Since 1945, the Rock Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) had served the community by coordinating technical and financial assistance for local landowners. In 1996 the SWCD formed a joint powers agreement with the Rock County Environmental Office to form the Rock County Land Management Office.
By combining the two offices the Land Management Office is able to provide landowners a one-stop-shop approach for information and assistance with all aspects of land use from compliance with state and local rules to conservation and environmental programs at the local level. Our office works with landowners to help them manage and protect land and water resources on all private lands.
By combining the two offices the Land Management Office is able to provide landowners a one-stop-shop approach for information and assistance with all aspects of land use from compliance with state and local rules to conservation and environmental programs at the local level. Our office works with landowners to help them manage and protect land and water resources on all private lands.
Assistance Provided to Rock County Residents:
- Promote and facilitate State and Federal conservation programs such as waterways, sediment basins, feedlots and stream bank erosion;
- Develop programs to protect and improve water quality, soil productivity, and wildlife habitat;
- Assist feedlot owners with permitting and environmental compliance;
- Tree planting and native grass seeding programs;
- Land use development through Planning and Zoning;
- Provide broad base data with a Geographic Information System;
- Restore and protect wetlands;
- Manage a solid waste, recycling and hazardous waste disposal program;
- Provide oversight and financing options for failing septic systems;
- Reach out to communities and schools to teach the value of natural resources and encourage conservation efforts.
Our Boards
Our office is given direction from two five-member, locally elected boards, the Rock SWCD Board of Supervisors as well as the Rock County Board of Commissioners. These two boards provide local input and oversight of conservation, environmental and land use programs within the County.
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Local PartnersPartnerships have been developed with local producer groups, sportsman’s clubs and the City of Luverne along with the counties that share the Rock River Watershed including Pipestone, Nobles, and Murray Counties to address water quality and conservation.
State PartnersWe have utilized resources from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resource, Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources, Minnesota Dept of Health and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to protect and conserve our natural resources.
Federal PartnersWe have leveraged federal resources from the USDA Natural Resources Center Service, the US Fish and Wildlife, the USDA Farm Service Agency and the US Army Corp of Engineers to offer a variety of cost-share programs and technical services to landowners.
Southwest Prairie Technical Service Area (SWPTSA):SWPTAS in an entity created by the 11 SWCD’s located in Southwest Minnesota. The SWPTSA provides increased technical capacity to its SWCD members through conservation engineering services to Rock, Cottonwood, Jackson, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Nobles, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood and Yellow Medicine Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The SWPTSA currently employs two staff members, Professional Engineer, Russell Hoogendoorn located in the Rock County Land Management Office, Senior Engineer Technician, Mike Skoglund located in the Murray County SWCD and Engineer Technician Jake Harrison located in the Lincoln County SWCD office. Workload priority is determined by the SWCD members and funds to support this program are provided through the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Nonpoint Engineering Assistance Program.
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