National Association of Conservation Districts

Districts' Roles

Volunteers at King Wetlands Nursery, Seattle, Wash. -Photo Courtesy King Conservation District

Since the 1930s, conservation districts have played a key role in helping landowners and users manage soil, water and related resources on working lands. As people moved to cities and land use patterns changed, resource management needs grew. Today, districts are resource management agencies, coordinating and implementing resource programs at the local level in cooperation with federal and state agencies and the private sector.

A vast majority of conservation districts have urban areas. Of the 1,723 districts that responded to an NACD Forest Activity Survey, 1,450, or 84 percent, reported an urban area in their district. Here are some of the urban resource conservation issues with which these districts are involved:

• Conservation districts have long been involved in erosion and sediment control, and some have become involved in storm water management and nonpoint watershed protection issues.
• In fast-growing areas with little water, conservation districts are involved with irrigation management and xeriscaping.
• About half of conservation districts responding to NACD’s Forestry Activity Survey provide urban forestry activities. Of those, 454 said they offer tree and shrub planting, and 171 offer urban tree care and management or construction protection. Others focus on education through teacher training, school programs, publications, workshops and demonstrations. Districts provided urban interface fire prevention, insect and disease diagnosis and riparian restoration.
• An NACD survey on districts’ growth management activities from the late 1990’s showed districts in developing areas review and approve new subdivision plans (62%); provide urban conservation standards for use by developers and builders (60%); provide guidance on land use/zoning issues (46%); design and install urban conservation measures (28%); contract administration of conservation measures (38%); and protect and improve water quality (84%).
• Conservation districts have the technical information and expertise to help lead community efforts aimed at strategically managing natural resources while planning for growth.
• In urban, developing and interface areas, conservation districts provide similar assistance as they do in agricultural and forested areas: resource data, technical information and assistance, and financial assistance. The audience may be different – planning boards, developers, homeowners, etc – but the approach is still voluntary and proactive. The specific services of each district are best identified through their locally led processes.

We welcome conservation districts’ stories for this web site. Please share your urban and community conservation activities with NACD staff member Debra Bogar at deb-bogar@nacdnet.org.