Luzerne Conservation District

What Luzerne Conservation District does

Luzerne Conservation District is a county-level government conservation agency established in 1964 by the Luzerne County Commissioners at the request of local citizens to conserve soil, water, and related natural resources within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is one of 66 county conservation districts in the state and operates under delegated authority from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to administer the Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Program and the Chapter 92 NPDES permitting program. The district is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors (Public Directors, Farmer Directors, and a County Council member) and an 11-person staff comprising an Executive Director, Deputy Director, Conservation Coordinators, Specialists, a Technician, and an Office Administrator.

The district delivers its mandate through a portfolio of core programs: erosion and sediment pollution control and NPDES permitting (plan review, site inspections, complaint response); agricultural conservation (technical assistance and the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program funded through the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Fund, approximately $300,000 annually for Luzerne County); farmland preservation (conservation easements, administered jointly with the Luzerne County Farmland Preservation Board); watershed stewardship and stream projects; the Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Roads Program in partnership with Penn State; mosquito-borne disease control; and conservation education including the Envirothon student competition and summer camp scholarships. Distribution is primarily direct, through the Shavertown district office, on-site field consultations, phone/email, and GoToMeeting for public meetings, supplemented by an online payment portal for E&S service fees.

Revenue is derived principally from state government allocations (notably SCC for ACAP and Dirt/Gravel Roads programs and PA Department of Agriculture for farmland preservation), with a smaller transactional component from E&S plan review service fees and permit-related charges. The district also partners with USDA NRCS, PA DEP, PA Fish & Boat Commission, Larson Design Group, watershed associations, and the County Commissioners. There is no equity ownership, parent company, or commercial product platform — the entity is a public-sector service provider rather than a venture-backable business.

Name

Luzerne Conservation District

Legal name

Luzerne Conservation District

Website

https://luzernecd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Luzerne Conservation District is a county government agency in Pennsylvania that delivers regulatory permitting, agricultural conservation, farmland preservation, watershed stewardship, and environmental education services to farmers, municipalities, developers, and residents of Luzerne County under delegated state authority.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

Keywords

• Soil conservation services
• Erosion sediment control
• Watershed stewardship programs
• Agricultural conservation assistance
• Farmland preservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Shavertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Allocations: The district receives annual funding allocations from the State Conservation Commission (SCC) and Pennsylvania Clean Streams Fund. The SCC provides approximately $300,000 annually for the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) implementation in Luzerne County.
2. Service and Permit Fees: A service fee is charged for all plan reviews performed by the district for Erosion and Sediment Control Plans and NPDES permits. Fees apply for online payments (2.65% or $3.00 minimum for credit cards or $1.50 for electronic fund transfers).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Luzerne Conservation District is a county government agency that provides technical assistance, regulatory plan review and permitting, financial assistance administration, watershed restoration, farmland preservation, and conservation education programs for landowners, farmers, municipalities, developers, and the public within Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It administers the delegated PA DEP Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control and Chapter 92 NPDES programs, runs the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), the Dirt Gravel & Low Volume Roads program, mosquito-borne disease control, and stewardship projects.

