North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 139 Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Article 1 - General Provisions.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-1. Title of Chapter
This Chapter may be known and cited as the Soil Conservation Districts Law. (1937, c. 393, s. 1.)
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-2. Legislative determinations, and declaration of policy
(a) Legislative Determinations. - It is hereby declared, as a matter of legislative determination: (1) The Condition. - The farm, forest and grazing lands...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-3. Definitions
Wherever used or referred to in this Chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: (1) "Agency of this State" includes the...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-3.1. Repealed by Session Laws 1998-217, s. 14(a)
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-4. Powers and duties of Soil and Water Conservation Commission generally
(a) through (c) Repealed by Session Laws 1973, c. 1262, s. 38. (d) In addition to the duties and powers hereinafter conferred upon the...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-5. Creation of soil and water conservation districts
(a) Any 25 occupiers of land lying within the limits of the territory proposed to be organized into a district may file a petition...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-6. District board of supervisors - elective members; certain duties
After the issuance of the certificate of organization of the soil and water conservation district by the Secretary of State, an election shall be...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-7. District board of supervisors-appointive members; organization of board; certain powers and duties
The governing body of a soil and water conservation district shall consist of the three elective supervisors from the county or counties in the...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-7.1. Special revenue funds for the maintenance of conservation easements
(a) Establishing Fund. - The governing body of a soil and water conservation district may establish and maintain a special revenue fund for the...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-8. Powers of districts and supervisors
(a) A soil and water conservation district organized under the provisions of this Article shall constitute a governmental subdivision of this State, and a...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-8.1. Purposes of Chapter
(a) It is hereby declared that the provisions of General Statutes Chapter 139 were intended to authorize the maintenance of watershed improvement works and...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-9. Adoption of land-use regulations
The supervisors of any district shall have authority to formulate regulations governing the use of lands within the district in the interest of conserving...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-10. Enforcement of land-use regulations
The supervisors shall have authority to go upon any lands within the district to determine whether land-use regulations adopted under the provisions of G.S....
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-11. Nonobservance of prescribed regulations; performance of work under the regulations by the supervisors
Where the supervisors of any district shall find that any of the provisions of land-use regulations prescribed in an ordinance adopted in accordance with...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-12. Cooperation between districts
The supervisors of any two or more districts organized under the provisions of this Chapter may cooperate with one another in the exercise of...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-13. Discontinuance of districts
At any time after five years after the organization of a district under the provisions of this Chapter, any 25 occupiers of land lying...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-14. Dividing large districts
Whenever the Soil and Water Conservation Commission shall receive a petition from any board of district supervisors signed by all supervisors of such district,...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-15. "County committeeman" construed to mean "county supervisor"; powers and duties
Wherever the words "county committeeman" or "county committeemen" appear in this Chapter, the same shall be construed to mean "county supervisor" or "county supervisors";...

Article 2 - Watershed Improvement Districts.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-16 through 139-20. Repealed by Session Laws 1993, c. 391, ss. 2-6
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-20.1. Validation of creation of certain districts
All actions had and taken prior to March 1, 1963, by supervisors of soil and water conservation districts, boards of county commissioners, boards of...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-21 through 139-30. Repealed by Session Laws 1993, c. 391, ss. 7-16
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-31. Repealed by Session Laws 1963, c. 1228, s. 9
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-32 through 139-36. Repealed by Session Laws 1993, c. 391, ss. 17-21
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-37 through 139-37.1. Recodified as �� 139-48, 139-49 by Session Laws 1993, c. 391, ss. 22, 23
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-38. Repealed by Session Laws 1993, c. 391, s. 24

Article 3 - Watershed Improvement Programs; Expenditure by Counties.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-39. Alternative method of financing watershed improvement programs by special county tax
The board of county commissioners in any county is authorized to call a special election to determine whether it be the will of the...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-40. Conduct of election
(a) There shall be no new registration of voters for such an election. Registration shall be open for registration of new voters in said...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-41. Powers of county commissioners
(a) If the majority of the qualified voters voting in such election favor the levying of such tax, then and in that event, the...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-41.1. Powers of counties that are not authorized to levy watershed improvement taxes
A county may exercise any of the powers set out in this Article without having been authorized to levy a watershed improvement tax pursuant...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-41.2. Review of watershed work plans
(a) Watershed work plans developed under Public Law 566 (83rd Congress) as amended, and all other work plans developed pursuant to this Chapter, shall...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-41.3. Liability of owners of land associated with watershed improvement projects
(a) Purpose. - The purpose of this section is to encourage owners of land to make land and water areas available to the public...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-42. Article intended as supplementary
This Article is intended to provide an alternative method of financing and operating watershed improvement programs, supplementary to any other method authorized by law....
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-43. Repealed by Session Laws 1993, c. 391, s. 27
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-44. Power of eminent domain conferred on counties
(a) A county shall have the power to acquire by condemnation any interest in land needed in carrying out the purposes of this act,...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-45. Extraterritorial powers of counties
A county which has been authorized to levy a watershed improvement tax, whether pursuant to Article 3 of General Statutes 139 or by special...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-46. Recreational and related aspects of watershed improvement programs
(a) Local watershed sponsors may install and maintain recreational facilities and services in connection with watershed improvement works or projects, and may provide areas...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-47. Repealed by Session Laws 1993, c. 391, s. 31
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-48. Participation by cities, counties, industries and others
(a) Any industry, or private water user, the State of North Carolina, the United States or any of its agencies, any county, municipality or...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-49. Borrowing by local units for anticipated water supplies
(a) Any local unit may issue bonds or other obligations in the manner provided by this section (and may appropriate and expend funds derived...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-50. Reserved for future codification purposes
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-51. Reserved for future codification purposes
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-52. Reserved for future codification purposes

Article 4 - Grants for Small Watershed Projects.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-53. State Soil and Water Conservation Commission authorized to accept applications
The State Soil and Water Conservation Commission is authorized to accept applications for grants for nonfederal costs relating to small watershed projects authorized under...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-54. Purposes for which grants may be requested
Applications for grants may be made for the nonfederal share of small watershed projects for the following purposes in amounts not to exceed the...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-55. Review of applications
(a) The State Soil and Water Conservation Commission shall receive and review applications for grants for small watershed projects authorized under Public Law 566...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-56. Recommendation of priorities and disbursal of grant funds
Whenever two or more applications for grants are approved in whole or in part, the State Soil and Water Conservation Commission shall establish priorities...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-57. Availability of funds
All grants shall be contingent upon the availability of funds for disbursement to applicants. At the end of each fiscal year the State Soil...
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-58. Reserved for future codification purposes
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-59. Reserved for future codification purposes

Article 5 - Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 139-60. Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program
(a) Program Established. - The Agricultural Water Resources Assistance Program is established. The purpose of the Program shall be to assist farmers and landowners...

Last modified: March 23, 2014