Conservation district land

AN ACT Relating to land ownership by conservation districts; 1
amending RCW 89.08.220; and adding a new section to chapter 89.08 2
RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 89.08.220 and 2019 c 103 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
A conservation district organized under the provisions of chapter 7
184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. shall constitute a governmental 8
subdivision of this state, and a public body corporate and politic 9
exercising public powers, but shall not levy taxes or issue bonds and 10
such district, and the supervisors thereof, shall have the following 11
powers, in addition to others granted in other sections of chapter 12
184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.: 13
(1) To conduct surveys, investigations, and research relating to 14
the conservation of renewable natural resources and the preventive 15
and control measures and works of improvement needed, to publish the 16
results of such surveys, investigations, or research, and to 17
disseminate information concerning such preventive and control 18
measures and works of improvement: PROVIDED, That in order to avoid 19
duplication of research activities, no district shall initiate any 20
research program except in cooperation with the government of this 21
H-2568.1
HOUSE BILL 2154
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Schmick, Dufault, Jacobsen, and Goodman
Prefiled 12/16/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Local Government.
p. 1 HB 2154
state or any of its agencies, or with the United States or any of its 1
agencies; 2
(2) To conduct educational and demonstrational projects on any 3
lands within the district upon obtaining the consent of the occupier 4
of such lands and such necessary rights or interests in such lands as 5
may be required in order to demonstrate by example the means, 6
methods, measures, and works of improvement by which the conservation 7
of renewable natural resources may be carried out; 8
(3) To carry out preventative and control measures and works of 9
improvement for the conservation of renewable natural resources, 10
within the district including, but not limited to, engineering 11
operations, methods of cultivation, the growing of vegetation, 12
changes in use of lands, and the measures listed in RCW 89.08.010, on 13
any lands within the district upon obtaining the consent of the 14
occupier of such lands and such necessary rights or interests in such 15
lands as may be required; 16
(4) To cooperate or enter into agreements with, and within the 17
limits of appropriations duly made available to it by law, to furnish 18
financial or other aid to any agency, governmental or otherwise, or 19
any occupier of lands within the district in the carrying on of 20
preventive and control measures and works of improvement for the 21
conservation of renewable natural resources within the district, 22
subject to such conditions as the supervisors may deem necessary to 23
advance the purposes of chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. For 24
purposes of this subsection only, land occupiers who are also 25
district supervisors are not subject to the provisions of RCW 26
42.23.030; 27
(5) ((To)) (a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, to 28
obtain options upon and to acquire in any manner, except by 29
condemnation, by purchase, exchange, lease, gift, bequest, devise, or 30
otherwise, any property, real or personal, or rights or interests 31
therein; to maintain, administer, and improve any properties 32
acquired, to receive income from such properties and to expend such 33
income in carrying out the purposes and provisions of chapter 184, 34
Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.; and to sell, lease, or otherwise dispose 35
of any of its property or interests therein in furtherance of the 36
purposes and the provisions of chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. 37
sess.; 38
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(b) A district may not purchase any real property 20 acres in 1
size or larger, or any rights or interests therein, that is actively 2
being used for agricultural production;3
(6) To make available, on such terms, as it shall prescribe, to 4
land occupiers within the district, agricultural and engineering 5
machinery and equipment, fertilizer, seeds, seedlings, and such other 6
equipment and material as will assist them to carry on operations 7
upon their lands for the conservation of renewable natural resources;8
(7)(a) To prepare and keep current a comprehensive long-range 9
program recommending the conservation of all the renewable natural 10
resources of the district. Such programs shall be directed toward the 11
best use of renewable natural resources and in a manner that will 12
best meet the needs of the district and the state, taking into 13
consideration, where appropriate, such uses as farming, grazing, 14
timber supply, forest, parks, outdoor recreation, potable water 15
supplies for urban and rural areas, water for agriculture, minimal 16
flow, and industrial uses, watershed stabilization, control of soil 17
erosion, retardation of water runoff, flood prevention and control, 18
reservoirs and other water storage, restriction of developments of 19
floodplains, protection of open space and scenery, preservation of 20
natural beauty, protection of fish and wildlife, preservation of 21
wilderness areas and wild rivers, the prevention or reduction of 22
sedimentation and other pollution in rivers and other waters, and 23
such location of highways, schools, housing developments, industries, 24
airports and other facilities and structures as will fit the needs of 25
the state and be consistent with the best uses of the renewable 26
natural resources of the state. The program shall include an 27
inventory of all renewable natural resources in the district, a 28
compilation of current resource needs, projections of future resource 29
requirements, priorities for various resource activities, projected 30
timetables, descriptions of available alternatives, and provisions 31
for coordination with other resource programs. 32
(b) The district shall also prepare an annual work plan, which 33
shall describe the action programs, services, facilities, materials, 34
working arrangements and estimated funds needed to carry out the 35
