Mission:

To protect the natural resources of Lehigh County by providing the public with efficient service, quality technical information and practical educational programs.

History:

The Lehigh County Conservation District was established by the Lehigh County Commissioners on September 26, 1946, at the request of a significant number of landowners in the county. It is one of sixty-six conservation districts in Pennsylvania and nearly 3,000 nationwide. At that time, its primary purpose was to address soil erosion from mostly agricultural properties. Governed by a volunteer board of citizen directors, it was staffed by employees of the Soil Conservation Service in the US Department of Agriculture, who worked with farmers to develop farm conservation plans.

The past half-century has seen the District employ its own staff to address a variety of resource management concerns: agricultural nutrient management, biosolids application, as well as soil conservation; erosion and sediment control from urban development sites, farmland preservation, conservation education, and watershed protection. Currently, ten employees work in these program areas, most under delegation agreement or contract with state agencies.