What Marin County Resource Conservation District does

Marin Resource Conservation District (Marin RCD), established May 20, 1959, is a California special district government entity headquartered in Point Reyes Station. It serves approximately 250,000 acres across the Stemple, Walker, and Lagunitas creek watersheds in Marin County, providing voluntary, on-request financial and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, private landowners, tribal land managers, and streamside residents for sustainable stewardship of agricultural and natural lands.

Its program portfolio includes the Agricultural Project Application Program, Carbon Farming Program (which encompasses No-Till Drill Rental, Planning, Design and Implementation, and CDFA Healthy Soils assistance), Urban Streams Program, Conserving Our Watersheds (COW) Program, Marin Biomass Project, and CEQA/Permitting Program. Underlying activities span carbon farming, watershed management, stream restoration, biomass waste management, and conservation permitting. The organization has administered over $25 million in government and private foundation grants since 1983 and pioneered the first RCD-led climate-smart agriculture program in California.

Marin RCD operates a grant-funded, non-commercial model. Revenue derives from federal, state, and local government grants, private foundation grants, and tax-deductible donations (authorized under California Public Resources Code Section 9403 and IRS Section 170(c)(1)). There is no commercial product pricing; services are delivered at landowner request through direct technical and financial assistance. Go-to-market is sales-led in the sense of direct relationship management with landowners and grantors, supported by a quarterly newsletter, website, and earned media in local publications. Staffing is small (1-10 employees), with Nancy Scolari serving as Executive Director.

Name

Marin County Resource Conservation District

Legal name

Marin Resource Conservation District

Website

https://marinrcd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marin Resource Conservation District is a California special district government entity, founded in 1959, that delivers voluntary financial and technical conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers, landowners, and tribal land managers across approximately 250,000 acres of Marin County watersheds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation and Environmental Resource Management Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) Program Development & Administration (AFAMAMAF), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Land-Clearing Biomass Recovery (Right-of-Way, Site Clearing for Energy Use) (AFAMAGAN)

Keywords

• Conservation district services
• Watershed restoration programs
• Carbon farming assistance
• Agricultural land stewardship
• Soil and water conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Point Reyes Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Federal, state, and local government grants administered for conservation projects. Since 1983, over $25 million in government and private foundation grants have been administered.
2. Foundation Grants: Private foundation grants supporting watershed-wide ecosystem benefits such as increasing biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sequestering carbon and creating wildlife habitat.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible contributions authorized under California Public Resources Code Section 9403 and Internal Revenue Code Section 170(c)(1).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Marin Resource Conservation District is a government special district that delivers voluntary, grant-funded conservation services to farmers, ranchers, and landowners across approximately 250,000 acres of Marin County. Its offerings include technical and financial assistance for carbon farming, soil health, watershed stewardship, stream restoration, biomass waste management, no-till drill rental, and environmental permitting coordination, all delivered through direct landowner engagement rather than commercial sales.

Product overview

The Marin Resource Conservation District offers a portfolio of conservation programs and technical assistance services focused on environmental stewardship in Marin County. The core offerings include the Carbon Farming Program for soil health and climate resilience, the No-Till Drill Rental Program for sustainable agriculture, the Urban Streams Program for watershed restoration, the Conserving Our Watersheds (COW) Program for water quality, the Marin Biomass Project for organic waste management, and the CEQA and Permitting Program for environmental compliance. These programs work together to provide farmers, ranchers, and land managers with financial tools, technical expertise, and permitting assistance for sustainable land management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marin Biomass Project: Collaborative initiative managing biomass waste locally through composting, gasification, and co-pyrolysis facilities
• Marin Carbon Project

