
On July 14, 1949, Earl Coe, the Secretary
of State for Washington, signed a
certification making the Pierce County
Soil Conservation District an official
organization. Over the past 70 years,
much more than just our name has
changed. Guy E. Mains of Lakebay,
and Joel Olson of Puyallup were the
original supervisors and are responsible
for helping create our District. We owe
them and countless others over the
past 70 years a deep debt of gratitude
for helping build this organization into
a dynamic force for improving Pierce
County’s communities and natural
resources. As grateful as we are for the
hard work and dedication that preceded
us, we’re equally excited about the next
70 years and continuing to evolve this
organization to address the challenges of
our time.
“Pierce Conservation District sets the
example for what a modern conservation
district should be: firmly rooted in the
tradition of supporting the agriculture
community, but helping communities
deal with modern challenges such as
food access, orca and salmon recovery,
and creating urban green space,” said
Congressman Derek Kilmer. “Each year
they’re helping make Pierce County a
better place to live, play, and work.”
While our Farm Team is still dedicated
to soil conservation, we also now help
improve the health of our community
through improving food access, creating
better water quality, restoring vital
salmon habitat, and dealing with the
challenges of climate change. While
we’re working on the challenges of
today, we’re also keeping an eye on the
future, training the next generation of
conservationists and farmers through our
environmental education program and
our Farm Foundations training. In the
near future, we will be adding additional
support for Pierce County residents
with a new Shore Friendly program to
provide technical assistance to shoreline
property owners, and additional green
stormwater infrastructure capacity.

We’re also working in more communities
across Pierce County than ever before.
Whether it’s working to conserve farms
in Roy or supporting a community garden
in the heart of Tacoma; providing a rain
barrel workshop in Buckley or working to
recover shellfish beds in Vaughn Bay; our
teams are helping improve communities
throughout the County, urban and rural
alike. This holistic approach is not only
inclusive, it’s necessary, as the health
of our communities and our natural
environment are intricately intertwined.
The challenges we face impact all of us, and all of
us have personal responsibility to help address
them. It can be difficult to know where to start,
but that’s what we’re here for, to help you start
working towards a better community by taking
action in your own backyard. Whether it’s installing
a rain garden, employing better farm practices,
volunteering with us on a restoration project, or
reducing food waste by joining us for a fruit tree
glean, we have many ways for you to get involved
and we can provide assistance each step of the
way. You can be part of the solution, just reach out
and ask us how.
Over the next 70 years, we’re sure to face even
greater challenges than we’ve experienced in
the last 70. However, due to the hard work of all
those that came before us and our passionate
and dedicated staff, you can be sure that your
Conservation District will be here to help make
Pierce County a better place to call home.