(1) When the county governing body determines, in the manner hereinafter provided, that conservation of soil and water, and related resources and control and prevention of accelerated soil erosion are problems of public concern in the county, and that a substantial proportion of the land owners of the county favor such a resolution, it shall be lawful for the said county governing body, by a resolution adopted at any regular or special meeting, to declare the county to be a conservation district, for the purpose of effectuating the legislative policy announced in section 2.¹ These determinations may be made through petitions, hearings, referenda or by any other means which the county governing body deems appropriate.

(2) Such a district, upon its creation, shall constitute a public body corporate and politic exercising public powers of the Commonwealth as an agency thereof.

(3) All soil conservation districts and soil and water conservation districts created in the past under the provisions of this act shall henceforth be named conservation districts.