What Alaska's Conservation Districts Are
Alaska's soil and water conservation districts are local, volunteer-run units that help landowners look after land and water. They are legal subdivisions of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources under AS 41.10, and the Alaska Soil Conservation District Law passed in 1947, according to the Homer SWCD. Under AS 41.10.130 the Commissioner of Natural Resources creates districts and can delegate powers to their supervisors. The program grew out of 1930s Dust Bowl-era conservation efforts. Districts are not regulatory bodies: they offer help and local leadership, not enforcement.
The Twelve Districts
The state Natural Resource Conservation and Development Board page lists 12 local districts:
- Anchorage
- Fairbanks
- Homer
- Kenai
- Kenny Lake
- Kodiak
- Mid Yukon-Kuskokwim
- Palmer
- Salcha-Delta
- Southeast
- Upper Susitna
- Wasilla
The partners page links websites for seven of them: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, Kenai, Kodiak, Palmer and Salcha-Delta. For the others, start with the state board. Some districts are more active than others. The Upper Susitna district, covering Cantwell, Trapper Creek and Talkeetna south to Little Willow Creek, stopped its work when state funding ended and was being revived through the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts, per KTNA.
How Districts Are Run
Each district is run by a board of five supervisors, per the state board. The state page says supervisors are elected from the district's members in annual elections run by the board's Executive Director. The Homer district describes staggered 3-year terms, so two or three seats are usually up each fall, and says a supervisor must first be a district cooperator. Cooperators are landowners and land managers who sign up with the district. Statewide, supervisors total about 60 volunteers averaging 15 hours a month, roughly 10,800 volunteer hours a year, per the state board.
The Natural Resource Conservation and Development Board is an advisory board to the DNR Commissioner and to the districts, and it also oversees areas of Alaska that are not in an established district. Rules, terms and election dates can change, so confirm with your district.
What Districts Do for Landowners
According to the state board, services include:
- Land conservation plans for local landowners
- Erosion control and water quality projects
- Best management practices
- School education programs
- Resource development expertise
The Homer district says it works with landowners and land managers on soil, water and related resources, and with state and federal agencies, community groups, farmers and ranchers. It reports about 200 private landowner cooperators across 12 communities, and cooperators drive its programming.
Partners: NRCS and the Association
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is the key federal partner and provides technical assistance to the districts. The Alaska Association of Conservation Districts is a non-profit formed with one representative from each district, and it serves the districts administratively. Alaska's districts belong to the National Association of Conservation Districts, per the state partners page.
Why It Matters in Alaska
Alaska districts cover both urban and rural areas, from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Kodiak and Mid Yukon-Kuskokwim, and they work on local needs, per the Homer SWCD. A district is how a landowner gets a conservation plan written, hears about erosion control and water quality practices, and finds the right federal contact. The Upper Susitna story is also a reminder that districts depend on local volunteers and funding, and that a district can go quiet until residents step forward. Districts offer school education programs, and Alaska FFA has run natural resource events, so students are a natural audience.
Natural resource work in Alaska often involves salmon streams. The KTNA report says the revived Upper Susitna group was interested in the decline of Susitna River salmon, though other projects were possible.
How to Find and Use Your District
- Check the list above for your area. If you are in the Mat-Su, you may be in Palmer, Wasilla or Upper Susitna, so ask.
- Open the district website if one is linked, or call the state board, which lists general Department of Natural Resources contact information: 550 W. 7th Ave, Suite 1360, Anchorage, AK 99501-3557, phone (907) 269-8400.
- Sign up as a cooperator. It is the usual first step to getting help and to serving as a supervisor.
- Ask about NRCS programs through your district office.
- If no district covers you, ask the state board what starting one involves. The Upper Susitna revival described needing more than 25 cooperators, a board and a public meeting to win state approval.
A Note on Dates and Details
The sources describing district terms and elections differ slightly, and district activity changes from year to year, so treat this guide as a starting point. Confirm board size, term lengths, election timing and current contacts directly with the district or the state board before you rely on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many conservation districts does Alaska have?
The state board lists 12.
Do districts regulate land use?
No. The Homer district says districts are not regulatory bodies.
Who serves on a district board?
Five volunteer supervisors, who must be district cooperators.
When did Alaska start conservation districts?
The Soil Conservation District Law passed in 1947.
Alaska Listings Covered by This Guide
- Alaska Natural Resource Conservation and Development Board
State board within Natural Resources that coordinates the state's soil and water conservation districts and federal conservation partners.
550 W. 7th Ave, Suite 1360, Anchorage, AK 99501-3557 | (907) 269-8400 - Anchorage Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation district for the Anchorage area, one of 12 in Alaska.
Anchorage, AK Website - Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation district that runs the Alaska Agriculture Conference events and workshops for Interior growers.
Fairbanks, AK Website - Homer Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation district on the southern Kenai Peninsula governed by a board of supervisors.
Homer, AK Website - Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation district serving the central Kenai Peninsula around Kenai and Soldotna.
Kenai, AK Website - Kodiak Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation district serving Kodiak Island farms, gardens and landowners.
Kodiak, AK Website - Palmer Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation district in the Palmer area of the Matanuska Valley, the state's main farming region.
Palmer, AK Website - Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation District
Conservation district co-hosting the Delta Farm Forum and sponsoring the Delta Harvest Wrap-Up meal, working with Delta area grain and hay producers.
Delta Junction, AK | 907-895-6279
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.