Protecting and improving water, soil, and other natural resources
Garrett Soil Conservation District
Important Announcements
New No-Till Drill is Here
The new no-till drill has arrived. To be added to the list to rent the drill in the spring call 301-501-5860 or email jeannie.frazeee@maryland.gov.
Receive Email Updates
To receive regular Farmer Updates by email please contact jeannie.frazee@maryland.gov to be added to the list.
Donations to Local Envirothon
The GSCD has donated training supply trunks to both the Southern and Northern Envirothon teams. Each trunk consists of equipment that will help students better study toward Envirothon competitions.
Trunks cost $1000 each but contain $1500 worth of supplies that our local students may not have access to otherwise.
The Fruit Tree and Bush Sale
Most Trees $21, Bushes $10
If you haven’t ordered your fruit trees and bushes in our low-cost sale, you may want to do so now. Some varieties are beginning to sell out.
All trees and bushes will be distributed in mid-April 2026.
There are a variety of heirlooms as well as some more current cultivars. All of the trees we are offering have been customized to the Garrett County and surrounding area climate and growing needs.
Apple, cherry, peach, plum, pear, paw-paw, and American persimmon trees are available. Bushes include: blueberry, raspberry, and elderberry. Profits help provide funds for outreach and other GSCD activities to help the District support local conservation.
Children's Newsletter
The District has created a Children’s newsletter that is available free of charge to any child or group that works with children.
The newsletter is 12 pages long and contains simple soil science and conservation facts in the form of stories, games, and activities. The newsletter is geared to elementary age.
To obtain printed copies, please email jeannie.frazee@maryland.gov. There is no charge.
GSCD 2026 Scholarship Open
The GSCD 2026 Scholarship IS OPEN. The District has plans to award two $1000 scholarships to Garrett County students that fit the criteria for 2026.
Please click the link below to learn more and to apply.
2026 Envirothon is Coming
The Garrett County Envirothon will be held in April at Camp Hickory.
Each year high school teams in the county train and compete in the areas of aquatics, soil, forestry, wildlife, and a secret special topic.
The winning team will compete in the Maryland State Envirothon Competition, which will be held in Garrett County in June.
Garrett Local Workgroup
The Garrett Local Workgroup for NRCS was held on Tuesday, August 20. Results generated by the group have been sent down state.
This year’s Workgroup did not have any funding attached. Instead, the meeting was used to obtain information to guide the creation of the new Farm Bill.
For Land Use Priorities, the group listed in order, livestock; grazing; forestry; Wildlife; and Cropland. Rank EQIP Categories for Garrett were 1. Livestock, 2. Grazing, 3. Forestry, 4. Wildlife, 5. Small Scale Farms, 6. Cropland, 7. Urban, 8. Energy, 9. Satellite Storage, and 9. Oysters.
The Top 5 Resources Concerns were determined to be: Degraded Plant Condition; Field Sediment, Nutrient and Pathogen Loss; Livestock Production Limitation; Storage and Handling of Pollutants; and Wind and Water Erosion.
The Group suggested keeping ACT NOW, AMA/EQIP Sign Up Combined, Early sign up, and Multiple Application sign up.
District Board of Supervisors Meetings
Regular meetings of the Garrett Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors will be held in person at the GSCD office on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
Anyone having an item to discuss with the Supervisors is invited to attend any of the meetings. Please click on the “Current Agenda” button for the meeting agenda. Note that the agenda will not be posted until several days ahead of the meeting.
Meetings will begin at 7:00 PM. All dates and times are subject to change if weather conditions, workload, or other factors make it necessary.
CURRENT AGENDA
Current Agenda will be posted several days ahead of each meeting.
The next Monthly Meeting of the Garrett Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Board Room in the Extension office, 1916 Maryland Hwy, Mt Lake Park. The meeting is open to the public.
Equipment Rentals
The District has a No-Till Drill available for rent. The rental fee for the Drill is $10 per acre. For more information, or to rent the drill, please call our office at 301-501-5886 or email jeannie.frazee@maryland.gov
The Lime Spreader is not available at this time.
New Equipment Rental Policy
Effective April 21, 2025, individuals renting the Drill must provide a credit card for payment prior to taking the Drill.
Once you are finished, the card will automatically be charged for your usage.
If the Drill is returned dirty or broken, there will be a $350 Cleaning & Maintenance fee charged to your card as well. You can avoid this fee easily by returning the Drill clean and in the same condition as when you picked it up.
E&S Review
For more information about Erosion and Sediment Review Fees, please visit the Erosion & Sediment Control page of this website.
Make sure you check out our “Announcements” tab in the top menu for more important updates.
Helping Local Farmers
Find out more about cost-share funding that is currently available. From high tunnels to fencing to storage and more, your District helps supports our agricultural community.
Helping the Local Community
Find out what the District is doing in our local community. Learn how the Garrett Soil Conservation District supports community education, 4-H, FFA, and more.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OUTREACH
GSC Newsletters
Keep informed about what is happening with the Garrett Soil Conservation District. Learn interesting facts. Find out what services are available to local farmers and community members.
Call 301-501-5886 or email jeannie.frazee@maryland.gov to be added to the list.
Want to Know More About What the District Has Been Doing?
Read about the impact that your Soil Conservation District has had on Garrett County.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook for all the latest. And please tell your friends about us too!
Photo Gallery
Want to see some great, old photographs from the county? Be sure to visit our Gallery, under the “Contact” tab and our old Oakland flood photos under “Education” > “County Dams”.
