Washington Conservation District
Washington Conservation District is a Minnesota special-purpose local government that delivers free soil and water conservation services to Washington County residents, farmers, lake associations, schools, and municipalities, including Buffer Law enforcement, water-quality monitoring, habitat restoration, and education programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersOakdale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Washington Conservation District does
Washington Conservation District is a special-purpose unit of local government serving Washington County, Minnesota, mandated to conserve soil, water, and related natural resources. It delivers free technical guidance and on-site consultations to landowners, enforces Minnesota's Buffer Law on the County's behalf (a delegation accepted in October 2017), runs a county-scale water-quality monitoring program covering 80 lakes, 45 stream sites, and 32 observation wells, and administers habitat-restoration cost-share programs in coordination with the Minnesota DNR and the Minnesota Land Trust. Additional program lines include invasive species management, an annual community tree sale distributing 15,000-20,000 trees per year, and conservation education delivered to schools, lake associations, and the general public — most recently extended into Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.
The District's business model is public-sector: operating funds come primarily from Washington County property tax levies and state grant passthroughs (BWSR, Clean Water Fund), supplemented by nominal fees from the tree sale and partner cost-share reimbursements. It is a member of the Lower St. Croix Partnership, a coalition of 15 local governments coordinating watershed-scale conservation across the St. Croix River basin, which functions as both a service-delivery channel and a mechanism for accessing larger multi-jurisdictional grants. The entity is governance-constrained — its growth is bounded by county appropriations cycles and state policy rather than market demand — and it has no pricing power, commercial customers, or equity capital.
Washington Conservation District firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Washington Conservation District
- Legal name
- Washington Conservation District
- Website
- https://mnwcd.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Washington Conservation District is a Minnesota special-purpose local government that delivers free soil and water conservation services to Washington County residents, farmers, lake associations, schools, and municipalities, including Buffer Law enforcement, water-quality monitoring, habitat restoration, and education programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Washington Conservation District industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)
- SIC
- Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)
Keywords
Where Washington Conservation District is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Washington Conservation District business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Funding and Grants: Primary revenue from government appropriations and grant funding including Clean Water Fund grants, BWSR grants, and Washington County funding for specific programs like Aquatic Invasive Species prevention.
- Tree Sales: Annual tree sale program selling bare root seedlings to county landowners at low cost for conservation purposes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bare root tree seedlings sold in bundles of 25 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Washington Conservation District product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Washington Conservation District is a local government entity that delivers free technical guidance, conservation planning, water quality monitoring, habitat restoration support, invasive species prevention, and conservation education to Washington County, Minnesota residents and landowners. Its funded offerings include an annual tree sale of bare-root seedlings, free on-site conservation visits, multi-program grant administration, and regulatory coordination for the Minnesota Buffer Law. The district is supported by state appropriations, county funding, and grants such as the Clean Water Fund and BWSR.
Product overview
Washington Conservation District provides a portfolio of conservation services to Washington County, Minnesota landowners. The core offerings include technical assistance through free site visits, an annual Tree Sale distributing 15,000-20,000 bare root seedlings, comprehensive Water Monitoring of 80+ lakes and streams, Aquatic Invasive Species prevention with watercraft inspections, Habitat Restoration guidance, invasive species management, and educational programs through EMWREP. Financial assistance programs support landowners with grant funding for conservation projects. The district also enforces Minnesota Buffer Law compliance and manages groundwater protection initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Annual Tree Sale Annual sale of bare-root tree and shrub seedlings (in bundles of 25) sourced from the Minnesota DNR Nursery and Schumacher's Nursery & Berry Farm, sold to Washington County landowners at low cost for conservation uses including windbreaks, reforestation, erosion control, and wildlife habitat. Seedlings range from 5 to 24 inches in height at pickup. Orders are accepted online via PayPal.
- Free Conservation Site Visits Free on-site technical visits by WCD conservation staff to Washington County landowners, providing individualized guidance on conservation practices, habitat improvement, invasive species control, and natural resource management.
- Water Monitoring Program Annual field monitoring program that tracks lake levels, stream flow, water quality, water clarity, and aquatic health across approximately 80 lakes and 45 streams in Washington County, producing public data for informed lake and watershed management decisions.
- Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Watercraft inspections at public launches, early detection monitoring, rapid response planning, and education programs designed to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in Washington County lakes and rivers.
- Habitat Restoration Services Technical guidance and programming for wildlife habitat improvement on woodlands, farmlands, and residential properties in Washington County, including prairie restoration, tree planting, and habitat management planning.
- Conservation Education Programs Educational programming that includes EMWREP (East Metro Water Resource Education Program) resources, youth education, professional training, virtual tours, and suitcase-style community displays for schools, community events, and the general public.
- Minnesota Buffer Law Compliance Assistance Technical assistance, guidance, and enforcement coordination for landowners subject to the Minnesota Buffer Law, including 50-foot vegetated buffers along public waters (lakes, rivers, streams) and 16.5-foot buffers along public ditches.
- Groundwater Protection Program Groundwater monitoring, free well-screening clinics for residents, observation well data collection (32 wells read quarterly in partnership with MN DNR), and public education on groundwater conservation in Washington County.
