Downstream Strategies

What Downstream Strategies does

Downstream Strategies is a private environmental and economic development consulting firm headquartered in Morgantown, West Virginia, with additional offices in Davis and Lewisburg. Founded in 2004, the firm delivers a broad portfolio of science-based consulting services to government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector clients, with a primary geographic focus on Appalachia and select engagements across at least eight U.S. states.

The firm's core technical platform is built on GIS and geospatial analysis, from which it develops custom decision-support systems and web-mapping applications. Notable proprietary tools include the MUB Monitor (source water protection and chemical-spill response for the Morgantown Utility Board), the Fish Habitat Decision Support Tool, and the Central Appalachian Mine Reforestation Assessment (CAMRA) tool, which uses satellite imagery and a mathematical model to monitor surface coal mine reclamation since 1984. Service lines span environmental due diligence (ASTM Phase I/II ESAs), environmental monitoring, brownfields redevelopment, expert testimony and litigation support, stream and wetland restoration, grant writing, landscape architecture, green infrastructure, trail planning, and food system planning.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements with custom, quote-based pricing and multi-year contracts. The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct engagement, referrals, thought-leadership content (blog), and a small social media presence. The firm is privately held by its principals with no disclosed external investment, and growth is closely tied to federal and state grant programs (AMLER, EPA Brownfields, ARC POWER+, USDA Rural Development) that fund much of its downstream client work.

Name

Downstream Strategies

Legal name

Downstream Strategies

Website

https://downstreamstrategies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Downstream Strategies is a West Virginia-based environmental and economic development consulting firm that delivers GIS-enabled site assessments, brownfields redevelopment, grant writing, and decision-support tools to government, nonprofit, and private clients across Appalachia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Support Activities for Mining (2131), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydropower Environmental & Fish Passage Solutions (EUACAEAJ), Corporate & Voluntary Procurement Policy (PPAs, Green Tariffs, 24/7 CFE) (EUAMANAH)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• Geospatial analysis
• Grant writing services
• Brownfields redevelopment
• Stream restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Morgantown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including environmental assessments, remediation planning, stream restoration, landscape architecture, and technical environmental analysis. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with government agencies, nonprofits, and private sector clients.
2. Grant Writing Services: Assists clients in developing and submitting funding applications for federal, state, and private grant programs including EPA Brownfields grants, ARC POWER+, AMLER Program grants, and USDA Rural Development grants. The firm secures and manages grants on behalf of clients.
3. Expert Testimony and Litigation Support: Provides expert witnesses, expert reports, and written/oral testimony for environmental litigation cases involving water, soil, air, and dust contamination. Services include both fact and expert witness testimony in federal and state court.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Downstream Strategies is an environmental and economic development consulting firm delivering science-based services to government agencies, nonprofits, and private sector clients across Appalachia. Core offerings include environmental site assessments, environmental monitoring, brownfields redevelopment, geospatial analysis, grant writing, expert testimony, stream and wetland restoration, and community/economic planning. The firm also develops custom decision support tools such as the MUB Monitor, Fish Habitat Decision Support Tool, and CAMRA Tool built on GIS platforms.

Product overview

Downstream Strategies is an environmental and economic development consulting firm offering a portfolio of science-based consulting services rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings center on Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Due Diligence, Expert Testimony and Litigation Support, and Geospatial Analysis paired with custom Decision Support Systems. Notable named tools include the MUB Monitor (source water protection and spill response), Fish Habitat Decision Support Tool, and Central Appalachian Mine Reforestation Assessment (CAMRA) Tool—all built on GIS platforms. Community-facing services span Redevelopment, Grant Writing, Green Infrastructure, Landscape Architecture Design, Trail Planning, Food System Planning, and Outreach and Engagement. These services are delivered as consulting engagements rather than packaged software products, with outputs including assessments, reports, plans, web maps, and Story Maps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Decision Support Systems Custom-built decision support tools that streamline data gathering and simplify analysis of complex processes across applications including drinking water protection, conservation prioritization, land use planning, and community planning.
• Geospatial Analysis GIS and geospatial technology services including data and tool development, custom cartography, web-mapping applications, environmental modeling, and spatial analysis for ecological, watershed, geologic, and hydrologic applications.
• Environmental Monitoring Technical field services for assessing air, soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater quality, including ecological population health assessments with certified sampling protocols such as drinking water, surface water, groundwater testing, and PFAS monitoring.
• Environmental Due Diligence Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments conducted by qualified professionals in accordance with ASTM standards and the All Appropriate Inquiries Rule (40 CFR Part 312), including non-scope services for asbestos, mold, wetlands, and threatened species.
• Expert Testimony and Litigation Support Expert testimony, litigation support, and subject-matter expertise for environmental issues involving water, soil, air, and dust contamination, including NPDES permits, SMCRA mining permits, and public service commission matters, provided in federal and state court.
• Redevelopment Brownfields assessment and redevelopment services, project implementation and management, and mine land reuse planning to transform contaminated or underutilized properties into productive community assets.
• Science-Based Planning Planning services for water resources, energy analysis, and climate mitigation including watershed-based plans, source water protection, alternative energy futures, and greenhouse gas inventories.
• Renewable Energy Analysis Analysis of energy markets and impacts of energy development on economies and the environment, including policy analysis, fuel assessments, ecosystem services valuation, and distributed energy feasibility studies.
• Stream and Wetland Restoration Full-service environmental consulting for low-risk stream and wetland restoration projects including grant writing, assessment and delineation, restoration planning and design, implementation, and long-term monitoring.
• Economic and Demographic Analysis Economic impact analysis, project feasibility studies, economic benchmarking, and regional profiles providing clarity on factors impacting economic activities and regional competitiveness.
• Community and Land Use Planning Wide-ranging planning services including community revitalization, recreation and tourism planning, land use planning, and strategic planning with inclusive processes and practical deliverables.
• Food System Planning Feasibility assessments, food system assessments, business planning, and market analyses for food and agriculture projects at community and regional scales.
• Grant Writing Grant writing services for brownfields, ARC POWER+, Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER), USDA Rural Development, and private foundations to secure funding for environmental and economic development projects.
• Green Infrastructure Integration of natural processes into developed landscapes using vegetation and soil for stormwater management, biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation, and urban aesthetics enhancement, including stormwater design-build projects and bioremediation.
• Landscape Architecture Design Sustainable landscape design services including site analysis and planning, conceptual and detailed designs for parks, gardens, and urban spaces, using CAD, GIS, and 3D modeling software.
• Outreach and Engagement Public facilitation, stakeholder surveys, multimedia applications, and education and training resources to facilitate community collaborations and communicate complex science.
• Trail Planning and Construction Sustainable trail planning and construction services for multi-use trails and campsites, specializing in environmentally friendly trails that create community focal points and economic benefits.
• MUB Monitor Web-based decision-support tool integrated with Morgantown Utility Board's source water protection program that manages risks from potential contaminant sources upstream from drinking water intakes and enables real-time response to chemical spills.

