About the Conservation Commission

Meet the Washington State Conservation Commission

The Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) works to conserve natural resources on all lands in Washington state, through voluntary and incentive-based programs, in collaboration with conservation districts and other partners.

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.

What We Do

Provide financial and operational support and oversight to our state’s 45 conservation districts.
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.‍

Two people holding large printed page with LIDAR Data visuals

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

What We Believe In

Mission

To conserve natural resources on all lands in Washington state, through voluntary and incentive-based programs, in collaboration with conservation districts and other partners.

Vision

Our state shall have healthy soils, water, air, and ecosystems, and sustainable human interaction with these resources, including viable agriculture and forestry.
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The State Conservation Commission and districts are recognized as trusted partners who promote voluntary stewardship and accomplish natural resource goals.

Values

Sustainability: We envision a future with healthy, diverse landscapes – including viable working lands – voluntarily supported by informed resource stewards
Relationships: We foster strong partnerships with a diversity of stakeholders and maintain open communication and transparency to create trust.
Knowledge: We value local knowledge, diverse cultures, and ideas. We strive to offer voluntary, collaborative solutions that reflect state, local, and community priorities.
Accountability: We employ clear policies, procedures, and performance measures that ensure effective, efficient use of public resources.
Respect: We exhibit personal and institutional integrity for agency members and staff, conservation districts, and our partners.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: We commit to inclusion across gender, race, age, religion, accessibility, identity, veterans status, neurodiversity, and experience to have a culture where all feel included and valued. We believe that diversity drives innovation and our work should reflect the diversity of people across Washington State. We strive to remove barriers that impact equity in our programs and agency.

Our Agency Structure

The Commission consists of a 10-member governing board representing Governor appointees, other state agencies, and conservation districts. Our 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.
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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.