Board Election Information

Governed By Our Community

Benton Conservation District (BCD) is governed by a board of five volunteer supervisors who set our priorities and policies. Three are elected by our community, and two are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission for a full term of 3 years.

Board Meetings

BCD board meetings are scheduled for every second Wednesday of the month from 12:00-2:00PM at the Richland Public Library Conference Room A.

Current Election Information & Deadlines

There is 1 Elected Supervisor position up for election and 1 Appointed Supervisor position up for reappointment with the Benton Conservation District.

A conservation district supervisor is a public official who serves without compensation and who sets policy and direction for the conservation district. To be eligible to hold a Supervisor’s position, a candidate must occupy land within the conservation district boundary or be in possession of land within the district as an owner, lessee, renter, or tenant and be a registered voter in the State of Washington.

Application forms for the appointed position may be obtained from the Conservation District or from the Conservation Commission at www.scc.wa.gov and must be submitted by March 31st, 2026. In addition to the required qualifications above, candidates for the Elected Supervisor position must also be a qualified district elector and a registered Benton County voter. The filing deadline for the elected Supervisor position is 4:00 p.m. on February 10th, 2026 at 418 N Kellogg St., Suite B, Kennewick, WA.

An election for a Supervisor position with the Benton Conservation District will be held on March 10th, 2026 at 418 N Kellogg St., Suite B., Kennewick, WA. Polls will open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 12:00 p.m. All registered voters who reside within the Benton Conservation District boundary are eligible to vote. Election procedures are available at the district office. Absentee ballots are available upon request for eligible voters but must be requested before 3:00 p.m. on February 17th, 2026 and sent to Benton Conservation District by February 24th , 2026.

Please contact Patty Sherman at (509) 396-0762 or the District office at 418 N Kellogg St, Suite B, Kennewick, WA for absentee ballots or if you have any questions.

Open Supervisor Positions

Appointed Position

There is one position open for the year of 2026.

Apply

Elected Position

There is one elected position open for election for the Fiscal Year of 2026. Election Day is March 10th, 2026 and applications must be in FCD's hands by February 10th, 2026. Apply below!

Apply

Appointed Positions

There are two Supervisor roles that are appointed to Benton Conservation District by the Washington State Conservation Commission. The Commission requires that everyone who wants to be considered for an appointed position must submit the appointment application (AF1) in its entirety before March 31st regardless of status. After the application deadline, the Commission will evaluate each applicant for their qualifications and sustainability to serve. Immediately upon appointment by the Commission, the applicant becomes a municipal officer of the conservation district and may begin performing the duties required by conservation district supervisors at the next regular or special meeting.

Mid-Term Appointments

Mid-term appointments are less than 3 years as vacancies occur. Mid-term application deadlines are set by Benton Conservation District and the position must be advertised for a minimum of 4 weeks in advance.

Visit the Washington State Conservation Commission website for more information on Appointed Positions.

Elected Positions

Benton Conservation District determines the election date between January and March (typically in March, but contact BCD for more information). Candidates are required to fill out the Candidate Required Information form (PF-A) to be considered for eligibility. The application deadline is 4 weeks prior to the selected Election Day.

Write-in Candidate

A write-in candidate that wins an election must fill out the Candidate Required Information form within 28 days of notification to be assessed for eligibility to serve.

Visit the Washington State Conservation Commission for more information on Elected Positions.

Board Roles & Responsibilites

Responsibilites

Identify local natural resource conservation needs
Develop and evaluate Annual and Long-range plans.
Educate and inform landowners, farm operators, the general public, and local, state and federal legislators on conservation issues and programs.
Administer the District by delegating tasks through a structure of board officers and committees.
Budget district funds and report on activities to the public.
Set policy for District Executive Director to implement.
CD Supervisors are public officials who serve without compensation.

Time Requirement

A Supervisor's term of office is three years. Supervisors are expected to attend 12 regularly scheduled board meetings per year, committee meetings, and other special meetings, for an average of 20 days/year.

Supervisor Benefits

Serving your community by guiding programs to protect and enhance it's natural resource priorities and future generations
Satisfaction in seeing conservation practices applied locally
Interaction with others who are passionate about natural resource conservation
Ability to provide input to Local, State, and Federal conservation programs
Learning opportunities through the Washington Conservation Commission and the Washington Association of District Employees