FY2025 Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets

FY2025 Proposed Budget Organizational Budgets

Independent Agencies

Soil Conservation Mission Statement

Our mission is to oversee soil & water conservation in agricultural sectors & urban areas in Frederick County, Maryland by developing soil conservation and water quality plans and providing assistance to landowners to install best management practices.

The Catoctin / Frederick Soil Conservation Districts (SCDs) provide conservation planning and engineering assistance to landowners and farmers to address existing resource concerns on farms through the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs). The SCD also facilitates Federal and State programs that provide financial assistance to support the installation of these BMPs. Federal programs include the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP),

Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). State Programs include the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program (MACS), the Maryland Cover Crop program, the Conservation Buffer Initiative Project incentivizing stream buffers, and an RCPP grant focusing on addressing manure storage on dairy farms. The Maryland Cover Crop program helps to offset the seed, labor and equipment costs associated with planting fall crops to control erosion, recycle unused plant nutrients, build soil health and protect water quality. Frederick County farmers enroll approximately 30,000 acres annually. Additionally, the SCD develops conservation plans that are utilized as part of State and County assessments of applications for land preservation programs including the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, the Frederick County Land Preservation Program and the Rural Legacy Program.

The SCD reviews erosion and sediment control plans for all construction projects in Frederick County. The SCD is also responsible for the review and approval of small ponds which include sediment control and stormwater ponds. The review of stormwater ponds supports the counties efforts toward meeting its National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS-4) permit goals. The SCD strives to host outreach events and bring new technology to Frederick County farmers. Recent activities include hosting a Soil Smart Farm Day in cooperation with the Frederick County Farm Bureau and Farm Credit to introduce local and state legislators to the methods farmers are implementing toward improving soil health; hosting the third annual Digging Deeper into Soil Health, featuring Dale Strickler of Regenerative Wisdom who spoke to a crowd of 150 farmers and agency personnel about building climate resiliency into cropping rotations and the economics and soil health benefits of livestock integration on crop ground; and introducing the importance of and concepts for building soil health to county youth through outreach efforts at the Great Frederick Fair and participation in Harvest Days at the Sabillasville Environmental School.

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