MEMBERSHIP & SCOPE
Members -- about 13,000 worldwide -- include researchres, administrators, educators, planners, technicians, legislators, farmers and ranchers, local conservation officials, and students. These individuals represent most every academic discipline and institution concerned with the management of land and waster resources. Write SWCS for membership information.
Chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico carry out activities at the local and state levels and on university campuses. These 130 chapters represent the grassroots back-bone of the Society. They elect their own officers; create their own committees; sponsor annual meetings, workshops, and numerous other conservation activities; and formulate recommendations on local land and water resource issues.
Task forces of Society members develop policy statements for the Society; carry out special programs, such as conferences and workshops, or study resource issues in depth. Task forces presently are analyzing nonpoint-source pollution control technologies and program implementation, evaluating the conservation impacts of existing federal laws, analyzing prospective conservation provisions of forthcoming federal legislation, providing leadership training for members, developing educational materials for young people and resource managers.
Committees of appointed members administer many of the annual functions of SWCS, such as annual meeting program planning and local arrangements, membership and chapter development, awards and scholarships, international affairs, election and nominations, and other activies.
The Society maintains an office in Washington, D. C., staffed on a part-time basis by a Washington, D. C. Representative who maintains contact with other organizations, agencies, and congressional leaders. The Washington office is:
Student programs of the Society are organized by a Student Advisory Council. This council consists of student members, advisors of student chapters, and others interested in the education and professional development of future conservation leaders. Students, through chapters on university campuses, conduct their own programs and activities.
Page 3 - Programs & Activities