What the heck is a conservation district, and why should I care about this election?
Washington’s 45 conservation districts wield an underestimated power: the power of contagion. As non-regulatory bodies, the districts can’t require landowners—including farmers, foresters, ranchers, and even urban gardeners—to do anything. But districts can grease the tracks.Â
Producers trust information from their peers. So when just one farmer in a community tries something new, it increases the likelihood that neighbors will follow suit. CDs aim to spark this domino effect.
Districts offer financial incentives and technical assistance to landowners who adopt or avoid practices according to board priorities. Each budget decision reflects a value: whether to put cutting chemical application above reducing soil erosion, bolstering local food production over fish habitat, urban canopy or a host of other concerns.Â
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