Rates and Charges
What are Rates and Charges?
Clark Conservation District is currently funded entirely through competitive grants and contracts from local, state, and federal sources. While these funds support important work, they are:
Restricted to specific program uses
Limited in duration
Vulnerable to reduction or elimination with little notice
Clark Conservation District is requesting that Clark County Council adopt a system of rates and charges that would establish a stable, locally controlled funding mechanism to support voluntary conservation efforts that improve water quality, enhance habitat, support sustainable farms and food systems, strengthen forest resilience, and expand urban tree cover.
Rates and Charges Brief
How to Get Involved
If you are interested in supporting Clark Conservation District’s efforts to procure stable funding with the help of Clark County Council, here are a few ways for you to get involved:
Sign up for our rates and charges newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming public hearings, progress on the motion, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Conservation Districts
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Conservation districts are locally led, non-regulatory special purpose districts established under Washington State law in 1939 (RCW 89.08) to help conserve natural resources and support the public in responsible land stewardship. Each district is governed by a board of locally elected and appointed supervisors who set policy and guide priorities, while professional staff deliver programs and services. Conservation districts were created in response to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, when severe land degradation demonstrated the need for locally driven conservation solutions. Today, nearly 3,000 conservation districts operate nationwide, including 45 in Washington State.
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Clark Conservation District (Clark CD or the District) has served the community for over 80 years by providing voluntary, incentive-based services that help residents manage soil, water, farms, forests, and habitat. We do not regulate or enforce laws; instead, we partner with residents to implement practical, on-the-ground solutions that suit their needs. Whether we’re providing customized technical information to residents on their property, planning and paying for the implementation of conservation practices on private land, or helping our constituents navigate regulatory agencies, Clark CD supports all Clark County community members and their conservation goals.
Clark CD is overseen by a five-member board: Three are locally elected, and two are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission. All five are residents of the District and have areas of expertise related to the District’s mission and activities. Like other public agencies, conservation districts operate under state requirements for transparency and accountability, including open public meetings, public records, and audits from the Washington State Auditor’s Office.
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The boundaries of Clark CD cover all unincorporated areas of Clark County as they were in 1942, as well as the City of Vancouver. In 1969, the City of Vancouver petitioned the District to be annexed and was successfully incorporated into the District’s boundaries. When the District was formed, the City of Battle Ground was unincorporated; therefore, the whole city was included in the District. Clark CD covers 99.5% of the County's land base, and our boundaries reflect the District’s long-standing role in serving both rural and urban communities.
Why Funding is Needed
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Grants are, and will continue to be, an important part of our funding, but they have significant limitations. Available grants don't always align with what Clark County actually needs. Our average grant term is less than 2 years long, so much of our programming could be either greatly reduced or eliminated, with very little warning. Plus, many conservation projects take years to complete, and many more years to maintain. It's hard to plan long-term when funding disappears just when programs are established. Without stable local funding, we are constrained by what outside agencies want to fund and their grant cycles, not what our community needs.
We’ve seen how relying solely on grants impacts our programs and capacity. For example, after our Poop Smart Clark septic program expanded countywide, demand quickly exceeded the funding available. The program had to be paused until the next funding cycle, even though the need remained.
Grant funding will continue to be important to our work. But grants alone do not provide the stability, flexibility, or local control needed to maintain core conservation services over time. A local funding source ensures stability and allows us to fully deliver services to the community.
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Clark CD is a government agency that does not receive direct tax revenue and generates no commercial income. We depend entirely on grants, and while we actively secure local, state, federal, and private grants, those funds are unpredictable, short-term, and tied to uses defined by outside agencies rather than local needs.
Stable local funding allows the District to:
Quickly respond to local priorities
Implement long-term projects
Offer services prioritized by our constituents, not those of state or federal granting agencies
Additionally, local funding can dramatically extend our impact. Many competitive grants require matching funds, and a stable local funding base means we can leverage local dollars to bring in more outside resources.
Clark CD exists to serve the public, not to make a profit. That means we rely on public funding and grants—not commercial income—to help residents manage soil and water, to improve our farms, forests, and habitat. Most CD services are provided at no cost to landowners. Stable local funding ensures we continue to deliver these services, reach more people, and respond to growing challenges like drought, habitat degradation, and wildfire.
