1. A soil conservation district may exercise the public powers ordinarily exercised by a political subdivision of the state, and the district and the supervisors of the district have the following powers in addition to those granted in other sections of this chapter: a. To conduct surveys, investigations, and research relating to the character of soil erosion and the preventive and control measures needed; to publish the results of those surveys, investigations, or research; and to disseminate information concerning the preventive and control measures. To avoid duplication of research activities, a district may not initiate any research program except in cooperation with the government of this state or any of its agencies, or with the United States or any of its agencies. b. To conduct demonstrational projects within the district on lands owned or controlled by this state or any of its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency administering and having jurisdiction of the land, and on any other lands within the district after obtaining the consent of the occupier of those lands or the necessary rights or interests in those lands, to demonstrate by example the means, methods, and measures by which soil and soil resources may be conserved and soil erosion in the form of soil blowing and soil washing may be prevented and controlled. c. To carry out preventive and control measures within the district, including engineering operations, methods of cultivation, the growing of vegetation, and changes in use of land, on lands owned or controlled by this state or any of its agencies, with the cooperation of the agency administering and having jurisdiction of the land, and on any other lands within the district upon obtaining the consent of the occupier of those lands or the necessary rights or interest in those lands. d. To cooperate or enter agreements with, and, within the limits of appropriations duly made available to it by law, to furnish financial or other aid to any agency, governmental or otherwise, or any occupier of lands within the district in the carrying on of erosion control and prevention operations within the district, subject to the conditions as the supervisors may deem necessary to advance the purposes of this chapter. e. To obtain options upon and to acquire by purchase, exchange, lease, gift, grant, bequest, devise, or otherwise any property, real or personal, or any property rights or interest; to maintain, administer, and improve any properties acquired; to receive income from those properties and to expend that income in carrying out the purposes and provisions of this chapter; and to sell, lease, or dispose of otherwise any of its property or interest therein in furtherance of the purposes and the provisions of this chapter. f. To make available, on terms the soil conservation district prescribes, to land occupiers, government units or qualified electors within the district, agricultural and engineering machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds and seedlings, and any other material or equipment as will assist those land occupiers, government units or qualified electors to carry on operations upon their lands for the conservation of soil and water resources and for the prevention and control of soil erosion. g. To construct, improve, and maintain structures as may be necessary or convenient for the performance of any of the operations authorized in this chapter. h. To develop comprehensive plans for the conservation of soil resources and for the control and prevention of soil erosion within the district, which plans must specify in such detail as may be possible the acts, procedures, performances, and avoidances that are necessary or desirable for the effectuation of those plans, including the specification of engineering operations, methods of cultivation, the growing of vegetation, cropping programs, tillage practices, and changes in use of land, and to publish such plans and information and bring them to the attention of occupiers of lands within the district. i. To take over, by purchase, lease, or otherwise, and to administer any soil conservation, erosion control, or erosion prevention project located within its boundaries undertaken by the United States or any of its agencies, or by this state or any of its agencies; to manage, as agent of the United States, or any of its agencies or of this state or any of its agencies, any soil conservation, erosion control, or erosion prevention project within its boundaries; to act as agent for the United States or any of its agencies or for this state or any of its agencies in connection with the acquisition, construction, operation, or administration of any soil conservation, erosion control, or erosion prevention project within its boundaries; and to accept donations, gifts, and contributions in money, services, materials, or otherwise from the United States or any of its agencies or from this state or any of its agencies, and to use or expend those moneys, services, materials, or other contributions in carrying on its operations. j. To sue and be sued in the name of the district. k. To have a seal, which seal must be noticed judicially. l. To have perpetual succession unless terminated as provided in this chapter. m. To make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of its powers, and to borrow funds and pledge all or any part of any income from the district's facilities, equipment, and operations for repayment. n. To make, amend, or repeal regulations consistent with this chapter. o. To require contributions in money, services, materials, or otherwise to any operations conferring benefits under this chapter and to require land occupiers to enter and perform agreements or covenants to use the lands in a manner that will prevent or control erosion. p. To expend moneys for education, promotion, and recognition activities consistent with the purposes of this chapter. q. To levy taxes as follows: (1) The supervisors may make a general fund tax levy, not exceeding two and one-half mills, for the payment of the expenses of the district, including mileage and other expenses of the supervisors, and technical, administrative, clerical, and other operating expenses. (2) Immediately after the completion of the district budget and the adoption of the annual tax levy by the district supervisors, but not later than July first, the supervisors shall send one certified copy of the levy as adopted to the county auditor of each county in the district. (3) The county auditor of each county in the district shall extend the levy upon the tax list of the county for the current year against each description of real property lying both within the county and the district in the same manner and with the same effect as other taxes are extended. (4) The treasurer of each county in the district shall collect all district taxes together with interest and penalty thereon in the same manner as the general taxes are collected, and shall pay over to the soil conservation district by the tenth working day of each month, all taxes so collected during the preceding month, with interest and penalties collected thereon and shall immediately send notification of such payment to the treasurer of the soil conservation district. (5) Voter-approved levy authority authorized by electors of a district under the provisions of this section before January 1, 2015, remains in effect through taxable year 2024 or for the time period authorized by the electors, whichever expires first. 2. Any provisions with respect to the acquisition, operation, or disposition of property by other public bodies are not applicable to a district unless the same specifically are made applicable by law.
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