In 1937, Minnesota legislature passed an Enabling Act to give citizens the power to form Soil Conservation Districts. Chapter 44A Soil Conservation in the 1938 Supplement to Mason’s Minnesota Statutes (pdf), outlines the criteria and process for creating soil conservation districts.
The purpose of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) is to conserve soil, water, and related natural resources on private land.
The Minnesota Constitution authorizes the Minnesota Legislature to provide for the “creation, organization, administration, consolidation, division, and dissolution of local government units and their functions, for the change of boundaries thereof, [and] for their elective and appointive officers.” The term “local government” applies to cities, counties, towns (townships), and special-purpose districts, such as school districts, soil and water conservation districts, hospital districts, regional-development commissions, and the Metropolitan Council.
The following are summaries of some of the regional entities in Minnesota involved in land and water management.
The Metropolitan Council is the regional policy-making body, planning agency, and provider of essential services for the Twin Cities metropolitan region. The Council's mission is to foster efficient and economic growth for a prosperous region.