2026 Proposed Tax Budget Meeting

The Portage County Soil & Water Conservation District’s Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing and regular meeting to consider the adoption of the Proposed Tax Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at 8:00PM at The Portage SWCD Office located at 6970 State Route 88, Suite D, in Ravenna. Beginning June 26, 2025, copies of the proposed Tax Budget will be available for public inspection in the office of the fiscal officer of the subdivision, Monday-Friday 8:00AM to 4:30PM.

2025 Monthly Board Meetings

Board meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month and start at 7:00 pm for the months of January through March and November. 8:00 pm for the months of April through October. The July meeting will be held on the 9th of July 2025 at 8:00 pm at Portage SWCD 6970 OH-88 Ravenna, OH 44266. If you have any questions or wish to be notified of cancellations, changes, or emergency meetings, please call (330)235-6798.

Portage SWCD Seeking Board of Supervisor Candidates

Portage Soil and Water Conservation District (Portage SWCD) is seeking candidates to fill one open position on the Board of Supervisors for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

Portage SWCD Board of Supervisors are publicly elected by a special general election conducted by the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Voting for the 2026 term will begin Aug. 13, 2025, and end Sept. 11, 2025.

Supervisors are elected to a three-year term as a public official and serve without pay. Candidates must be 18 years of age or older and own or occupy land within Portage County.

The Board of Supervisors create an annual and long-term plan of operation that protects the District’s mission and vision.

Supervisors advocate for the District, attend and participate in monthly board meetings, assist with District programs and services and attend area and state meetings.

They are conservation-minded, local leaders who promote conservation of the county’s natural resources through education, planning and technical assistance which are key to the success of the District.

Interested candidates should contact Lynn Vogel, District Administrator, by July 8th at lvogel@portageswcd.org or 330-235-6806.

Portage Soil and Water Conservation District develops, implements, and assists landowners, government agencies and our partners with a wide range of natural resource conservation programs.

Programs and assistance of the Portage Soil and Water Conservation District are available without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, or veteran status.

Public records request form

2025 Pond Clinic: Top Five Pond Management Concerns

By: Eugene C. Braig IV Program Director, Aquatic Ecosystems
Ohio State University Extension School of Environment and Natural Resources

pond clinic presentation

Conservation Incentives Program

In an effort to encourage conservation practices during this pandemic, Portage SWCD is partnering with the Edith Chase Symposium and the Portage County Master Gardener Volunteers to provide educational resources and native plants & seeds to make our yards more inviting to all creatures! Perhaps our health instincts are kicking in because COVID-19 has spurred unprecedented visits to our local, state and national parks. We want to help you bring some of that mental and environmental health into your own yard! The best way to create a more natural landscape that will attract wildlife to your yard is to add native plants. Whether you are a new gardener or a seasoned expert we hope you will partner with us to get more native plants in the ground! Each entry is eligible for a plant or native packet of native seeds. See some of our conservation options below:

Super simple starters

Double-Down duos

Triple Threat

Watering The Bees Photo Project

Featured Conservation

County Envirothon Winners! (Copy)

Kent Roosevelt’s team, Rosenkal, placed 6th overall at the Area 2 Envirothon Competition. They placed 4th in Aquatics, 5th in Wildlife, tied for first in Soils, and 7th in Forestry. This years participating schools from Portage County were Kent Roosevelt and Southeast.

Area 2 Envirothon (Copy)

Envirothon participants at the Forestry Station

Area 2 Envirothon (Copy)

Envirothon participants in the soil pit

SWPPP Inspections (Copy)

We regularly conduct sediment erosion control inspections at active construction sites. See a pollution problem? Let us know!

Electro-Fishing (Copy)

Every year ODNR- Division of Wildlife joins us for Kent River day! They do an electro-fishing demonstration for the schools that attend and allow the kids to see and touch the fish that they pull from the Cuyahoga River. Aquatic biologists use electro-fishing as a means of sampling fish populations to determine the health of a body of water.

River Day (Copy)

Kent students get to come down to the river and experience hands on interactions with native fish straight from the river

LAKE & RIVER FRIENDLY ESTABLISHMENTS (Copy)

A PSWCD initiative to recognize local establishments making clean water choices.

Bio-Med Lower Academy Receives Storm Water Grant (Copy)

Bio-Med Lower Academy presented their grant proposal to the PC Commissioners on December 3rd at their Shalersville site. Tabatha England is the educator working with this student-led proposal. Bio-Med students will design and build a rain garden just off the main entrance to their school. Adding rain barrels to this storm water collection and storage system will also provide a water source for the raised beds that will be added to the front of the building as part of this grant. A pavilion and hoop house added to the rear of the school will provide further opportunities for cross-curricular integrated studies and outdoor learning.

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