About the Underwood Conservation District

The Underwood Conservation District (UCD) was established in 1940 when concerned orchardists and farmers from the area around Underwood Mountain gathered to discuss irrigation needs, the decline of forest productivity, and the impacts that development was having on their land - increasing soil erosion and degrading water quality. The meeting resulted in a partnership between the Soil Conservation Service (a Federal USDA Agency, now called the Natural Resource Conservation Service) and private landowners. The Underwood Conservation District was formed to find feasible solutions to the community's land-use concerns.

Since 1940, UCD has grown to encompass the western third of Klickitat County (west of the Klickitat River, except for most of the City of Bingen) and all of Skamania County, except for the City of Stevenson. As one of 47 Conservation Districts in Washington, the UCD is a legal subdivision of state government that administers programs for the productive use and conservation of natural resources. UCD is supervised by a 5-member Board, who provide guidance and direction to District Staff. Like all Conservation Districts, UCD works in close partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in providing services to the district's communities.

UCD provides technical assistance, cost-share assistance, project and water quality monitoring, community involvement and education, and support of local stakeholder groups within the district. The district works with willing and interested landowners in implementing conservation practices.

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