Named customers10 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Brownfields Assistance CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Working with the Northern Brownfields Assistance Center on the All Aboard Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative to attract new business, lodging, and recreational opportunities to riverfront main streets in Grafton, West Virginia and other rural communities by redeveloping industrial legacy sites.
• Friends of the CheatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Since 2019, Downstream Strategies has partnered with Friends of the Cheat to spearhead efforts to develop the Mountaineer Trail Network and its governing body, the Mountaineer Trail Network Recreation Authority, from concept into reality. The partnership focuses on regional trail network development in West Virginia.
• West Virginia University Pollution Prevention (P2) TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDownstream Strategies is partnering with WVU P2 Team to connect small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies in West Virginia with free pollution prevention assessments. The partnership helps businesses save energy, cut costs, and reduce environmental impact through assessments in pollution prevention, process redesign, chemical substitutes, energy efficiency, and innovative sustainability solutions.
• Appalachian Regional CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Opportunity Appalachia program, the Appalachian Regional Commission connects up to $150 million in capital investments to Central Appalachian community projects. Downstream Strategies provides technical assistance to coal-impacted communities as part of this initiative.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies - Global Just Transition NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoey James, Principal at Downstream Strategies, participated in the Global Just Transition Network to share experience working on economic transition initiatives on former mine sites and coal communities. The Network builds transnational peer-to-peer relationships between fossil fuel-dependent communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: Global environmental and engineering consulting firm. Broad incumbent offering water, environmental, and energy consulting that overlaps with nearly all of Downstream Strategies' service lines.
• AECOM: Large multinational professional services firm with a substantial environment, water, and community development practice. Overlaps broadly with Downstream's environmental consulting and brownfields work.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): World's largest pure-play environmental consultancy. Comparable across environmental due diligence, site assessment, remediation planning, and sustainability services.
• Michael Baker International: Large engineering and consulting firm with a sizable environmental practice. Overlaps in environmental due diligence, water resources, brownfields, and infrastructure-related community development.
• Stantec: Global engineering and environmental consultancy. Provides direct overlap with brownfields, environmental site assessment, water resources, and community planning services.

Direct peers

• GAI Consultants: Mid-sized engineering and environmental consulting firm headquartered in Pennsylvania serving the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachia. Closest comparable in scale, geography, and mix of environmental/community development services.
• Civil & Environmental Consultants (CEC): Mid-size environmental and engineering firm with strong presence in the eastern U.S. Closely matches Downstream's service portfolio in environmental due diligence, remediation, water resources, and community planning.
• VHB: Mid-sized engineering, planning, and environmental science firm on the U.S. East Coast. Comparable in environmental site assessment, brownfields, geospatial analysis, and community planning.
• EA Engineering, Science, and Technology: Mid-size environmental and engineering consulting firm focused on water resources, contaminated site assessment, and ecological restoration. Direct overlap with Downstream's environmental monitoring and stream/wetland restoration work.
• AKRF: Mid-size environmental, planning, and engineering firm on the East Coast. Comparable in environmental due diligence, brownfields redevelopment, landscape architecture, and community planning.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DownstreamStrat
• Facebookfacebook.com/DownstreamStrat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1372725

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Downstream Strategies