National Association of Conservation Districts

About NACD

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is the nonprofit organization that represents America’s 3,000 conservation districts and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. Conservation districts are local units of government established under state law to carry out natural resource management programs at the local level. Districts work with millions of cooperating landowners and operators to help them manage and protect land and water resources on all private lands and many public lands in the United States.

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

Among the goals of the organization are to:

• Represent districts as their national voice on conservation issues;
• Provide useful information to conservation districts and their state associations;
• Build partnerships with federal and state agencies and other organizations in order to carry out district priorities and programs;
• Analyze programs and policy issues that have an impact on local districts; and
• Offer needed and cost-effective services to districts.

The association was founded on the philosophy that conservation decisions should be made at the local level with technical and funding assistance from federal, state and local governments and the private sector. As the national voice for all conservation districts, NACD supports voluntary, incentive-driven natural resource conservation programs that benefit all citizens.

NACD maintains relationships with organizations and government agencies; publishes information about districts; works with leaders in agriculture, conservation, environment, education, industry and other fields; and provides services to its districts. NACD is primarily financed through voluntary contributions of its member districts and state associations.

The association's philosophy is that conservation decisions should be made by local people with technical and funding assistance from federal, state and local governments and the private sector. The association's programs and activities aim to advance the resource conservation cause of local districts and the millions of cooperating landowners and land managers they serve.

Downloadable NACD Brochure
Click here to download a printable informational brochure with information on NACD and our member conservation districts. (PDF, 1.5 MB)