Meet the Washington State Conservation Commission

Our mission is to conserve natural resources on all lands in Washington in collaboration with conservation districts and other partners.

The Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) is the coordinating state agency for all 45 conservation districts (CDs) in Washington State.

Together, the SCC and CDs provide voluntary, incentive-based programs that empower people to practice conservation and ensure healthy natural resources and agriculture for all.

The SCC was created by the legislature in 1939 (RCW 89.08.070). In our over 80-year history, we’ve learned what it takes to engage people with natural resource stewardship.

What's a CD?

Find Your Local District

Two people holding large printed page with LIDAR Data visuals

Reviewing LIDAR data during a Conservation Commission tour hosted by Adams Conservation District

Duties of the SCC include:

Administer state funding to Washington's 45 conservation districts and provide oversight for conservation district programs, administrative procedures, elections, and accountability systems.
Design policy and program structures that can be customized to address site-specific natural resource conditions and landowner needs.
Facilitate collaborative solutions that meet state natural resource priorities and work on the ground.
Encourage cooperation and collaboration between conservation districts and other partners (e.g. state and federal agencies, tribes, local government, non-governmental organizations).

Agency structure

The Commission consists of a 10-member governing board representing Governor appointees, other state agencies, and conservation districts. A small staff carries out the direction of the board, provides direct service to conservation districts, and coordinates the work of the Commission and districts with other natural resource and agricultural partners. While our headquarters office is located in Lacey, we have agency staff in communities around the state, including: Okanogan, Spokane, Goldendale, and Yakima. ‍

See the Agency Org Chart

Who sits on the SCC Board of Commissioners?

Four Commission members are appointed to represent state partners (Departments of Ecology, Department of Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources, and Washington State University).
Two Commissioners are appointed by the Governor.
Three Commissioners are current CD board supervisors elected to serve on the Commission by members of the Washington Association of Conservation Districts (WACD).
One Commissioner is the WACD President.