Product overview

Luzerne Conservation District operates as a local government agency offering a portfolio of conservation service programs rather than a unified commercial product platform. The core programs include Erosion & Sediment Pollution Control/NPDES Permitting, Watershed Stewardship, Agricultural Conservation (with ACAP financial assistance), Farmland Preservation, Dirt/Gravel/Low Volume Roads, Mosquito-borne Disease Control, and Conservation Education/Outreach (including Envirothon). These programs work collaboratively to conserve land and water resources in Luzerne County through technical assistance, regulatory compliance, project coordination, and public education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Erosion & Sediment Pollution Control / NPDES Permitting Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Administered $300,000 annual ACAP funding for agricultural BMP implementation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1964Long-standing partnership to provide help to farmers in developing conservation plans. NRCS staff work with district staff to balance landowners' economic goals with natural environment needs. NRCS provides technical expertise and federal program support for conservation planning and BMP implementation.
• State Conservation Commission (SCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCC administers the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) and Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Roads Program, providing annual funding allocations to the district. SCC establishes program guidelines, design/construction standards, and funding formulas based on county-specific criteria.
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegated authority from PA DEP to administer Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Program and Chapter 92 NPDES Program. District conducts site inspections and reviews E&S Plans under DEP oversight. Participates in Individual NPDES Permitting Pilot Program.
• Penn State University Center for Dirt & Gravel Road StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with district on Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Roads Program. Provides environmentally sensitive maintenance (ESM) training and certification for municipal agencies. Develops program guidance and training materials.
• PA Fish & Boat CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in watershed stewardship and dirt/gravel roads programs. Collaborates on stream stabilization projects and provides technical input on aquatic resource protection.
• Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Farmland PreservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency overseeing county farmland preservation programs. Provides annual funding for easement purchases and requires state-level approval for each conservation easement. Sets program guidelines and eligibility requirements.
• Watershed Associations and Conservation GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistrict partners with and guides watershed associations and conservation groups throughout Luzerne County for watershed restoration projects and conservation coordination.
• Larson Design GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultant hired to aid in preparation of Countywide Action Plan for Clean Water. Serves as CCWAP Coordinator for Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Susquehanna Counties partnership project.
• Luzerne County and County CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished the district in 1964 at the request of local citizens. County provides support and administrative framework. District provides administrative support to Luzerne County Farmland Preservation Board.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: A nonprofit focused on Chesapeake Bay restoration — the watershed in which most of Luzerne County sits. Pursues overlapping objectives (water quality, agricultural BMPs, watershed stewardship) and frequently partners with or funds PA conservation districts.
• Stroud Water Research Center: A Pennsylvania-based freshwater research and education organization focused on stream and watershed health. Comparable to Luzerne's Watershed Stewardship and Conservation Education programs in mission and educational outreach.
• Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay: A regional nonprofit working on Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration, riparian buffers, and agricultural conservation — overlapping with Luzerne's watershed stewardship, stream stabilization, and ACAP-adjacent programming.
• The Nature Conservancy (Pennsylvania): A global conservation nonprofit with significant Pennsylvania operations on land protection, freshwater, and climate resilience. Comparable in mission to Luzerne's habitat, farmland, and watershed preservation programs but operates through private conservation transactions rather than regulatory delegation.

Broad incumbents

• Penn State Extension: The statewide extension service that delivers agricultural and environmental education, including farmer-facing technical assistance — comparable to Luzerne's farmer workshops, ag BMP technical assistance, and dirt/gravel road training programs.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): The federal conservation partner that co-delivers technical assistance and conservation planning alongside Luzerne. Operates a broader federal mandate for farmland and resource conservation but partners directly with the district on farmer-facing programs.
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: The state-level agency that delegates and oversees Luzerne's E&S/NPDES authority and ultimately sets program rules. Operates in the same regulatory space at a broader geographic scale and is the principal counterparty in Luzerne's delegated authority arrangement.

Direct peers

• Lancaster County Conservation District: A larger, more agriculturally intensive PA county conservation district running a comparable mix of ACAP, farmland preservation, E&S/NPDES, and watershed programs — directly comparable in scope, regulatory authority, and funding structure.
• Chester County Conservation District: Another Pennsylvania county conservation district operating under the same statutory framework (PA Code Chapter 102, NPDES delegation, ACAP) and delivering the same portfolio of agricultural, watershed, and erosion control services — making it the closest functional peer to Luzerne.

Regional players

• Susquehanna River Basin Commission: An interstate regulatory commission managing water resources across the Susquehanna Basin, which includes most of Luzerne County. Engages on overlapping watershed, water quality, and stream stabilization concerns though at a multi-state scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LUZERNECONSERVATIONDISTRICT
• Facebookfacebook.com/LuzerneConservationDistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/luzerne-conservation-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Luzerne Conservation District