Our Mission
Caring for soil, water, and the people who work the land
The Gem Soil & Water Conservation District sets high standards for the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources, and encourages cooperation among landowners, government agencies, private organizations, and elected officials—through education, technical support, and financial assistance.
Everything we do is voluntary and locally led. We don’t regulate; we partner. Our job is to make it easier and more affordable for Gem County landowners to put good conservation practices on the ground.
A brief history
Conservation districts were created across the country in the years following the Dust Bowl, founded on a simple idea: the people closest to the land are best equipped to care for it. The Gem district was formed in 1954 to bring voluntary land- and water-conservation assistance to landowners and operators in our area, and we’ve been serving that mission ever since.
What Is a Conservation District?
How districts work
A conservation district is a unit of local government led by a board of locally elected, volunteer supervisors. Districts coordinate conservation programs and bring together the resources of federal, state, and local partners to address natural-resource priorities chosen by the local community.
Locally led
Elected supervisors who live and work here set the district’s priorities—not a distant agency.
Voluntary
We offer help, incentives, and expertise. Participation is always the landowner’s choice.
Connected
We link you to the technical and financial resources of NRCS, the state commission, and partner groups.
Our Five-Year Plan
Cleaner water for the Payette watershed
Our long-range plan of work focuses on reducing pollutant loads in our waterways. A key target is reducing bacteria at the confluence of the Payette and Snake Rivers by up to 33 percent, alongside ongoing work to cut erosion and improve soil health across the district.
We pursue these goals the way conservation districts always have—one cooperating landowner, one field, and one practice at a time.
See the programs that get us thereOur Partners
Stronger together
- USDA-NRCSTechnical standards & federal cost-share programs
- Idaho SWCCState conservation funding & guidance
- Squaw CreekNeighboring conservation district collaboration
- Local schoolsConservation education partnerships