Benton & Franklin Conservation Districts

What Benton & Franklin Conservation Districts does

Franklin Conservation District (FCD), operating jointly with Benton Conservation District as the Benton & Franklin Conservation Districts, is a legal subdivision of Washington State government established under RCW 89.08 to deliver voluntary, non-regulatory conservation programs across Franklin County's 1,242 square miles. FCD serves three primary customer segments: agricultural landowners (farmers, ranchers, all 12 active dairies in the county), K-12 schools and teachers (reaching 19,406 students via programs such as Wheat Week, Drain Rangers, and Salmon in the Classroom), and the general public (through stormwater awareness and Heritage Gardens programs).

The district's service portfolio spans landowner technical and financial assistance — including the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) administering Franklin County's 2018-approved Work Plan, Dairy Nutrient Management Plan certification, wildlife habitat development featuring a proprietary guzzler design, agricultural burn permit processing, and USDA-subsidized on-farm energy audits — alongside an environmental education curriculum library aligned with NGSS and Common Core standards. Operational technology is minimal: a Wix-hosted website, Smartsheet for contact forms, and Google Forms for registrations. Service delivery is conducted by approximately 10 staff members through direct office engagement at 1724 E. Superior Street, Pasco, on-site farm visits, school presentations, and statewide teacher workshops delivered via partnership with the Northwest Natural Resources Institute.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed and is generated primarily through Washington State Conservation Commission grants, USDA funding, and modest permit fees (e.g., $37.50 minimum for bale burn applications, $80 for orchard removal, $3.75 per acre for field burning). The district operates as a non-commercial governmental entity, governed by an elected and appointed board of supervisors, with no equity funding, M&A activity, or commercial revenue model. FCD is part of a 28-county VSP network across Washington and maintains strategic partnerships with USDA, Zero Emissions Northwest, the Native Plant Society's Columbia Basin Chapter, and four Tri-Cities municipalities.

Name

Benton & Franklin Conservation Districts

Legal name

Franklin Conservation District

Website

https://franklincd.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Franklin Conservation District is a Washington State governmental subdivision mandated by RCW 89.08 that delivers voluntary, non-regulatory conservation, education, and landowner assistance programs across Franklin County's 1,242 square miles, serving agricultural producers, K-12 schools, and residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Forest Ecosystem Services & Carbon/Conservation Programs (AFAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Soil conservation services
• Natural resource management
• Conservation education programs
• Agricultural technical assistance
• Watershed stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Pasco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Burn Permits: Fees for agricultural burn permits including field burns ($3.75 per acre), orchard pile burns ($80 minimum), and bale burns ($37.50 minimum application fee)
2. USDA Grant Programs: Subsidized energy audits (75% covered) and free renewables feasibility reviews through USDA grants for farmers and rural small businesses
3. VSP Cost-Share Programs: Financial incentives and cost-share assistance for agricultural landowners implementing conservation practices to protect critical areas
4. Grant-Funded Education Programs: Free teacher workshops and educational programs (Wheat Week, Drain Rangers) funded through grants and partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Benton & Franklin Conservation Districts are Washington State government subdivisions operating under RCW 89.08 to deliver conservation services, environmental education programs, and technical and financial assistance to agricultural landowners, schools, and the community within their jurisdictions.

