What Allegheny County Conservation District does

Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD) is a quasi-governmental county conservation district headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1949 to protect and improve local soil and water resources. The organization operates a regulatory-plus-grant-administration model organized around three program pillars: Protect (Chapter 102 NPDES and Chapter 105 stream encroachment permit review, livestock compliance), Restore (watershed assessment, agriculture and soils, Dirt Gravel and Low Volume Roads grants, Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program), and Preserve (Farmland Preservation via perpetual conservation easements). ACCD serves municipalities, farmers, developers, urban growers, and residents across Allegheny County through direct technical assistance, competitive grant programs, and self-service online permit submission.

ACCD's product surface combines regulatory software/workflows (Chapter 102/105 permit intake, review, and corrective action plans), grant management platforms (DGLVR, ACAP, Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant, Growing Greener), and data products (Impacts Atlas geospatial portal, ArcGIS StoryMaps, Stormwater Fee Calculator, Montour Run Watershed Assessment). The technology stack relies on ArcGIS-based geospatial visualization, XRF instrumentation for soil lead screening (953 samples processed in 2023), and web-based permit submission forms rather than a unified commercial SaaS architecture.

The business model is grant-funded and fee-based rather than commercial. ACCD does not have private equity, shareholders, or subscription revenue; funding flows from federal (USDA, NRCS, American Rescue Plan Act) and state (PA DEP Growing Greener, Clean Streams Fund) sources, supplemented by permit application review fees and modest donation revenue. Notable quantified outcomes include 4,223 acres of farmland preserved across 43 farms since 2002, $756,600 in 2024 DGLVR road projects, and $1.4M in 2024-2025 farm infrastructure partnership investment. Headcount is 11-50 employees led by Executive Director Heather Manzo.

Name

Allegheny County Conservation District

Legal name

Allegheny County Conservation District

Website

https://accdpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Allegheny County Conservation District is a quasi-governmental county conservation district in Pittsburgh, PA, administering Chapter 102/105 environmental permits, farmland preservation, watershed restoration, and grant programs (DGLVR, ACAP, Urban Grower) for municipalities, farmers, developers, and residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG), Conservation & Protected Land Brokerage (Easements, Land Trust Sales) (BPAJADAH), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

Keywords

• Environmental conservation services
• Stormwater permit review
• Agricultural conservation grants
• Watershed restoration programs
• Farmland preservation easements

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants Administration: ACCD administers various state and federal grant programs including Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Road (DGLVR) grants, Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), and Growing Greener grants. The organization distributes funds to eligible recipients while providing technical oversight.
2. Urban Grower Success Micro-Grants: USDA-funded micro-grants ranging from $500 to $8,000 for urban agriculture producers in Allegheny County, administered through partnership with multiple agricultural organizations.
3. Permit Application Review Fees: Review and processing of Chapter 102 (E&S/NPDES) and Chapter 105 stream encroachment permit applications from construction and development entities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Allegheny County Conservation District is a quasi-governmental county conservation district that provides regulatory permit review (Chapter 102 NPDES and Chapter 105 stream encroachment), administers state and federal conservation grant programs (DGLVR, ACAP, Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant, Growing Greener), preserves farmland through perpetual easements, delivers watershed restoration and stormwater best management practices, and runs environmental education programs for municipalities, farmers, developers, and residents of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Product overview

ACCD offers a portfolio of conservation programs organized around three pillars: Protect (regulatory permit programs for earth disturbance and stream activities), Restore (watershed improvement, agriculture conservation, and road improvement grants), and Preserve (farmland preservation). The core offerings include Chapter 102/105 regulatory permits, DGLVR and ACAP grant programs, Urban Soils Program, Farmland Preservation, and the Impacts Atlas data portal. These programs work together to provide municipalities, farmers, and residents with technical assistance, funding, and regulatory compliance tools for soil and water conservation in Allegheny County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant: A funding opportunity created in partnership with Grow Pittsburgh, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, Hilltop Urban Farm, Chatham University, and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council to support urban growers in Allegheny County with funding ranging from $500 to $8,000.
• Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP)
• Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Roads (DGLVR) Program

