Franklin County Conservation District
"Conserving our Natural Resources for the Future"
About Us
We
are the Franklin County Conservation District, located in Ottawa Kansas.
Paperwork was filed with the State of Kansas to certify the creation of the
Franklin County Conservation District on April 25, 1941. We were the 14th
Conservation District to be established in Kansas; with Labette County being the
first in 1938 and Shawnee County being the 105th in 1954.
Conservation Districts are political subdivisions of state government & are the
primary local unit of government responsible for the conservation of soil, water
and related natural resources within the county.
The district's governing board is comprised of five elected local citizens,
known as supervisors. They establish local priorities, set policies and
administer non-regulatory conservation programs during monthly board meetings.
Although they serve as public officials supervisors do not draw salaries, they
all volunteer their time and dedication to the protection of our natural
resources. Current Supervisors are Cecil Rockhold, Ron
Dunbar, Stephen Curtis, Doug Smith and Dwayne LaGalle.
District employees are hired by the board of supervisors to manage daily
operations of the district. While our office is located within the USDA
Service Center, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
we are a completely separate agency from our USDA partners.
The non-regulatory conservation programs which are administered through the
Franklin County Conservation District include the Non-Point Source Pollution
Control Program and the Water Resource Cost-Share Program, Riparian Area
Protection Program, Conservation Buffer Program and several grants (including
WRAPS and KAWS funded projects) related to water quality improvement. All
programs of the Franklin County Conservation District are available without
regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age or
handicap.
An annual meeting is held each January to report district activities and
accomplishments since the last annual meeting and to advertise district
programs. An election is also conducted to fill a three year term for position
of supervisors. The Kansas Bankers Association Awards program has been a part of
the district annual meeting since 1945. Each fall the key banker, representing
the Franklin County Bankers Association, the county extension agent, chairman of
the extension council, chairman of the conservation district and NRCS District
Conservationist tour farms who have been nominated to receive the recognition.
In addition to the bankers awards the conservation district has added a wildlife
conservation award, grassland award and most recently a conservation buffer
award was added in 2005.
The Franklin County Conservation District is a member of the Kansas Association
of Conservation Districts, National Association of Conservation Districts, State
Association of Kansas Watershed, Kansas Alliance of Wetlands and Streams, Kansas
Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, Kansas Association for Conservation
and Environmental Education and the Franklin County Farm Bureau Association.
The Franklin County Conservation District also provides contributions to the
Kansas Association of Conservation District Employee Organization, Kansas
Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Education Committee, Marais des
Cygnes Watershed Restoration And Protections Strategies Livestock Projects
Grant, Marais des Cygnes Drainage District and the Kansas Water Quality Buffer
Initiative through the work of our local employees.
Contractor's List Cost Share Programs Education Programs Grass Seed Sales
Frequently Asked Questions History of the District Franklin County History Livestock WRAPS Grant