How West Virginia Conservation Districts Work
West Virginia has 14 conservation districts, and each covers between one and six counties, per the West Virginia Conservation Agency. The districts were organized in the 1930s and 1940s to fight soil erosion. The agency describes them as local units of government, established by the people and governed by the people through elected supervisors. If you farm, graze livestock, run a small acreage or live beside a stream, your district is a practical first call for cost share money, technical help and local programs.
A Short History
The Legislature passed the federal model law in 1939 and created the State Soil Conservation Committee, according to the agency's 2022 history training. Districts were then created by local referendum, with voters forming West Virginia's 14 districts between 1940 and 1947. The Conservation Districts Law is Chapter 19, Article 21A of the state code.
Supervisors and Elections
Per the agency's supervisor page, each county elects at least two supervisors who live in that county, with a few larger counties electing more. Supervisors are elected in the May primary in election years, serve four-year terms, and run on a nonpartisan ballot, so they do not appear on the November ballot. Candidates should have experience in agriculture, conservation or natural resources. A 2022 law, Senate Bill 264, keeps two elected supervisors per county, with extra supervisors for counties over 100,000 residents, and sets terms to begin July 1 after the primary. Vacancies are filled by State Conservation Committee appointment of a county resident.
The job is real work. Supervisors attend 12 monthly board meetings plus committees, and the agency says they average about 60 days a year on meetings, training and other duties. Boards also approve agricultural enhancement applications from cooperating farmers. Boards can appoint associate supervisors, usually for one year, per the 2026 supervisor handbook.
Cost Share and Help for Landowners
The agency's program list includes Ag Enhancement, Chesapeake Bay, Emergency Watershed Protection, Land Stream Access Permit, Non-Point Source, and Potomac Valley Poultry Litter. Which programs are open depends on your district and the year. As one example, the Southern Conservation District's Agricultural Enhancement Cost-Share Program listed lime, fencing, livestock water systems, heavy use area protection, pond clean-out and high tunnel soil health as eligible practices. Its 2025 application window ran June 2 to June 13, with applications taken in person at the Beckley office. Soil tests or FSA maps could be required depending on the practice, so ask before you apply.
Under the 2022 law, landowners remain responsible for putting practices in place and contributing funds, labor, materials or equipment. Cost share is a partnership, not a free fence.
The State Level
The State Conservation Committee oversees the districts. It has 10 members, according to the 2026 supervisor handbook: four citizen members appointed by the Governor and six ex officio members, including the state agriculture commissioner as chair. The committee meets quarterly. The West Virginia Conservation Agency, the committee's staff, provides administrative, communications and technical support to the districts. Its office is at 255 Gus R. Douglass Lane, Charleston, and the phone is 304-558-2204. The West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts gives supervisors a statewide voice, with two directors from each district.
Since 2022 the committee can also contract for natural disaster recovery and flood-related stream restoration, and it can run a conservation grant program for districts and others.
Youth and Education Programs
Districts also run education work. The agency lists Conservation Camps, Envirothon, a speech contest, a land judging contest, a grassland evaluation contest and a Conservation Farm of the Year program. The West Virginia 4-H State Conservation Camp ran June 8-12, 2026, at Camp Caesar in Cowen for ages 14 to 17, per the state camp list.
How to Find and Use Your District
- Start at the agency's district directory at wvca.us and find your county.
- Call before you start a fence, water system or stream project and ask what is open.
- Ask about application windows. They can be short.
- Bring a map, your FSA information if you have it, and a soil test if the practice calls for one.
- Anyone can be a cooperator regardless of acreage, per the handbook, so a small farm still counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many conservation districts does West Virginia have?
Fourteen, each covering one to six counties.
How long is a supervisor's term?
Four years. Supervisors are elected in the May primary on a nonpartisan ballot.
Do I need a big farm to work with a district?
No. The supervisor handbook says anyone can be a cooperator regardless of acreage.
Is cost share always available?
No. Programs and application windows vary by district and year, so call your district office.
West Virginia Listings Covered by This Guide
- West Virginia 4-H State Conservation Camp
Week-long state 4-H conservation camp at Camp Caesar in Cowen; the most recent camp ran June 8-12, 2026.
Cowen, WV | Organizer: West Virginia 4-H, WVU Extension Official event details - Tygarts Valley Conservation District
Conservation district serving Upshur County and neighboring counties, a co-host of grazing field days in 2025 and 2026.
WV - West Virginia Conservation Agency
State agency in Charleston that supports the state's conservation districts and their supervisors; it publishes an annual handbook for district supervisors.
Charleston, WV | 304-558-2204 Website
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.