What Are Conservation Districts?
Community-Based Conservation:
Conservation districts — sometimes referred to as “CDs” — are trusted, locally led hubs of natural resource expertise and support. CDs empower people to voluntarily practice conservation on their properties and in their communities.
A Brief History
As a result of the national devastation brought on by the Dust Bowl in the early to mid 1930’s, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made large recommendations that each state government sign the Standard State Soil Conservation Districts Act into law. The intention was to prevent natural resource disasters within the United States by recognizing that solutions to such issues must be locally driven and led. Within this Act, states were given a step-by-step guide to the creation of conservation districts, or “CDs”, along with their powers and responsibilities.
Today there are nearly 3,000 conservation districts across the nation — almost one in every county. They continue to develop locally driven solutions to natural resource concerns.
More Information
- There are 45 conservation districts in Washington state. Visit the Conservation District Map and Directory on the Washington State Conservation Commission website for their contact information and boundaries.
- For more information about conservation districts and their functions, visit the Washington State Conservation Commission website.
Past, Present and Future of Conservation Districts
Presented by the National Association of Conservation Districts
