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Maryland Department of Agriculture

State Soil Conservation Committee​​​

Grey barn with silos on a hill above a field of green cover crops below a bright blue sky

Next meeting

  • The State Soil Conservation Committee will meet​ ​on July 16, 2026 from 9:30 AM-11:30 AM at MDA Headquarters, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401. 

  • For those interested in attending virtually, please contact [email protected]

About the State Soil Conservation Committee

Statutory authority

Agriculture Article, Maryland Annotated Code §§ 8-101 - 8-205.  ​

Read the Soil Conservation Article - PDF

Vision

A cadre of pro-active soil conservation district leaders working with cooperating agencies to address natural resource issues and deliver programs to farmers, landowners, and others to achieve local, state, and federal environmental and economic goals.

Mission

To provide leadership statewide, guide and direct the Maryland Department of Agriculture and coordinate among represented agencies and others in matters related to soil conservation and water quality policy and program development to ensure environmental goals are met with programs that are economically, technically, and socially feasible.  

Primary function

State Soil Conservation Committee (SSCC) authority allows it to adopt regulations, manage and dispose of federal grants, provide funds and staff to soil conservation districts (SCDs), advise SCDs and MDA, and provide information and education.  

Since 1984 with the formation of the Office of Resource Conservation at MDA, the SSCC role has mainly been to make recommendations to MDA on programs and policies related to soil conservation and water quality, provide information, and facilitate interchange and coordination among a network of local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, the SSCC has the critical task of appointing 4 of the 5 supervisor positions on each of Maryland's 23 SCD Boards of Supervisors. More information on the Boards and the application process is available under the Supervisor Information section ​below.​

Meeting schedule

The committee meets the third Thursday of every month from 9:30 AM-11:30 AM. Members will be notified in advance of any changes to the meeting time or location.

See attendance guidance for SSCC members - PDF - 51.07 KB

State Soil Conservation Committee meeting minutes

View all meeting minutes

Voting members

  • R. Van Funk, Jr., Chair, Central Maryland (Area 4)
  • Amy Posey, Southern Maryland (Area 2)
  • Steve Freeman, Upper Eastern Shore (Area 3)
  • Diane Flickinger, Western Maryland (Area 1)
  • Anne-Meredith Webster, Lower Eastern Shore (Area 5)
  • Hans Schmidt, MD Department of Agriculture (ex-officio)
  • Robert Feldt, MD Department of Natural Resources (ex-officio)
  • Gregorio Sandi, MD Department of the Environment (ex-officio)
  • Dr. Darren H. Jarboe, University of Maryland Extension (ex-officio)
  • John Swaine, III, MD Association of Soil Conservation Districts (ex-officio)
  • Gordon Kretser, (Agricultural Commission Representative) 

Non-voting advisory members

  • Suzy Daubert​, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (ex-officio)
  • George Turner, USDA Farm Service Agency ​

​​Supervisor information​

Identified spokesperson for media or public speaking engagements

Contact us for more information