Internationally, the Society has engaged with Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and NGOs including CARE (relief agency), Oxfam, and World Vision. Collaborative grantmaking and project implementation have involved National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Gates Foundation, and regional state agencies such as Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

The Society's influence is evident in adoption of conservation practices through partnerships with Natural Resources Conservation Service and incorporation of research into policies like the Farm Bill and programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, recognized by awards from Society of American Foresters, Soil Science Society of America, American Water Works Association, National Association of Conservation Districts, and honors linked to Aldo Leopold Medal and John Deere Foundation support. Its members have contributed scholarship cited by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Research Council, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Ramsar Convention assessments, advancing soil and water conservation practice across landscapes from the Great Plains to the Mississippi River Basin and international sites in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

Category:Conservation organizations