About Polk County

Polk County first achieved Bird Friendly County status in 2020.
In 1956 the voters in Polk County decided to create the Polk County Conservation Board as a way to acquire, develop, and maintain areas devoted to conservation and public recreation. Polk County is home to 21 park and wildlife areas that are managed by the Polk County Conservation Board (PCCB). These parks amount to 14,000 acres throughout the county and are visited by more than 2.4 million people annually. The parks and wildlife areas protect hundreds of plant, animal, and insect species. Land acquisition for greenbelts and recreational trails is becoming a higher priority as the county’s population continues to grow. Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt is an example of this, growing from 1,621 acres in 1992 to over 8,000 today. Polk County Conservation (PCC) continues to look for new areas in the county to attain and develop.