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SCD Training Resources

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Yearly Training Requirements:

  • A new supervisor (elected or appointed) must attend an initial training session (for example, Leadership Academy Training) and participate in an annual training event determined by the State Soil Conservation Committee (SSCC).
  • A current/returning elected supervisor is required to participate in at least one annual training event determined by the SSCC.
  • A current/returning appointed supervisor is required to participate in at least one annual training event determined by the SSCC.

The District Manager shall keep track of all supervisor training and provide it to the SSCC no later than January 31 each year. Please use the District Activity Reporting Tool (DART) Supervisor Training Report to submit your information.

Current Training Options:

Online:
  • Micro Lessons
  • SCD Coffee Talks
  • SCD Short Takes
  • More Than Dirt Podcast episodes
  • SCD Webinars
  • Conservation-related books
In Person:
  • Leadership Academy Training
  • Area (I, II, III, IV, or V) Soil Conservation District Annual Meeting
  • NDASCD Convention
  • Soil Conservation District Educational Event
  • Professional Certification (Pesticide, WildlandFire, QuickBooks, etc.)
  • Leadership Academy Field Day Trainings
  • SBARE Meeting
  • NRCS or other partner educational event
  • SCD Approved Training

Access the full SCD Supervisor Training Requirements overview document here.

Your conservation district board is charged by state law with specific responsibilities that no other agency is charged with and gives your district the necessary authority to carry them out.

SCD Micro Lessons

Micro lessons are short (roughly 15 minutes or less) videos briefly covering topics relevant to SCD supervisors. Each micro lesson is accompanied by a handout that is linked below each YouTube video and can also be found on our Google Drive in the Micro Lessons Folder.

The Fall 2023 Playlist on YouTube includes: Supervisor Roles and Responsibilities; Ethics and Open Records/Open Meetings; Annual Plan of Work; and Human Resources Part 1 – Employee Job Description, Ins and Outs of Interviewing and Employee Onboarding.

The Spring 2024 Playlist on YouTube includes: Human Resources Part 2 – Employee Performance Reviews and Employee Exit Interviews; Meaningful Meetings; District Outreach: Branding; and Watershed Planning and Management.

The Fall 2024 Playlist on YouTube includes: Soil Conservation District Supervisor General Election Protocol; Soil Conservation District Policymaking; Developing Relationships With Key Stakeholders; Supervisor Training Requirements – Soil Conservation Districts.

The Spring 2025 Playlist on YouTube includes: NDSSCC Annually Required Documents; Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program; Overviewing Parliamentary Procedure; Board Succession.

SCD Short Takes

SCD Short Takes are short, 30-minute videos covering topics relevant to SCD supervisors. Watching SCD Short Takes videos counts towards fulfilling supervisor annual training requirements.

A banner with SCD Short Takes text in blue and green, with a light green background, the SSCC logo and NDSU Extension logo along the bottom and a blue and green line to the right of the two logos.

The SCD Short Takes playlist on YouTube includes: Urban Conservation Education, Ballot Requirements for Elected Supervisors, and Reviewing Financial Reports. This playlist will be updated as more Short Takes trainings become available.

SCD Webinars

More Than Dirt Webinars are hour-long webinars that can be watched live and are recorded for viewing later. They take place bi-monthly between October and April. These webinars offer a deep dive into a specific topic or resource.

Our More Than Dirt Webinars playlist on YouTube includes: Effectively Telling Your Soil Conservation District Story to Key Stakeholders; NDSSCC Document Requirements and Requests; and ArcGIS StoryMaps: A Tool to Tell Your SCD's Story.

This playlist will be updated as more Webinars become available.

More Than Dirt Podcast

This podcast offers a grassroots approach towards cultivating conservation in your local community. Go ahead grab a cup of joe and settle in as we converse about serving, preserving, and conserving across the Great Plains. You don't want to miss out!

A logo for the More Than Dirt podcast, featuring the text "More Than Dirt" in white, all caps, sans serif font with a brown tree with multicolored leaves and brown roots forming the "I" in the word "Dirt." Below the word "Than" are the words "Agriculture Applied" in brown, cursive font.

Other Resources

The Soil Conservation Google Drive includes great resources like example documents, explanatory documents, forms, videos, and more that SCDs can use.

We're here to answer your questions! Feel free to reach out to:

  • Paula Comeau, Extension Program Coordinator - Soil and Water Leadership Development
  • Hannah Nordby, Area V Program Coordinator
  • Lindy Berg, Area I Program Coordinator
  • Jodi Bruns, Leadership and Civic Engagement Specialist
  • Leslie Stevens, Extension Program Coordinator, Leadership and Civic Engagement
  • Amber Fetch, Administrative Assistant, Leadership & Civic Engagement and SSCC
The NDSU Extension logo on a green background with "NDSU" and "Extension" in gold font, separated by a white vertical line between them.