Franklin County Conservation celebrates six decades of success, growth

Today, Franklin County Conservation proudly oversees a number of recreational and natural resource areas that are a haven for hiking, hunting and educational opportunities to residents and visitors alike. But before accomplishments such as Mayne’s Grove and the Rolling Prairie Bike Trail, the board had to start small.
“When you start, it’s like “What are we supposed to do?’” said former director Dennis Carlson, who started with the department in 1971.
The Franklin County Conservation Board was first established in 1958 after the state passed a mandate in 1954 allowing individual counties to form their own board. Carlson said the department started with just a few city parks.
“A lot of them were just one acre parks,” he said. “So, when you start, what do you start with?”
As the department got its feet under it, the focus soon turned towards natural resource and recreation areas.
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