Colorado Department of Agriculture
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Conservation District Reference Manual

Colorado State Conservation Board

Conservation District
Reference Manual

Information presented in this website manual is considered public information (unless otherwise noted) and may be distributed or copied. While CSCB makes every effort to provide accurate and complete information, various data such as names, telephone numbers, etc. may change prior to updating. CSCB provides no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of furnished data. This manual is a guide, not legal advice.  Excerpts or quotations of state statues are not official State of Colorado law. For the official State law or regulation, please utilize the Lexis Nexis website, the only official source of the Colorado Revised Statutes.

Some of the documents in this manual may contain live references (or links) to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that CSCB does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials. The red indicated the last date content was updated.
 

1. Agreements     (10/2010)

  • Cooperative agreements with other public agencies
  • Cooperative Working Agreements with NRCS
  • Developing legally-binding agreements
  • Equipment Rental Agreements
  • Landowner Agreements
  • Local Operating Agreement Sample
  • Memorandum of Understandings

2. Board Authority     (03/2011)

  • State Statute - Soil Conservation Act
  • Cooperative Agreements
  • District bylaws
  • Elected Public Officials
  • Ex-Officio Members
  • Powers & Duties of Districts - Summary
  • Removing Board Members from Office
  • Special Districts and Political Subdivisions of the State
  • Term Limits
  • Steps to Amend Conservation District Bylaws

3. Board Meetings     (10/2010)

  • Basics of Conservation District Board Meetings
  • Effective Committees
  • Minutes
  • Officer Duties - President, Secretary, Treasurer
  • Parliamentary Procedure Questions and Answers
  • Parliamentary Procedure Definitions & Order of Precedence of Motions
  • Posting Meeting Times, Dates, Locations
  • Ten Quick Ways to Improve Board Meetings
  • Use of Long Range Program/Plan & Annual Plans of Work

4. Board Member Skills/Characteristics    (10/2010)

  • 10 Steps to Effective Leadership
  • Board Member Expertise, Talents, and Backgrounds
  • Board Member Job Description
  • Board Member Toolkit
  • Characteristics of Effective Board Members
  • Recruiting Effective Board Members
  • Orientation/Mentoring New Board Members

5. Colorado Department of Agriculture Responsibilities to Conservation    (11/2010)

  • Overview & History
  • Colorado Department of Agriculture Organizational Chart
  • Colorado Agriculture Commission (Ag Commission)
  • Colorado Revised Statutes
  • Conservation Services Division
  • Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB)
  • CSCB Web Site
  • District Directory
  • District Map
  • Watershed Map

6. Communications     (10/2010)

  • Communication Channels
  • Communication Protocol with CSCB and CACD
  • CSCB - Synopsis of Representation, Election Process, Duties & Functions
  • CACD - Synopsis of Mission, Election Process, Duties & Functions

 7.  District Visibility - Public Relations    (11/2010)

  • Whose Responsibility?
  • Buidling District Identity
  • Building District Visibility
  • Handling Complaints
  • Newsletters
  • Media Relations
  • Personal Communications Skills
  • Relations with Decision Makers
  • Press Releases
  • White Papers
  • Open Records Requests

8. Education    (11/2010)

  • Adult Learners
  • Media
  • Public Relations
  • Wed Site and Design
  • Youth Learners
     

9. Employee/Board Relations    (11/2010)

  • Board Member & Employee Orientations
  • Board Member & Staff Responsibility Chart
  • Grievance and Disciplinary Action
  • Hiring and Terminating Employees - Labor Laws
  • Nepotism and Ethics
  • Organizational Charts/Chain of Command - Samples
  • Performance Plans
  • Professional Management Training for District Managers
  • Professionalism
  • Sample Job Descriptions -  District Manager ,  District Clerk ,  District Secretary , Education Specialist
  • Working Effectively with Partners
  • Working Effectively with Each Other

10. Fiduciary Responsibilities    (11/2010)

  • Associate Board Members
  • Board Responsibilities
  • Executive Sessions
  • Meeting Quorum
  • Open Meetings
  • Sunshine Law

11.   Financial    (11/2010)

  • Asset Inventory
  • Audits
  • Bookkeeping/Quick Books
  • Budgeting
  • Cost-share tax forms for landowners
  • General Fund Budget
  • Grant Budgets (i.e. Matching Grant and DCT Budget)
  • Grants
    • Application budgets
    • Tracking match
    • Tracking awarded funds
    • Reporting and outcomes accountability
  • Monthly Reports

12.  Financial Planning    (11/2010)

  • Accountability
  • Financial Management Manual
  • Financial Strategy
  • Strategic Planning Coordinated with LRP/APW and Goals
  • Tabor and Financial Planning

13.  Forms & Information    (11/2010)

14.  General Election Information    (11/2010)

  • Election Code Specific to Title 35 Districts
  • Consolidation Elections
  • Link to DOLA for Up to Date Election Rules
  • Term Limits

15. Information Management    (11/2010)

  • Background checks
  • Confidential information
  • Cyber security
  • File and E-mail Management (PowerPoint)
  • NRCS Computer Security Requirements
  • What to forward to the Board

16. Insurance/Liabilities    (11/2010)

  • Assessing Liability
    • Coverage - mandatory/risk assessed
    • Governmental Immunity
    • State Contracts
  • Mandatory Insurances
    • Board/Staff Injury - workers compensation
    • Unemployment Benefit
    • Vehicle Public Liability
  • Risk-Assessed Insurances
    • Board Decisions
    • Other Liabilities
    • Volunteer Insurance
    • Sources of Liability Insurance
    • Supplementary Employee Benefits Insurance

17. Mission statement    (11/2010)

  • Colorado Association of Conservation Districts (CACD)
  • Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA)
  • Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB)
  • Conservation Districts (CD)

18.  Policy Development and Implementation    (11/2010)

19. Partnerships    (11/2010)

  • Conservation Organization Flow Chart
  • Conservation Partnership Hub
  • Defining "Locally-Led"
  • Defining/Understanding the Partners and Their Roles
  • Duties & Functions of CACD, CSCB, NACD, NRCS
  • Local Operating Agreements

20. Records Management    (11/2010)

  • Employee File Management
  • FOIA Request
  • Open Records Requests
  • What to Keep & How Long to Keep It

21.  Strategic Planning - Building a District Identity     (11/2010)

  • Annual plan of work
  • Developing Budget to Meet Goals
  • Developing Priorities
  • Financial Health and Stability
  • Locally-Led Meetings
  • Long Range Program (LRP) Development
  • LRP Planning (PowerPoint)

PROGRAMS

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