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We work with conservation
districts to help citizens protect renewable resources through the use of
proven, incentive-based practices.
What we do for natural resources
The Washington State Conservation Commission assists
and guides conservation
districts as they work with local communities to conserve renewable natural
resources.
Together, we fill a unique niche in the conservation arena by providing
leadership, technical resources and money to help private landowners protect
public resources.
With many others, we save salmon
Many local, state and federal agencies are working to save salmon. Unlike
most others, conservation districts and the Conservation Commission work
directly with private landowners who have direct control over management
activities on their lands. Several of our grant programs
have goals related to the conservation of salmon.
We help assure fishable, swimmable water
Conservation districts focus on providing voluntary, incentive-based
conservation assistance on private lands. By providing support to conservation
districts, we help reduce pollution coming from many small sources.
Conservation districts have provided technical and financial assistance to
landowners on clean water issues for decades. We facilitate relationships
between regulators and private citizens, for the purpose of conserving
Washington State's precious natural resources.
We help keep land productive
We believe lands managed for sustainable, profitable production of food and
crops is a better choice than lands left to become filled with noxious weeds or
converted to polluting activities. Most of our programs are designed to help
private land managers do a better job of protecting natural resources as they
make a living from their land.
Who is the Conservation Commission?
The Washington State Conservation Commission is a small state agency created
to assist and guide conservation districts as they work to conserve our natural
resources. Our mission is to lead the citizens of the state in the wise
stewardship, conservation, and protection of soil, water, and related natural
resources on private lands.
We help conservation districts coordinate programs, facilitate productive
working relationships with other organizations, and help districts be
successful. The Conservation Commission also provides grant funds to
conservation districts, maintains accounting procedures in cooperation with the
State Auditor's Office, oversees conservation
district elections, and appoints two board members to each local conservation
district board. Read more about our core functions.
Who sits on the Commission board?
Governance of the agency is provided by a ten-member board with members drawn from conservation
districts, other agencies and Governor appointees. Our board members hail from
across Washington State and include people with experience in ranching, farming,
law, management, public service, natural resource management, and more.
Four members are elected by Washington State conservation districts. Four
members are appointed to represent state agencies. Two members are appointed by
the Governor.
Who executes the policies and plans of the governing board?
Staff
members carry out the direction of the Commission board. Our headquarters
office is in Lacey, and to better serve conservation districts, we maintain
small satellite offices in several locations across the state.
The Conservation Commission board employs an executive director to implement
the board's policies and plans. The executive director employs staff who manage
agency financial programs, provide direct service to conservation districts, and
perform the wide range of other functions needed to fully implement the  WSCC Strategic Plan for 2009-2015.
To better serve conservation district needs, we have agency staff located in
several communities around the State of Washington, including: Longview,
Okanogan, Olympia, Spokane, and Yakima.
Programs in the Conservation Commission
The Washington State Conservation Commission provides a number of programs to
help put conservation on the ground. We think of program participants as
conservation V.I.P.s, because these individuals implement Voluntary,
Incentive-based, Private landowner actions! Read more about our programs.
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