District Mission Statement
We strive to promote conservation of natural resources and promote awareness through leadership, education, and services.
District Vision Statement
Our goal is to be recognized as a leader in promoting responsible stewardship and conservation of natural resources, and to enhance the quality of life through valuable partnerships.
The Hancock Soil and Water Conservation District consists of all the lands within Hancock County, including incorporated and unincorporated villages and cities. The District is governed by an elected board of five supervisors.
The organization was founded in 1946 by the landowners, operators, and land users of the county to assist land users in solving soil and water problems more efficiently. This would be achieved by the use of proper soil and water management to maintain and improve the standard of living of farm operators of the county.
As time progresses, land uses change. Each year, more land is converted from agricultural to urban use. Consequently, increased urban land results in conservation problems. Our goal is to work with all people of the county, both urban and rural, in an attempt to help solve these issues. Through effective problem solving, we hope to promote conservation of all natural resources within the District.
We strive to accomplish our goals by giving assistance to individual land users or groups of land users. Assistance would include some or all of the following:
- Increasing water quality best management practices (BMP’s)
- Natural resource conservation practices through education, information, and land use planning activities
- Cooperation with and offering aid through other agencies and organizations that have working agreements with the district.
The District makes this assistance available through cooperation with local property owners, county and state organizations, state and federal agencies, and with local, state and federal governments.
Organization and History of the District
Hancock County is located in Northwest Ohio. The county was formed on April 1, 1820 and has a covers approximately 340,480 acres. Findlay, the county seat, is near the center of the county. The northern part of the county lies level to the glacial lake plain area. Most of the county has gently sloping glacial moraine topography. The elevation ranges from 750 feet above sea level in the northwest part of the county to about 950 feet above sea level in the southwest part of the county. The glacial till deposits are moderately fine or fine-textured and calcareous. Hancock County is mainly agricultural. Several large industries in the county provide most of the farm jobs.
A group of landowners concerned with the excessive amount of soil erosion in Hancock County formed the Hancock Soil & Water Conservation District on May 27, 1946. The District is a subdivision of the state of Ohio, operating under chapter 940 of the Ohio Revised Code with the support of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Division of Soil and Water Conservation.
The Hancock Soil and Water Conservation District is administered by a citizen-elected five-member Board of Supervisors. Board meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month.
The Board of Supervisors is responsible for the administration and coordination of District programs. These programs are organized to assist government agencies in the development and implementation of conservation education, water quality, and technical assistance to the landowners of Hancock County.