- Invasive Species Management Control programs, technical guidance, and public education for invasive plants and noxious weeds in Washington County, including buckthorn, Palmer amaranth, Grecian foxglove, and other prohibited species, coordinated with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
- Conservation Financial Assistance Grant and cost-share program administration that connects Washington County landowners with state and federal conservation funding, including Clean Water Fund grants and BWSR-administered cost-share opportunities for on-the-ground conservation practices.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tree sale program distributes 15,000-20,000 trees annually to county landowners
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Washington Conservation District
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Washington Conservation District technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Washington Conservation District partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Washington CountycoreWashington County accepted enforcement responsibility for the Buffer Law in October 2017. County provides funding for Aquatic Invasive Species education and prevention efforts. WCD provides technical support for groundwater conservation and protection efforts as part of county water resources management.
- Lower St. Croix PartnershipcoreWCD is one of 15 local governments participating in implementation of the Lower St. Croix Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Jointly implements watershed-scale conservation projects.
- MN Land TrustminorPartnership for conservation easements on private lands. MN Land Trust holds conservation easements while WCD provides technical guidance to landowners.
- Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcescoreDNR is primary source for tree seedlings (DNR Nursery), provides invasive species regulations and guidance, trains WCD watercraft inspectors, and manages state observation well database that WCD contributes to.
- Water ConsortiumminorMonthly coordination meetings hosted by Washington County for water resource management coordination across agencies.
- Minnesota Well Owners OrganizationminorCo-hosts free well-screening clinics for area residents in partnership with Washington County and Minnesota Groundwater Association.
- Minnesota Groundwater AssociationminorCo-hosts free well-screening clinics for area residents in partnership with Washington County and Minnesota Well Owners Organization.
- Minnesota Department of AgriculturecoreRegulates noxious weeds in Minnesota. WCD coordinates with MDA for invasive species reporting and enforcement. MDA operates the Arrest the Pest program and oversees weed control regulations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Washington Conservation District competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anoka Conservation District: Neighboring Minnesota conservation district serving Anoka County with the same statutory mission, free site visits, tree sales, and Buffer Law compliance coordination. Directly comparable structure, funding mix, and service catalog.
- Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District: Minnesota SWCD serving adjacent Dakota County with conservation planning, cost-share programs, tree sales, and water quality monitoring. Near-identical operating model and customer base to WCD.
- Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District: Watershed district operating in the same region as WCD with overlapping water quality monitoring, AIS prevention, and grant-funded landowner programs. Highly comparable in mission and customer overlap.
- Lower St. Croix Partnership: Coalition of 15 local governments (including WCD) implementing the Lower St. Croix Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Direct collaborator with comparable multi-jurisdiction watershed planning function.
- Ramsey Conservation District: Conservation district serving Ramsey County, Minnesota, providing technical assistance, native plant sales, and urban conservation services under the same state statutory framework as WCD.
Broad incumbents
- The Nature Conservancy - Minnesota: Large national conservation organization active in Minnesota on habitat protection, water quality, and climate resilience. Overlapping mission with WCD at significantly larger scale and broader geography.
- Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR): State agency that oversees Minnesota's soil and water conservation districts (including WCD), administers the Clean Water Fund, and provides grant funding. Operates one governance layer above WCD.
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR): State agency that supplies tree seedlings to WCD's sale program, trains watercraft inspectors, regulates invasives, and hosts the state observation well database. Core upstream partner and partial functional overlap on conservation programs.
Others
- National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD): National membership association representing the 3,000+ conservation districts across the United States, including WCD's parent category. Provides policy advocacy, training, and grants to member districts.
Emerging players
- Minnesota Land Trust: Nonprofit land trust partnering with WCD on conservation easements for private lands in Washington County. Comparable mission of private-land conservation but nonprofit rather than government entity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Washington Conservation District social profiles
Digital presenceWashington Conservation District financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Washington Conservation District leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Washington Conservation District funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Washington Conservation District M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Washington Conservation District
What does Washington Conservation District do?
Washington Conservation District is a local government entity that delivers free technical guidance, conservation planning, water quality monitoring, habitat restoration support, invasive species prevention, and conservation education to Washington County, Minnesota residents and landowners. Its funded offerings include an annual tree sale of bare-root seedlings, free on-site conservation visits, multi-program grant administration, and regulatory coordination for the Minnesota Buffer Law. The district is supported by state appropriations, county funding, and grants such as the Clean Water Fund and BWSR.
Is Washington Conservation District a public or private company?
Washington Conservation District is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Washington Conservation District founded?
Washington Conservation District was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Washington Conservation District based?
Washington Conservation District is headquartered in Oakdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Washington Conservation District make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Funding and Grants are the primary driver. The others are tree Sales.
Who are Washington Conservation District's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anoka Conservation District, Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District, Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District, Lower St. Croix Partnership and Ramsey Conservation District. Broad incumbents are The Nature Conservancy - Minnesota, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is listed as an others. Minnesota Land Trust is listed as an emerging player.
Does Washington Conservation District have an API?
No public API is recorded for Washington Conservation District.
What industry is Washington Conservation District in?
Washington Conservation District's product category is Environmental Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAMAG, Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAA, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation. Its NAICS code is 92412 and its SIC code is 800.