Welcome to Johnson County Conservation Department Staff - Harry Graves


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The mission of the Johnson County Conservation Board is to improve the quality of natural resources and native species for Johnson County residents through programs emphasizing conservation of natural resources, conservation education, and natural resource based recreation.

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Meet Harry Graves - Director
Harry Graves
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“My kids sometimes refer to me as a ‘lifer’,” says Harry Graves, Director of the Johnson County Conservation Board. Considering he has been involved in county government as Conservation Director for more that 30 years there may be some validity to the moniker.

Harry started out as a History teacher after graduation from Northwest Missouri State University. A summer job with the fledgling Conservation Board in his native Decatur County proved to be what he describes as “sort of an epiphany experience” which convinced him that his true calling was in the conservation field. He felt he could make a difference.

Graves was hired as the first Director of the Decatur County Conservation Board that fall and spent the next eleven years developing the county’s park system. He also helped to acquire the land for the Little River Watershed Project.

In 1982 he accepted the Directorship of the Buchanan County Conservation Board. In that position, he was instrumental in bringing 14 natural areas, totaling 837 acres under the protection of the Conservation Board. The inauguration of an outstanding Environmental Education Program and the construction of the Fontana Interpretive Nature Center were some of the many goals Graves achieved during his service in Buchanan County.

In January 2001, he became the Director of the Johnson County Conservation Board. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly with is dedicated staff in the development of a quality Environmental Education Program, the establishment and restoration of prairies and wetlands and the enhancement of the county’s nine parks, conservation areas and river accesses. An additional 42 acres were recently added to F. W. Kent Park, the Johnson County Conservation Board’s 1,082 flagship park.

“The biggest challenges that we face today are funding and the relentless march of development in a county that is the second fastest growing and the fifth largest in the state,” said Graves.

He has been involved in a host of professional organizations over the years. Graves is a past president of the Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards and a former member of the Iowa State Association of Counties Board of Directors. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Johnson County Heritage Trust and the Johnson County Historical Society.

In his spare time, Graves spends time enjoying nature, gardening and reading. He and his wife Ellie have four grown children and four grandchildren. He has planted trees in honor of each of his grandchildren in F.W. Kent Park. Graves truly enjoys his work. “This work is the highlight of my life and I feel a great sense of pride in knowing that I have helped to make a difference.”