Recently, a bill has been proposed in the Florida Legislature that affects local representation on soil and water quality and conservation issues. Senate Bill 986 and its counterpart, House Bill 973, propose to dissolve most of Florida’s local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).

These districts have existed for decades and are quite possibly the least expensive form of government in the state, and while they vary widely in their efforts, all SWCD Supervisors – the term given to the five elected officials who serve on the district - work as volunteers, receiving no compensation or benefits for performing their duties.  

While agricultural land is constantly being developed and turned into sprawling neighborhoods and farmland disappears throughout the state, it is actually more important for Soil and Water Conservation Districts to exist. Florida Statute 582, which wrote the proverbial play book for SWCDs, states, "The Legislature finds that the farm, forest, and grazing lands; green spaces; recreational areas; and natural areas of the state are among the basic assets of the state and the conservation of these lands is necessary to protect and promote the health, safety, and general welfare of its people and is in the public interest.”  

Many districts have only a small budget granted by their county commission boards or they rely on grant programs and donations. Yet the services provided by boards earn high returns on investment, including water quality testing, water level monitoring, public education, community garden programs targeting food scarcity with urban agriculture, and sharing their expertise to help residents and local governments on flooding, erosion, invasive species, and similar concerns.  

The choice to allow these special districts to continue to operate now falls into the hands of Florida's elected state legislators, with House Bill 973 being presented to the Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee on March 26, 2025. The two bills propose eliminating 37 of 58 SWCDS by December of this year, beginning to phase down operations in July.

There has been no explanation provided as to why this is being considered, although this battle is not new to the state, having had a similar bill proposed by the same Senator Truenow last legislative session to eliminate all SWCDs. This year, Representative Toby Overdorf has proposed the additional House bill. 

In June of 2024, all Florida Soil and Water Conservation Districts went through a state-required audit with varying recommendations for improvement. With results published late 2024 to as recent as early 2025, it has been as little as three or as much as six months to implement the recommended changes. New supervisors were sworn into office in January after the November election, leaving little time for substantial changes.  These changes affect districts whose budgets are as low as $2,000 annually to districts with budgets as high as $489,000.

Meanwhile, over a dozen Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be unaffected by the dissolution proposal, and it is unclear as to why those districts were spared from the chopping block. Those that remain will be responsible for serving the counties whose districts are dissolved, regardless of how far they are geographically located. There is no mention as to how those elected supervisors will be chosen to represent the additional counties, but as of right now, it would be the supervisors that another county elected serving the residents of a county in which they do not reside. 

As an entity Floridians had to vote to create in each county, the statute for Florida’s independent districts states they can only be dissolved by local vote: “In order for the Legislature to dissolve an active independent special district created and operating pursuant to a special act, the special act dissolving the active independent special district must be approved by a majority of the resident electors of the district or, for districts in which a majority of governing body members are elected by landowners, a majority of the landowners voting in the same manner by which the independent special district’s governing body is elected.“ 

As was demonstrated last year when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection attempted to create large developments in Florida State Park boundaries, ultimately the residents of Florida have the final say when it comes to how their own backyard is treated. Public opposition to SB 986 and HB 973 has not been made yet, as it is a lesser known bill than others currently in the state. Those who wish to let their opinions be made known may contact their Florida elected Senators and House Representatives through the Department of State’s website at https://dos.fl.gov/elections/contacts/elected-officials/  

Who is impacted?
Anyone in the following Florida counties: Escambia, Okaloosa, Holmes Creek, Washington, Liberty, Calhoun, Gulf, Franklin, Leon Wakulla, Jefferson, Hamilton, Lafayette, Dixie, Columbia, Levy, Bradford, Alachua, Nassau, Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Volusia, Lake, Seminole, Orange, Hillsborough, Manatee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Charlotte, Osceola, Collier, St. Lucie, Broward, Miami-Dade, Hendry, and Union. 

What's happening?
The Florida Legislature is voting on two bills - one in the House (HB 973) and one in the Senate (SB 986) that would eliminate 37 of the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) throughout the state of Florida, eliminating representation for those counties on soil and water conservation issues.

What do Soil and Water Conservation Districts do?
Soil and Water Conservation Districts are local units of state government that work with landowners to conserve and promote healthy soils, water, forests, and wildlife, offering technical assistance, education, and programs for sustainable land management. They do this as volunteer elected officials, and they often do this with little to no funding from state or local government agencies. 

How can you help?
Contact your local representatives and tell them to vote NO on HB 973 and SB 986!