Western Maryland Resource Conservation and Development

What it reported doing in 2024

In spring 2024 Western Maryland RC&D Councils Western Maryland Afforestation Program completed our largest planting year to date. We partnered with the Maryland Forest Service and 18 landowners to establish native forests on 178.9 acres of private and public land in Garrett Allegany Washington and Frederick Counties Maryland including 76.8 acres of new riparian buffer and plantings on 17.46 acres of formerly mined lands. In addition to providing wildlife habitat and water quality benefits in the local watersheds of western Maryland these plantings will improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay by reducing the flow of nutrients into the Bay. Estimated annual nutrient reductions achieved by these projects include 149.89 pounds of Phosphorus 5,210.52 pounds of Nitrogen and 320.46 tons of suspended solids. In partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Services Game Bird Program WMRC&D Council employs one full-time Natural Resources Technician Maddy Ondo and two seasonal technicians in support of the Maryland Wild Turkey Research Project. Beginning in late 2022 the project has sought to examine variation in female turkey survival and reproductive success in two study sites in Maryland one in western Maryland and one in the mid-lower eastern shore. The projects goal is to understand the causes of declining populations and broaden current understanding of turkey reproductive ecology in the Mid-Atlantic region. The project also investigates wild turkey disease in varying landscapes. This year turkey trapping occurred between January and April 2024 with a total of 314 total turkeys captured. 85 GPS radio-transmitters were deployed and the rest of the turkeys were leg-banded. Combined with turkeys surviving from 2023 turkeys captured in 2024 provided an excellent sample size at the start of nesting season which runs from April to July in Maryland. Technicians tracked each bird multiple times per week and collected an enormous amount of data. Over the course of 2023 WMRC&D Council partnered with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service in order to complete the Snaggy Mountain Shared Use Trail Bridge Replacement Project which consisted of the replacement of four existing wooden bridges in Potomac-Garrett State Forest with new fiberglass bridges rated for 10,000 lbs. GVW. The project area is situated between Swallow Falls and Herrington Manor State Parks two very popular parks that attract thousands of visitors each year. To complete the project WMRC&D coordinated with Maryland Forest Service to procure bridge removal engineering design build and construction management services. Each year the goal of the Western Maryland Reforestation Program is to implement native tree plantings on a large scale in order to provide the region with the associated benefits; including the improvement of the water quality of local watersheds and the Chesapeake.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 97.7%; rating input score 98
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -3.6%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.16; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.6%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.6% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.3% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings