Every County in Ohio has a Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), which is a political subdivision of the State.  In response to conservation concerns raised as a result of the 1930's dustbowl, SWCD's were formed in the late 1940's to complement a federal government agency (now titled the Natural Resources Conservation Service).  Both local and federal agencies worked together to encourage farmers and landowners to employ practices on the land for the conservation of soil and water resources.  Today SWCD's share the common goal of  conservation of natural resources on urban and rural lands.

The Auglaize SWCD receives the majority of its funding from the Auglaize County Commissioners and The Ohio General Assembly.  All local government grants are matched by the state of Ohio nearly dollar to dollar to support SWCD operations, conservation programs, and resource management initiatives.  Additionally, we work closely with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and ODA Division of Soil and Water Resources. With these resources the Auglaize  SWCD is a vehicle for bringing local governments and residents together to address natural resource conservation challenges in urban and rural settings.