Excerpts from the report Foreword: Productive land is the most important natural resource of the American people--and all mankind everywhere. It is the main source of their food, clothing, and shelter. The conservation of this resource for sustained, productive use, therefore, is an undertaking of vital concern to citizens in all walks of life. To provide a means for the people to exercise their ingenuity and responsibility for wise land use, in their own communities, the establishment of soil conservation districts is now provided for under laws enacted by the States. Since 1937, farmers and ranchers have organized and are operating around 1,750 soil conservation districts in 48 states. These districts encompass more than 945,000,000 acres and about 4,200,000 farms -- better than two-thirds of the farms and ranches of the nation. This pamphlet has been prepared as a reference to aid in understanding the regulatory authority of soil conservation districts.