Paul Krabbenhoft of Moorhead, Minnesota, was recently elected as the President of the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD). The election took place during the Association’s December 8th annual convention, which was held in an online format due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Krabbenhoft has served on the Board of Supervisors for the Clay Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) since 1985.
Krabbenhoft is a graduate of the MASWCD/U of M Extension Service Leadership Institute, a program designed to build leadership skills of SWCD supervisors and employees. He has served on the MASWCD Board of Directors, representing the northwest area SWCDs, and more recently as the organization’s Vice President.
“Paul’s experience in conservation issues, both as a landowner and as a Supervisor for the Clay SWCD, give him a real advantage as President of our organization,” said LeAnn Buck, Executive Director of the MASWCD. “With his leadership, I am confident that the Association will continue to make significant contributions in the area of local resource management,” she said.
The MASWCD is a not-for-profit Association that represents Minnesota’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) and the 440 men and women who serve on their elected governing boards. SWCDs are local government units that started forming in the 1930s when Congress responded to the large amounts of topsoil being lost to wind and water erosion. SWCDs exist across the entire state and involve landowners as well as local and state officials in resource management protection The Association is involved in helping to set policy for various conservation programs including: the state Erosion Control Cost-Share Program, Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) Reserve Program, Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act, and the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, to name a few.
During his two-year term, Krabbenhoft would like to continue to lead efforts to attain long-term, predictable funding for SWCD operations and projects. Other important issues such as water storage and soil health advocacy are high priority issues for Krabbenhoft.
Active in his local conservation district, Krabbenhoft will also continue to serve as a supervisor for the Clay Soil and Water Conservation District.
Press Release provided by the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation.