Products and services

• Agricultural Project Application Program A voluntary conservation program providing financial and technical assistance to help farmers, ranchers, and land managers steward agricultural and natural lands sustainably in Marin County.
• Carbon Farming Program Program supporting carbon farming projects that improve soil productivity, water sustainability, biological diversity, and greenhouse gas sequestration on ranches in western Marin County.
• No-Till Drill Rental Program Equipment rental program providing no-till drills to farmers and ranchers for sustainable soil management practices.
• Urban Streams Program Program helping streamside residents with watershed stewardship and restoration activities in Marin County.
• Conserving Our Watersheds (COW) Program Program focused on water quality improvement and watershed conservation across Marin County.
• Marin Biomass Project Collaborative initiative developing strategies for local biomass waste management, including composting, gasification, and co-pyrolysis facilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• CEQA and Permitting Program providing permit coordination services to help project proponents navigate environmental review and permitting requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 31,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions reduced per year through smarter biomass management
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership regarding ranch operations within Point Reyes National Seashore boundaries. Marin RCD supports reasonable settlement agreements that would enable relocation of affected dairies within the local Milkshed.
• Carbon Cycle InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sonoma-Marin Agriculture and County Climate Coalition for implementing carbon farming and climate-smart agriculture projects.
• Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in climate-smart agriculture initiatives and watershed restoration projects including Stemple Creek vegetation planting.
• UC Cooperative ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in grant application for climate smart agriculture funding, bringing research-based technical expertise to agricultural conservation.
• Gold Ridge Resource Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in regional carbon farming program development and grant applications for Sonoma and Marin counties.
• Agricultural Institute of MarinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in climate-smart agriculture coalition supporting sustainable agriculture in the region.
• MarinCANmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in climate action coalition for Marin County agricultural and climate initiatives.
• North Coast Soil HubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaborative partner for soil health initiatives and carbon farming programs.
• Point Blue Conservation SciencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner for conservation projects including STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed) program. Multiple contracts exceeding $900,000 for stream restoration and habitat enhancement.
• Federated Indians of Graton RancheriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal partner referenced in resource library for indigenous stewardship and cultural resource coordination.
• Point Reyes National SeashorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing coordination regarding ranch operations, settlement agreements, and watershed management within park boundaries.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD): The statewide membership association for California's RCDs. Functions as the industry body, providing advocacy, training, and coordination that directly affects the operating environment of every RCD including Marin RCD.

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National land conservation organization active across California that partners with local entities on land protection, climate resilience, and working-lands conservation. Pursues overlapping conservation objectives with a broader geographic and programmatic footprint.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): The federal counterpart agency providing funding and technical assistance for the same conservation practices (soil health, watershed restoration, climate-smart agriculture) that Marin RCD delivers at the local level. NRCS's national scale and funding authority make it the dominant incumbent in the shared mission space.
• The Nature Conservancy (California): Mutual partner on Point Reyes ranch operations and conservation policy. While TNC operates globally across many geographies, its California chapter pursues overlapping conservation, climate-smart agriculture, and working-lands objectives with comparable landowner-facing programs.

Direct peers

• Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District: The Sonoma County counterpart RCD and explicit collaborative partner in carbon farming and climate-smart agriculture grant applications. Operates under the same California RCD statutory framework and serves an immediately adjacent geography, making it the most direct functional peer.
• Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT): Core strategic partner working with Marin RCD on climate-smart agriculture, watershed restoration, and conservation easements across Marin County. Both organizations serve overlapping landowner segments with complementary land protection and stewardship tools.
• Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County: Another California RCD operating under the same statutory framework with parallel programs in carbon farming, watershed stewardship, and agricultural sustainability. Provides a useful model for the range of RCD scope and capacity across the state.
• Carbon Cycle Institute: Direct implementation partner in the Sonoma-Marin Agriculture and County Climate Coalition. Carbon Cycle Institute pioneered the carbon farming framework and is a co-developer of the same programs Marin RCD now operates in Marin County.
• Point Blue Conservation Science: Long-term partner with contracts exceeding $900,000 for stream restoration and the STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed) program. Delivers comparable landowner- and habitat-facing conservation science and implementation across the Bay Area and coastal California.
• Sonoma Resource Conservation District: Adjacent California RCD also working on carbon farming, climate-smart agriculture, and watershed programs in Sonoma County. A near-twin in mission, statutory authority, and landowner engagement model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marin County Resource Conservation District