Clark CD is overseen by a five-member board: Three are locally elected, and two are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission. All five are residents of the District and have areas of expertise related to the District’s mission and activities. Like other public agencies, conservation districts operate under state requirements for transparency and accountability, including open public meetings, public records, and audits from the Washington State Auditor’s Office.
About Rates and Charges
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Rates and charges are a County Council-approved fee paid by landowners to support public services. Similar to how residents pay fees for services like stormwater, sewer systems, or mosquito control, this proposed fee supports conservation services that benefit the entire community, such as water quality protection, habitat restoration, and agricultural viability.
We’ve seen how relying solely on grants impacts our programs and capacity. For example, after our Poop Smart Clark septic program expanded countywide, demand quickly exceeded the funding available. The program had to be paused until the next funding cycle, even though the need remained.
Grant funding will continue to be important to our work. But grants alone do not provide the stability, flexibility, or local control needed to maintain core conservation services over time. A local funding source ensures stability and allows us to fully deliver services to the community.
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While the proposed system for Clark CD is still under development, the rate can be up to $25 per parcel per year, plus $0.10 per acre per year. The fee applies only to landowners within the District’s boundaries. For most residents, this equates to a modest annual investment that supports countywide environmental and agricultural services. Parcels enrolled in the Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral Program will not be charged.
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Rates and charges are a fee authorized by state law—not a tax. From drought to flooding, Clark County residents are living with real risks to their natural resources and local viable agriculture. This per parcel fee is about making sure every resident has access to helpful tools for conserving land, water, and our community.
For $25 a year or about $2 a month—less than what you’d spend on a drip coffee—Clark Conservation District can help conserve our farms, water, and wildlife for the benefit of the whole community.
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Washington State law (RCW 89.08.405) currently caps the charge at $25 per parcel plus $0.10 per acre, and County Council approval is required for any increase to the charged rate.
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The process involves two key decision points:
Clark CD’s board will vote on a proposed rates and charges plan at a public Board meeting (anticipated in July 2026). The proposal the Board adopts will then go to Clark County’s Board of County Councilors for a final decision.
In late 2026, the Clark County Council will vote on the rates and charges system. If passed, Clark CD rates and charges will take effect beginning in 2027.
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Letter of Support: When the proposed rate system is developed, we’ll have a template letter of support available that can be sent to Clark CD, the Clark County Council, or both.
Testify: We’re asking our constituents to testify in support of the proposal at the Clark County Council’s public hearing. Sign up at the link below to be notified when it is scheduled.
Speak to your County Councilor: Meetings, calls, or emails to your County Councilor are a great way to let them know you support stable funding for Clark CD.
Sign up for Updates: Sign up for our stable funding email list here.
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A 10-year funding timeline gives Clark CD the stability to plan and deliver programs built around Clark County’s needs. Residents will benefit from:
Predictability: Reduced uncertainty about future funding gives us space to develop Clark County-specific programs to solve and support complex natural resource and agriculture challenges, such as our unique endangered and threatened wildlife species and vibrant local agriculture economy.
Focus on Service: Clark CD will focus more on our mission and providing quality community service, rather than dealing with financial uncertainties and developing contingency plans for grant-funded services, such as our popular Poop Smart Clark Septic Reimbursement program.
Responsive to Community Needs: Rather than relying on restrictive, short-term grants to meet Clark County's conservation needs, Clark CD will be able to implement long-term programs that are specially tailored to our community's priorities.
Use of Funds and Community Benefits
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Rates and charges funding will support programs that benefit the entire community, including:
Water quality protection, including reducing pollution to local lakes and rivers
Agricultural support and food system resilience
Habitat restoration and wildlife protection
Forest health and wildfire resilience
Stormwater solutions
Septic system assistance and public health initiatives
Urban tree canopy and pollinator support
All of these services are voluntary, locally driven, and designed to address Clark County’s real conservation needs.
We’ve seen how relying solely on grants impacts our programs and capacity. For example, after our Poop Smart Clark septic program expanded countywide, demand quickly exceeded the funding available. The program had to be paused until the next funding cycle, even though the need remained.
Grant funding will continue to be important to our work. But grants alone do not provide the stability, flexibility, or local control needed to maintain core conservation services over time. A local funding source ensures stability and allows us to fully deliver services to the community.
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Even if residents do not directly use District services, everyone benefits from:
Cleaner water
Healthier ecosystems
Stronger local agriculture
Reduced wildfire risk
Improved public health outcomes
If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to rates@clarkcd.org or sign up for our rates and charges newsletter to stay up to date.