Local rancher on state soil and water board
Llano County rancher Joe Freeman was elected to the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board on May 7, 2024. Courtesy photo
Llano County rancher Joe Freeman was elected to serve as a member of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board on May 7. The board administers soil and water conservation laws in Texas with the aim of protecting natural resources for future generations.
“I am honored to be elected to serve on the Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board to continue the admirable work of the agency and its mission to encourage the wise and productive use of natural resources across the state,” said Freeman in a media release.
Freeman was elected by directors who represent 43 different local soil and water conservation districts in the state board’s Area 2. It consists of 50 counties, including every county between Llano in the east and El Paso in the west.
He is one of six directors responsible for setting policy and distributing support to soil and water conservation districts across the state. He has served on the Llano County Conservation District board for 15 years and will continue to serve locally while on the state board.
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board members and local district directors must be actively involved in agriculture. Directors are elected by ranchers and farmers in their home districts. They then vote for state board members in their areas.
Freeman is a fifth-generation rancher with a cow/calf operation in Llano County. He is the founder and president of Cowboy Christmas for Kids in Llano and a member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the American Quarter Horse Association. He previously served as president of the Hill Country Livestock Raisers Association, Llano County Farm Bureau, and Llano County A&M Club.
The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board is governed by Title 31-Part 17 of the Texas Administrative Code, which outlines how the agency is organized and operates.