History of the Conservation Movement - Utah Conservation Districts

Utah Conservation Districts

The first soil conservation district to be organized in Utah was the Minersville Soil Conservation District. The Certificate of Organization was issued by the Utah Secretary of State on October 26, 1937. Six more Utah soil conservation districts were voted in and issued Certificates of Organization in 1938.

Prior to Conservation District's establishment, the US Soil Conservation Service worked closely with federal Civilian Conservation Corps on local projects in Grantsville, Gunlock and Price. The Conservation Districts then assumed responsibility for these projects.

Today local Conservation District boards identify local conservation needs, providing technical assistance and natural resource management services. They work to develop, implement, and evaluate strategic plans to meet those needs by developing a vision and mission for their district.

They take available technical, financial, and educational resources, whatever their source, and focus or coordinate them so that they meet the needs of the local land user for conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources on local, federal land. The Utah Legislature amended the Utah Conservation District Act in 2008 to include responsibility for federal as well as non-federal land.