Products and services

• Chapter 102 Permit Program (NPDES) Erosion and sediment control regulatory program covering earth disturbance activities from 5,000 square feet to large-scale developments; provides NPDES permits for construction stormwater management. Required for construction and development projects in Allegheny County under PA Chapter 102.
• Chapter 105 Permit Program Regulatory program for activities impacting streams and wetlands, including fish habitat structures, docks, boat ramps, stream bank rehabilitation, utility crossings, and road crossings over waterways. Required for any project affecting streams or wetlands in Allegheny County under PA Chapter 105.
• Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Roads (DGLVR) Program Competitive grant program providing education, technical assistance and funding to municipalities and public road-owning entities to improve dirt, gravel, and low volume roads with environmentally sensitive maintenance practices. Recent awards include $320,350, $500,000, $756,600, $56,580, and $220,000. Application period June 1 - August 31, 2026.
• Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant Funding opportunity for urban farm businesses and community gardens in Allegheny County, with grants ranging from $500 to $8,000. Funds may be used for land acquisition, education, supplies, equipment, infrastructure, and soil health improvements. 70% advance payment available with partial reimbursement structure. Operated in partnership with Grow Pittsburgh, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, Hilltop Urban Farm, Chatham University, and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council; funded by USDA.
• Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) Grant program funding best management practices for farms including cover crops, spring development, waste storage facilities, and heavy use areas to reduce non-point source pollution in streams. $830,000 in grants announced for farms in Allegheny County over three years, funded by American Rescue Plan Act and Clean Streams Fund.
• Farmland Preservation Program Program preserving farmland in perpetuity through conservation easements, ensuring communities have access to locally produced food while protecting green spaces and biodiversity. Administered by ACCD and the Allegheny County Agricultural Lands Preservation Board (ACALPB) since 2002, with 4,223 acres preserved across 43 farms as of May 2024.
• Watershed Program Program focused on watershed assessment, implementation planning, water quality monitoring, and restoration efforts for streams throughout Allegheny County, including passive acid mine drainage treatment systems and riparian buffer restoration.
• Urban Soils Program Program providing soil lead screening using XRF analysis, technical assistance, and outreach to urban farmers, community gardeners, and residents on urban soil health and contaminant management. 953 soil samples screened in 2023, valued at approximately $28,590 in services.
• Envirothon Education Program Environmental education competition for high school students covering aquatic ecology, forestry, soil and land use, wildlife, and current environmental issues. Engages 115-135 students annually; Thomas Jefferson High School won the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Allegheny County Envirothon titles.
• Livestock Compliance and Regulations Program Regulatory program ensuring livestock operations comply with environmental regulations related to manure management and water quality protection, with technical assistance provided to farm operators.
• Impacts Atlas Geospatial Data Portal Online portal providing geospatial data and impact stories documenting ACCD's conservation work across Allegheny County, featuring ArcGIS StoryMaps visualization of projects, including farmland preservation, road improvements, watershed restoration, and stormwater best management practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Preserved over 4,223 acres of farmland across 43 farms in Allegheny County
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grow PittsburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Grow Pittsburgh for the Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant program to support urban growers in Allegheny County. Grow Pittsburgh provides expertise in urban agriculture and assists with application review committee.
• Pasa Sustainable AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant program, providing agricultural expertise and participating in application review committee.
• Hilltop Urban FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant program contributing urban agriculture expertise and representation on review committee.
• Chatham UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant program providing research and educational resources for urban agriculture initiatives.
• Pittsburgh Food Policy CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing technical assistance consultation for micro-grant applicants and participating in review committee. Contact: Jay Eury.
• Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partnering with ACCD on stream restoration projects including Jersey Settlement Farm where NRCS funded pipe removal and stream bed restoration.
• Western PA Spotted Lanternfly RoundtableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative of 13 organizations including Phipps Conservatory, Penn State Extension, Pittsburgh Botanical Garden, Allegheny County Parks, Audubon Society of Western PA, Tree Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Western PA Conservancy, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, PA Master Naturalists, Allegheny Land Trust, and Upstream Pittsburgh working on SLF management recommendations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Large regional nonprofit working on watershed restoration across the broader Chesapeake Bay watershed, which includes parts of PA. Adjacent in mission (water quality, agricultural BMPs, stormwater) but operates at multi-state scale rather than single county.

Direct peers

• Lancaster County Conservation District: One of the largest and most established PA county conservation districts, offering Chapter 102/105 permitting, ACAP, farmland preservation, and watershed programs. Highly comparable in mandate and structure, with a more agriculture-intensive county footprint.
• Westmoreland Conservation District: Adjacent Pennsylvania county conservation district that administers the same DGLVR, ACAP, Chapter 102/105 permit review, and farmland preservation programs for Westmoreland County. Directly comparable governance model, funding sources (PA DEP, NRCS, Growing Greener), and program mix.
• Washington County Conservation District: Pennsylvania county conservation district operating under identical state statutes, offering DGLVR grants, E&S permitting, ACAP, and watershed programs. Functionally a sibling organization serving an adjacent county in southwestern PA.
• Butler County Conservation District: Another PA county conservation district delivering the same regulatory (Chapter 102/105) and grant (DGLVR, ACAP) portfolio to a neighboring county. Comparable staff size, program structure, and funding mix.

Broad incumbents

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Federal agency that partners with ACCD on stream restoration and farm conservation projects (e.g., Jersey Settlement Farm). Overlaps substantively in mission and target audience (farmers, landowners) but operates at federal scale rather than county level.
• National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD): National nonprofit that represents the ~3,000 conservation districts across the U.S., including ACCD. Comparable mission of supporting locally-led conservation, but at a national advocacy and coordination level rather than direct program delivery.
• Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD): Statewide umbrella organization that channels state and federal conservation funding (including the Multifunctional Riparian Buffer Grant Program used by ACCD) to all 66 PA county conservation districts. Functions as a broader, statewide layer above ACCD's local delivery.

Emerging players

• Allegheny Land Trust: Local land trust operating in the same Allegheny County geography, focused on land conservation, trails, and habitat preservation. Overlaps with ACCD's preservation mission but functions as a nonprofit land steward rather than a regulatory authority.
• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: Regional nonprofit land trust focused on land conservation, watershed protection, and community green space in western PA. Comparable mission in habitat and water conservation but operates as a private nonprofit rather than a quasi-governmental district.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ACCDconservation
• Xx.com/ACCD_PA
• Facebookfacebook.com/accdpa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/allegheny-county-conservation-district

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 Allegheny County Conservation District