Product overview

Franklin Conservation District offers a portfolio of environmental education programs and technical/financial services for landowners in Franklin County, WA. Core educational offerings include Drain Rangers (stormwater curriculum for grades 3-5), Jr. Drain Rangers (K-2), Wheat Week (hands-on science for grades 4-5), Salmon in the Classroom, and Teacher Workshops covering conservation curricula. Direct landowner services include Agricultural Burn Permits, Livestock/Dairy Nutrient Management Services, Wildlife Habitat Services, On-Farm Energy Audits (via USDA partnership), and the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) for protecting critical areas on agricultural lands. The Heritage Gardens program, delivered in partnership with Benton Conservation District, promotes native plant education and sustainable landscaping. These offerings operate as standalone programs coordinated through the district office rather than a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Services Program
• Environmental Education Programs Educational programming delivered to K-12 schools and community groups covering conservation, watershed, and natural resource topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19,406 students educated through Wheat Week program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Franklin CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Franklin County's VSP Work Plan was approved by the state in 2018; County enrolled in VSP process as one of 28 counties.
• Zero Emissions NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through ZENergy Partner program to offer subsidized on-farm energy audits (75% covered) and free renewables feasibility reviews for farmers and rural small businesses in Franklin and Spokane counties.
• Benton Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership for Heritage Gardens program; Benton Conservation District leads VSP implementation for Franklin County's neighboring county.
• Columbia Basin Chapter of the Native Plant SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote Heritage Gardens program featuring native plants and sustainable landscaping honoring Columbia River Basin heritage.
• Washington State Conservation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVSP managed at state level by SCC; Commission appoints two supervisors to FCD board; FCD is lead entity for Franklin County VSP administration.
• Northwest Natural Resources InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer teacher workshops across Washington, providing free clock hours for educators in natural resource conservation, protection, and sustainability.
• City of PascominorGTM or Marketing PartnerStormwater program sponsor; City promotes Only Rain Down the Drain campaign for stormwater pollution prevention.
• City of KennewickminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStormwater program sponsor; City promotes Only Rain Down the Drain campaign for stormwater pollution prevention.
• City of West RichlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStormwater program sponsor; City promotes Only Rain Down the Drain campaign for stormwater pollution prevention.
• City of RichlandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStormwater program sponsor; City promotes Only Rain Down the Drain campaign for stormwater pollution prevention.
• Washington Department of EcologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Drain Rangers stormwater education program; Promotes Only Rain Down the Drain campaign.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Federal agency providing farm-level conservation technical and financial assistance nationwide. Operates a broader, federally funded version of FCD's nutrient management, energy audit, and habitat programs, and is a direct funding source.

Direct peers

• King Conservation District: Washington's largest conservation district, offering a more developed, urban-edge version of the same RCW 89.08 service portfolio (habitat, farm planning, education, VSP) — useful for benchmarking FCD's operational maturity and service breadth.
• Thurston Conservation District: Washington conservation district delivering the full RCW 89.08 service set (VSP, burn permits, habitat, education) with comparable scale and a similar mix of agricultural and urban-edge constituents.
• Snohomish Conservation District: Another Washington conservation district under RCW 89.08 with closely matched services including landowner technical assistance, K-12 environmental education, and habitat programs.
• Benton Conservation District: Neighboring Washington conservation district explicitly partnered with FCD on Heritage Gardens and VSP implementation. Operates the same RCW 89.08 mandate, identical program mix (burn permits, livestock services, education), and shares staff coordination.
• Spokane Conservation District: Eastern Washington conservation district delivering the same RCW 89.08 mandate with agricultural burn permits, VSP coordination, K-12 education, and USDA energy audit partnerships — directly comparable operating model.
• Walla Walla County Conservation District: Regional peer conservation district in Washington providing the same landowner technical assistance, burn permits, VSP administration, and environmental education under the same statutory framework.

Others

• Zero Emissions Northwest: Named strategic partner delivering USDA-subsidized on-farm energy audits and renewables feasibility reviews alongside FCD in Franklin and Spokane counties — direct delivery peer in the energy audit program vertical.
• National Association of Conservation Districts: Umbrella membership organization representing the 3,000+ U.S. conservation districts; provides policy advocacy, training, and funding access relevant to FCD's operating context, though it does not deliver landowner services directly.

Regional players

• Washington State Conservation Commission: State-level agency that administers the VSP program, appoints FCD board members, and distributes state funding to all 28 VSP-enrolled counties — the principal funder and policy counterparty for FCD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/franklinconservationdistrict
• Instagraminstagram.com/franklinconservationdistrict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franklin-conservation-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Benton & Franklin Conservation Districts