History and Mision

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During the 1930’s, the Dust Bowl  made the need to conserve natural resources, particularly soil, very clear. Agencies ranging from Land Grant Universities to the Federal Emergency Relief Administration researched and implemented conservation practices throughout the nation. Eventually, the Soil Conservation Service, now named Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was created under the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, to develop and implement soil erosion control programs.

          Sometimes agencies working with conservation ended up competing with each other. Local leadership was needed to coordinate their efforts and tie them into local conditions and priorities. Because of this, the President developed a model Conservation District Law, for consideration by the state governments.

       In March 1941 the State Legislature passed an enabling act, which established conservation districts in Wyoming. Conservation districts were to direct programs protecting local renewable natural resources. Wyoming now has 34 conservation districts in 23 counties.

          Nine years later on April 19, 1950, the Intermountain Soil Conservation District was formed.  The Upper Cheyenne River Soil Conservation District was another district formed in the county.  On October 23, 1967, the Intermountain Soil Conservation District and the Upper Cheyenne River Soil Conservation District joined together forming the Intermountain Conservation District to represent the entire county.  The name was formally changed to the Campbell County Conservation District on March 25, 1997.   

Conservation districts are subdivisions of state government, much like school boards. Each district is governed by a board of five supervisors. Supervisors are local residents who serve voluntarily without pay.  All are elected by local citizens, and by statute three are rural, one is urban and one at large. They are elected to staggered four-year terms, with two positions available at a general election and three positions at the next general election. These staggered terms improve the stability and consistency for conservation district programs. Supervisors may come from many different occupations, but, by law, all supervisors must be residents of Wyoming.

Wyoming conservation districts mission is to provide leadership for the conservation of Wyoming’s soil and water, protect the agriculture resource base, promote the control of soil erosion, promote and protect the quality and quantity of Wyoming’s water, provide assistance to reduce the siltation of stream channels and reservoirs, promote wise use of Wyoming’s water and all other natural resources, preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, protect the tax base and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of this state through  “a responsible conservation ethic.” Nationally and in Wyoming, conservation districts usually operate under the following general policies: