What Washington County Soil Conservation District does

Washington County Soil Conservation District (WCSCD) is a Maryland sub-state government entity headquartered at 1260 Maryland Avenue, Suite 101, Hagerstown, MD, that delivers soil, water, agricultural, urban, and natural-resource conservation services to landowners and land users in Washington County. Its mission is to provide leadership on conservation through education, information, financial incentives, and technical assistance. Operationally it runs two core service lines: Agricultural Services, encompassing conservation planning, technical design of Best Management Practices, and administration of Maryland Cover Crop, Manure Transport, Manure Injection, and federal/state cost-share programs delivered jointly with USDA-NRCS and Maryland Department of Agriculture staff co-located in the district office; and Urban Services, providing statutory plan review and approval for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plans, Sensitive Area Reviews, Forest Conservation, stream restoration oversight, and stormwater compliance under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maryland Department of the Environment. Supporting offerings include completed stream restoration projects on Beaver Creek and Black Rock Run, access to Web Soil Survey soils data, K-12 school outreach and Envirothon competition, tree-planting initiatives, and an annual Agriculture & Urban Awards program.

WCSCD is funded through a mix of per-transaction fees (e.g., $190 Soil Conservation Packet Review, with additional grading, sediment control, and sensitive area fees partially collected through Washington County Government), state appropriations administered through MDA, federal cost-share programs via USDA-NRCS, and project-specific grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its customer base is bifurcated between agricultural landowners/SMB farms (primary segment) and urban developers plus construction contractors (primary segment), with educational outreach to schools as a secondary channel. The organization's most differentiating capability is statutory plan-approval authority for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plans in Washington County, supplemented by embedded MDA and NRCS personnel and an extensive partnership network spanning Maryland DNR, watershed associations, county government, and the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts. WCSCD is governed by a board of supervisors chaired by Harry Strite, with Denise "Dee" Price serving as District Manager.

Name

Washington County Soil Conservation District

Legal name

Washington County Soil Conservation District

Website

https://conservationplace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Washington County Soil Conservation District is a Maryland sub-state government entity providing agricultural conservation planning, urban erosion/sediment control plan review, stream restoration, and K-12 environmental education to landowners, farmers, developers, and contractors in Washington County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Soil & Water Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

akta.pro primary industry

Soil Remediation (Excavation, Stabilization/Solidification, Thermal Desorption) (EUAIALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conservation Tillage & Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF, Compaction Reduction) (AFAGAMAJ)

Keywords

• Soil conservation services
• Erosion sediment control
• Agricultural conservation programs
• Watershed restoration services
• Stormwater management compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Hagerstown

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. Urban Program Fee Revenue: The Urban Program receives funding from fees charged for plan review and field services. Fee structures support plan reviews meeting Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, and conduct Pre-Construction Meetings, Interim Water Quality Inspections, and Final Site Closeout Reviews.
2. Federal/State Program Administration: Administration of Maryland Cover Crop Program, Manure Transport Program, Manure Injection Program, and other state cost-share programs. Revenue derived from program administration and cost-share financial assistance to landowners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Washington County Soil Conservation District is a Maryland state-government subdivision that delivers soil, water, agricultural, urban, and natural-resource conservation services to landowners and land users in Washington County. It provides conservation planning, technical design for Best Management Practices, administration of federal and state cost-share programs (Maryland Cover Crop, Manure Transport, Manure Injection), statutory plan review and approval for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control, field inspections, stream and watershed restoration, soils data access, and community/educational programs.

Product overview

Washington County Soil Conservation District provides a unified suite of conservation services organized into five core areas: Agriculture Services (including Cover Crop, Manure Transport, and Manure Injection programs), Urban Services (comprising plan review/approval for soil erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, forest conservation, and stream restoration), Stream Restoration projects (Beaver Creek, Black Rock Run), Soils Information resources, and Programs & Events (including awards, tree planting, and school outreach). The organization operates as a government agency providing technical assistance, plan review services, and educational programs rather than a commercial product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agriculture Services Conservation planning, technical design for Best Management Practices, and administration of Federal/State cost-share programs including the Maryland Cover Crop Program, Manure Transport Program, and Manure Injection Program for farmers and agricultural landowners in Washington County.
• Urban Services Statutory plan review and approval authority for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plans, Pre-Construction Meetings, Interim Water Quality Inspections, Final Site Closeout Reviews, Forest Conservation Program, Stream Restoration Program, and Pollinator Programs for developers, contractors, and landowners conducting construction, demolition, or earth-disturbance activity.
• Stream Restoration Restoration of streams and watersheds including Beaver Creek, Black Rock Run, and Antietam Creek projects to address erosion, habitat impacts, and water quality using techniques such as rock vanes, J-hooks, cross vanes, rootwads, and bioengineering stabilization.
• Soils Information Access to the Web Soil Survey database and county soil surveys providing soils data for planning and Sensitive Area Reviews.
• Tree Seedling Sale Seasonal tree seedling sales program for Washington County residents and landowners, with orders of 25 or more redirected to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources State Nursery.
• Tree Planting Program Educational tree planting programs for schools and community organizations in partnership with the Maryland Forest Service Tree-Mendous Maryland Program.
• School Outreach & Envirothon Conservation education programs for elementary through high school students including Freddy the Fish, Painting with Soils, Watershed Modeling, Soil Testing, Stream Study, and the Maryland Envirothon competition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 630 linear feet of Beaver Creek restored
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• Washington County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partner collecting certain plan review fees and field service fees on behalf of the district. District works with County Department of Planning & Zoning, Division of Environmental Management, Roads Department, and Board of Public Works on conservation projects and tree plantings.
• Maryland Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing Conservation Education Outreach Program for Small Horse Farms, Cover Crop Program administration, Manure Transport Program, Manure Injection Program, and Water Quality Cost Share Program. District staff include MDA employees.
• USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing agricultural programs and technical assistance. NRCS staff including District Conservationist work with the district on conservation planning and program delivery.
• Maryland Department of the EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency with Memorandum of Understanding with district to perform field services including Pre-Construction Meetings, Interim Water Quality Inspections, and Final Site Closeout Reviews. Partners on stormwater permits and dam safety.
• Antietam-Conococheague Watershed AllianceregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional watershed organization releasing the Antietam Creek Watershed Report Card (2025). Partners on watershed restoration planning and stream restoration projects.
• Beaver Creek Watershed AssociationregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal watershed association involved in stream restoration projects including the Barr Property and Jackson Property restoration areas.
• Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Tree-Mendous Maryland Program for tree purchases, forest service support, and forestry technical assistance. Partners on tree planting projects and forest conservation.
• Lions Club InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in Million Tree Planting Campaign. Local Lions Club members provided funding for trees via Maryland DNR Tree-Mendous Program and acted as project coordinators for Williamsport School Complex tree planting.
• Washington County Board of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on school outreach programs, tree plantings at Fountaindale Elementary, Williamsport School Complex, and Williamsport High School Earth Day celebrations.
• H.B. Mellott Estate, Inc.minorOthersDonated 500 tons of rock from their Beaver Creek Quarry for the Beaver Creek stream restoration project.
• Maryland Association of Soil Conservation DistrictsregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association supporting district operations and coordinating Envirothon competition and Farm Stewardship Certification Program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Frederick County Soil Conservation District: Neighboring Maryland Soil Conservation District with the same statutory mandate to review soil erosion and sediment control plans and deliver agricultural and urban conservation programs. Directly comparable in scope, funding structure, and service mix.
• Carroll County Soil Conservation District: Another Maryland SCD offering erosion/sediment plan review, cover crop administration, and stream restoration under the same state framework as WCSCD. Comparable in mandate, fee structure, and partner ecosystem (MDA, NRCS, MDE).
• Montgomery County Soil Conservation District: Larger Maryland SCD with overlapping urban and agricultural conservation responsibilities, including sediment control plan review and Best Management Practice implementation. Comparable statutory role with higher urban-development volume.
• Allegany County Soil Conservation District: Western Maryland SCD operating under the same Maryland statutory framework, providing erosion/sediment plan review, agricultural technical assistance, and watershed programs. Comparable mandate and rural/agricultural mix.

Broad incumbents

• Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts: State-level association that coordinates all 24 Maryland Soil Conservation Districts, including Envirothon, FSCAP certification, and legislative advocacy. Provides shared services and policy voice analogous to a parent or industry body for WCSCD.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Federal agency providing technical and financial assistance for conservation on private land. NRCS staff are embedded within WCSCD, and it is a core funding/technical partner. Overlaps in conservation planning and cost-share program delivery at national scale.
• Maryland Department of Agriculture: State agency administering the Cover Crop, Manure Transport, Manure Injection, and Water Quality Cost Share programs that WCSCD helps deliver. MDA staff are formally assigned to the District, making it a direct administrative and funding peer.

Others

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Regionally significant nonprofit focused on Chesapeake Bay restoration through advocacy, education, and on-the-ground restoration projects. Comparable mission in watershed protection and stream restoration but operates as a private nonprofit rather than a government district.
• Beaver Creek Watershed Association: Local watershed organization partnering with WCSCD on the Barr Property and Jackson Property stream restorations. Comparable mission in watershed health but operates as a volunteer nonprofit rather than a statutory authority.
• Antietam-Conococheague Watershed Alliance: Regional watershed alliance that partners with WCSCD on the 2025 Antietam Creek Watershed Report Card and restoration planning. Comparable focus on local water-quality monitoring and education, operating as a coalition rather than a government body.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wcscd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Washington County Soil Conservation District