Join Your Local Conservation District Board

Want to make a real difference where you live? Serving on your local conservation district board is a hands-on way to support your community and help guide conservation priorities close to home.

Conservation district boards are local leaders who help guide conservation work in their area. Board members help decide what the district should focus on, support local projects, and help connect people to the right resources and partners.

Why Serve?

Local conservation boards play an important behind-the-scenes role in keeping communities productive, resilient, and healthy.

As a board member, you can:

Make a local impact by helping protect and improve natural resources
Bring your perspective to practical, community-based decision-making
Help set priorities for conservation efforts in your area
Support landowners and producers through local leadership and partnerships
Give back through public service in a role that truly matters

Who Can Serve?

You don’t have to be a conservation expert to serve. Most people who care about their community can be a great fit.

To run for the board, you just need to be a registered voter in your conservation district.

Board members can be:

landowners, renters, or producers
town residents and community members
teachers, retirees, business owners, and more

If you care about your local land and water and are willing to learn, you belong here.

About South Dakota’s Conservation Districts

South Dakota has 68 conservation districts that cover the entire state, generally along county boundaries. Each district is a unit of local government focused on natural resource stewardship.

Conservation districts:

Identify local soil, water, and natural resource concerns
Support education, planning, and on-the-ground conservation efforts
Work with landowners, producers, and partners
Promote strong communities by connecting environmental, economic, and human well-being

How the Board Works

Each conservation district is governed by a five-member board of supervisors:

Board members are elected to four-year terms
Elections are nonpartisan and held during the general election
Candidates must be registered voters within the district

Interested in Running for the Board?

To become a candidate, you’ll submit a nominating petition with 15 signatures.

Deadline: Petitions are due by 5:00 p.m. Central Time on or before July 1st of the general election year.
Where to file: Submit to your county auditor (or ask your local district where to file if your district spans more than one county).

For help getting started, contact SDACD at (605) 895-4099 or reach out to your local conservation district.

Additional Information

Circulation of nominating petitions may begin on January 1st and petitions may be filed in the office of the county auditor located in the county courthouse during regular business hours. If the conservation district lies in more than one county, the petitions shall be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State, State Capitol Building, Pierre, SD 57501, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. central time.

The deadline for filing nominating petitions is July 1st at 5:00 p.m. Central time. If a petition is mailed by registered mail by July 1st at 5:00 p.m. Central time, it shall be considered filed.

South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL) 38-8-39 states:

Before any general election, the board of supervisors of an organized conservation district shall give notice of any district offices for which nominations may be filed. The notice shall be published at least once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official newspaper or newspapers of any counties within the territory of the district. The last publication may not be less than ten nor more than fifteen days before the deadline for filing nominating petitions. The Division of Resource Conservation and Forestry shall provide the required notice before a referendum regarding establishment of a new district.

Supervisors shall be nominated by a petition signed by fifteen or more voters in the district for which the candidate seeks election.

The petition shall be verified by the circulator and be accompanied by the declaration of the candidate in a form substantially conforming to nominating petitions prescribed under the primary election laws of this state governing nominating petitions for nonpolitical candidates. The petition shall be filed on or before July first of the year in which the general election is to be held, with the county auditor of the county, or where more than one county is within the territorial limits of the district, with the secretary of state. The auditor shall prepare ballots substantially in the form of the nonpolitical ballot and give notice thereof as provided by the general election laws of this state. The supervisors shall be elected by plurality. The election shall be conducted, canvassed, recounted, and contested as elections under the general laws of this state, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, and unless the general laws are inapplicable. If the details concerning the conduct, canvassing, recounting or contest of the election are not set forth within this chapter, and the general election laws are not applicable, then the commission shall promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 to make possible the submission to an election any matter which by the terms of this chapter may be submitted to a vote of the voters of any proposed or established district.