What We Do
The Rock Island County Soil and Water Conservation District is a local unit of government established February 10, 1942. Considered a local branch of government, it is governed by a five-person board of directors, elected by landowners and land occupants within the District. The Board of Directors, themselves landowners or land occupants in Rock Island County, meet regularly to administer a program of work that fits the needs and natural resources concerns in the county. Districts have no taxing authority. There are 98 Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the state of Illinois.
The District receives its operating funds from The Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Rock Island County Board. We work closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) on a variety of programs for farmers. Both agencies are a part of the US Department of Agriculture. We also work with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) on construction site NPDES monitoring and an annual stormwater conference as well as projects within Copperas Creek watershed. The District is also involved in the Bi-State Conservation Action Network (BI-CAN) Committee that includes U.S. Fish & Wildlife, Nahant Marsh, Trees Forever, and Pheasant’s Forever putting on annual workshops, conferences and networking events. We work closely with University of Illinois Extension and QCCA for education events and volunteer support.
Soil and Water Conservation Districts are governmental subdivisions of the state and are tax exempt, as defined under Section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions to Soil and Water Conservation Districts are deductible, as defined in Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code.
We provide workshops, presentations, land and site evaluations, and training for the community and welcome all requests. Contact us for more information.
All SWCD programs and services are offered on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or familial status.
Who We Are
Board of Directors
Nathan Oak - Chairman
Bill Parchert III - Secretary/Treasurer
Gary Blanchard - Director
Jason Flickinger - Director
Rebekah Ahrens - Associate Director
SWCD Employees
Joseph Deloian - Resource Conservationist II
Dayna Gillespie - Administrative Coordinator
Richard Stewart - Resource Conservationist
Joe Gates - Conservation Specialist
Louis Liva - Precision Conservation Management (PCM)
History & Origins
In the early 1930s, along with the greatest depression this nation ever experienced, came an equally unparalleled ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl. Following a severe and sustained drought in the Great Plains, the region’s soil began to erode and blow away, creating huge black dust storms that blotted out the sun and swallowed the countryside. Thousands of “dust refugees” left the black fog to seek better lives. But the storms stretched across the nation. They reached south to Texas and east to New York. Dust even sifted into the White House and onto the desk of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
On Capitol Hill, while testifying about the erosion problem, soil scientist Hugh Hammond Bennett threw back the curtains to reveal a sky blackened by dust. Congress unanimously passed legislation declaring soil and water conservation a national policy and priority. Since about three-fourths of the continental United States is privately owned, Congress realized that only active, voluntary support from landowners would guarantee the success of conservation work on private land. In 1937, President Roosevelt wrote the governors of all the states recommending legislation that would allow local landowners to form soil conservation districts. By July 1, 1945, all 48 states had passed district-enabling acts.​
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Who Do We Work With?
SWCDs work with individuals, private organizations, public entities, and more in the interest of protecting and conserving environmental and natural resources.
Specific examples of some agencies and organizations that SWCDs assist and the programs they assist with are as follows:
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Farm Bill Programs administered by NRCS including EQIP, WHIP, CSP and WRP
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Farm Bill Programs administered by FSA including CRP, CREP and SAFE (SWCDs currently hold over 1,200 CREP easements.)
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Landowner Incentive Program administered by US Fish and Wildlife Service
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Habitat and Forestry Management Programs administered by US forest Service
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Construction Permitting, Habitat Restoration and Land Treatment Programs administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers
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Storm Water Management, Watershed Planning, Water Quality Improvement and Protection and Construction Permitting Programs administered by US EPA
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Carbon Credit payments to landowners provided by CCX and various aggregators.
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Numerous grants and landowner payment programs administered by National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, Trees Forever, Ducks Unlimited, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education and other organizations.
Meet the Conservation Team
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