​About Us

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The mission of CACD is to serve as the unified voice for the Conservation Districts of Colorado; facilitating outreach, education, and support of landowners in their stewardship of natural resources.
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CACD...

• Is the State Association that assists the Colorado Conservation Districts with education and outreach and acts as their voice at the Capitol. During the Dust Bowl Era, local leadership was needed to coordinate efforts and tie activities to local conditions, needs, and priorities. In May 1937, the State legislature passed an act that established Conservation Districts in Colorado to represent private and public landowners.


• Provides support to every county in Colorado through the 74 Conservation Districts that work with their local landowners and local communities. The districts are grouped into ten geographical regions, known as watersheds. The mission of Colorado’s 74 Conservation Districts is to provide leadership for the conservation of natural resources to their stakeholders and their communities to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the State through a responsible conservation ethic. 
  


• Is a grassroots, non-profit, conservation, and natural resource organization developed to assist the Conservation Districts - Financial and administrative assistance is provided to Conservation Districts through the Colorado State Conservation Board, housed under the Conservation Services Division within the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB) is comprised of Conservation District Representatives from Colorado’s ten watersheds. They guide the Department of Agriculture, disbursing state & federal grant funds, direct assistance, and matching grant funding to the Conservation Districts. CSCB develops training tools for long and short-term planning, budgeting, and laws about local governance. CSCB performs as a board of appeals for landowners appealing to Conservation District activities and facilitating local conservation programs that improve soil health, water quality, water conservation, wildlife habitat, forest health, plant communities, and energy conservation. ​
  


• Board members are volunteers and are made up of Colorado citizens who own their land. Most current and previous CACD Board members are farmers and ranchers and have served on or are currently serving on their own local Conservation District Boards. Conservation District Boards are volunteers. They are locally elected landowners who volunteer over 32,000 hours annually to fulfill District responsibilities. While Conservation Districts are technically considered “local governments,” they fall under the statutory guidance of the State. Provides grassroots support to Colorado’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners; working with their local Conservation Districts to assist their landowners and operators by helping develop conservation plans and providing natural resource information to landowners, operators, and the general public. They also participate in boots-on-the-ground conservation projects. 
  


• Operates to serve in many capacities; CACD and the Colorado Conservation Districts provide Youth Education Programs at the State and Local levels. The Colorado Association of Conservation Districts represents Conservation Districts at the state and national levels by working with the National Association of Conservation Districts.