parts of the long-range programs that are of the highest priorities.36
(c) The districts shall hold public hearings at appropriate times 37
in connection with the preparation of programs and plans, shall give 38
careful consideration to the views expressed and problems revealed in 39
hearings, and shall keep the public informed concerning their 40
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programs, plans, and activities. Occupiers of land shall be invited 1
to submit proposals for consideration to such hearings. The districts 2
may supplement such hearings with meetings, referenda and other 3
suitable means to determine the wishes of interested parties and the 4
general public in regard to current and proposed plans and programs 5
of a district. They shall confer with public and private agencies, 6
individually and in groups, to give and obtain information and 7
understanding of the impact of district operations upon agriculture, 8
forestry, water supply and quality, flood control, particular 9
industries, commercial concerns and other public and private 10
interests, both rural and urban. 11
(d) Each district shall submit to the commission its proposed 12
long-range program and annual work plans for review and comment.13
(e) The long-range renewable natural resource program, together 14
with the supplemental annual work plans, developed by each district 15
under the foregoing procedures shall have official status as the 16
authorized program of the district, and it shall be published by the 17
districts as its "renewable resources program". Copies shall be made 18
available by the districts to the appropriate counties, 19
municipalities, special purpose districts and state agencies, and 20
shall be made available in convenient places for examination by 21
public land occupier or private interest concerned. Summaries of the 22
program and selected material therefrom shall be distributed as 23
widely as feasible for public information; 24
(8) To administer any project or program concerned with the 25
conservation of renewable natural resources located within its 26
boundaries undertaken by any federal, state, or other public agency 27
by entering into a contract or other appropriate administrative 28
arrangement with any agency administering such project or program;29
(9) Cooperate with other districts organized under chapter 184, 30
Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. in the exercise of any of its powers;31
(10) To accept donations, gifts, and contributions in money, 32
services, materials, or otherwise, from the United States or any of 33
its agencies, from this state or any of its agencies, or from any 34
other source, and to use or expend such moneys, services, materials, 35
or any contributions in carrying out the purposes of chapter 184, 36
Laws 1973 1st ex. sess.; 37
(11) To sue and be sued in the name of the district; to have a 38
seal which shall be judicially noticed; have perpetual succession 39
unless terminated as hereinafter provided; to make and execute 40
p. 4 HB 2154
contracts and other instruments, necessary or convenient to the 1
exercise of its powers; to borrow money and to pledge, mortgage and 2
assign the income of the district and its real or personal property 3
therefor; and to make, amend rules and regulations not inconsistent 4
with chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. and to carry into effect 5
its purposes; 6
(12)(a) Any two or more districts may engage in joint activities 7
by agreement between or among them including, but not limited to, 8
planning, financing, engineering, constructing, operating, 9
maintaining, and administering any program or project concerned with 10
the conservation of renewable natural resources. The districts 11
concerned may make available for purposes of the agreement any funds, 12
property, personnel, professional engineering, equipment, or services 13
available to them under chapter 184, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess.14
(b) Any district may enter into such agreements with a district 15
or districts in adjoining states to carry out such purposes if the 16
law in such other states permits the districts in such states to 17
enter into such agreements. 18
(c) The commission shall have authority to propose, guide, and 19
facilitate the establishment and carrying out of any such agreement;20
(13) Every district shall, through public hearings, annual 21
meetings, publications, or other means, keep the general public, 22
agencies and occupiers of land within the district, informed of the 23
works and activities planned and administered by the district, of the 24
purposes these will serve, of the income and expenditures of the 25
district, of the funds borrowed by the district and the purposes for 26
which such funds are expended, and of the results achieved annually 27
by the district; and 28
(14) The supervisors of conservation districts may designate an 29
area, state, and national association of conservation districts as a 30
coordinating agency in the execution of the duties imposed by this 31
chapter, and to make gifts in the form of dues, quotas, or otherwise 32
to such associations for costs of services rendered, and may support 33
and attend such meetings as may be required to promote and perfect 34
the organization and to effect its purposes. 35
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 89.08 36
RCW to read as follows: 37
(1) Within existing resources, each district shall compile, 38
submit to the department of agriculture, and post to its internet 39
p. 5 HB 2154
website, by June 30, 2027, an inventory of all real property in its 1
ownership as of the effective date of this section that, prior to 2
conservation district ownership, both: 3
(a) Totaled 20 acres or more in size; and 4
(b) Qualified as farm and agricultural land under this chapter.5
(2) At a minimum, the inventory must include the following 6
information for each applicable property: 7
(a) The legal description; 8
(b) Any water rights associated with the parcel; and9
(c) The most recent crop or crops grown on the parcel.10
(3) Conservation districts are not required to include 11
information on private land under an easement agreement in the 12
inventory. 13
(4) The department of agriculture shall post all inventories 14
received under this section to its internet website.15
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