PUB00093

• Year: 2004
• Title: State of Colorado's Watersheds Report
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Author: Colorado Watershed Assembly
• Description: An Annual Report
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

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Background
The 77 conservation districts of
Colorado arc part of a network of
3,000 districts nationwide. The first
districts in Colorado were formed
in the 1930s, and 97 percent of the
land area of the state is now within a
conservation district.
Conservation districts were
originally formed to provide a locally
led response to one of tile first widely
witnessed American natural resource
disasters -- the infamous dust stonns
of the 19305. Today, conservation
districts arc engaged in a wide range of
natural resource concerns that involve
water, soil, and wildlife conservation.
Through local offices, they provide
assistance to private landowners to
implement conservation practices
011 their land. They also continue to
use locally led principles to bring
conservation community stakeholders
together at the grass-roots level.
Districts arc organized under state law
and are governed by elected voluntary
boards of community members. They
are supported administratively by the
Colorado State Conservation Board
and by nonprofit state and national
organizations.

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Operations
Conservation districts hold public
meetings to discuss local natural
resource concerns. From these
meetings, the district board identifies
key issues and develops long-range
and annual plans to address prioritized
concerns. These plans are used to guide
local conservation efforts and make
recommendations at the local and
watershed levels.

Organization
Districts are also organized into
watershed groups representing the
10 major river basins of Colorado.
\Vatershcd groups hold stakeholder
meetings where they encourage partners,
community groups, and individuals
to participate in discussing natural
resource concerns in the watershed.
This is an excellent opportunity for
watershed groups of all kinds to have
their voices heard and learn about
other stakeholders' concerns and
viewpoints.
Recommendations from these
meetings are also taken to the
State Technical Committee. This
Committee is chaired by the Natural
Resources Conservation Service
State Conservationist and provides

Conservation districts
have a unique network
to reach out to private
landowners and an
established mechanism
to bring community
members together

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community and organizational input to
the federal government on conservation
issues and funding allocation. The
\vatershed recommendations are also
heard at the state and national le\'el
through state and national associations
of conservation districts.

Effectiveness
Conservation districts, therefore.
have a long-established history of
working most prominently at the local
level. but with broader state and national
influence. They have a unique network
to reach out to private landowners
and an established mechanism to
bring community members together
to address local natural resollrce
concerns.
For more information about
contacting your local district, being
involved in watershed level meetings.
receiving the Colorado Conservator
newsletter. or having a presentation
at your meeting on the work of
conservation districts, please contact
us at either of the organizations listed
below:

Colorado Association of
Conservation Districts
970-248-0070
[e-mail] \\'ww.cacd.us

Colorado State Conservation Board
303-239-4112
janette. [e-mail]
w\\'w. ag.state.co. us/soi Is/soi Is. htm I