$99,000 in Mini-grant Funds Available for Conservation Districts

Through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), each Pennsylvania conservation district is eligible for a mini-grant (up to $1,500 initially per district) to hold local Manure Management Manual and/or Agricultural Erosion & Sedimentation Plan workshops. These sessions would assist farmers in understanding compliance requirements and lead to development of a complete manure management plan and/or agricultural erosion & sedimentation plan.

Applications will be approved on an ongoing basis. Applicants should hear back within a week if their project is okay or if it needs fine tuning. These are non-competitive grants — we have $1,500 earmarked for each district. Grants pay for eligible expenses on a reimbursement basis.

The mini-grant application and guidelines are available here. The deadline to apply is January 26, 2018. Mini-grant activities must be completed, and final reports must be submitted, by May 25, 2018. No extensions will be granted. Contact Shannon Wehinger with questions.

Three free trainings on the Manure Management Manual will be held this winter. These “train the trainer” events are for new conservation district staff or those who attended this training in previous years and want a refresher. Click here or see the article below for more information. 

Financial support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant, the Clean Water Fund, and the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program (CBRAP).

 

 

 

On Wednesday October 11, 2017 Somerset Conservation District (SCD) held the Barron Project Field Day. The Barron Project consists of many stream corridor improvements and agricultural best management practices.

The Barron Project is located along Mountain View Road in Jefferson Township. Keith Barron is the farm operator. The project extends approximately 2200 linear feet along Laurel Hill Creek and approximately 660 linear feet along an unnamed tributary.

During the field day, J. B. Harrold, Grazing Specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, gave a detailed demonstration on several ways to provide water to livestock on rotationally grazed pastures. During the tour, the group was able to view photographs of the project site prior to construction.

The field day also included a riparian buffer tour. During the tour, SCD Watershed Specialist Greg Shustrick discussed the condition of the streambed and banks prior to the project. Large sections of stream bank had exposed soil, sloughing banks, and a mudladen stream bed, all of which were created by tree removal and mismanaged grazing practices. Shustrick talked about the species of trees and shrubs that were planted and how they are suited for the riparian setting, due to being able to withstand wet conditions, and eventually will provide shade for the stream.

Click here to read more about the project.

 

The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently awarded $1.1 million to regional organizations for a variety of recreational and conservation projects.

The money, from DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program, is part of $44 million awarded for a total of 266 projects throughout the state.

Clearfield County Conservation District received $50,000 for construction of approximately eight acres of riparian forest buffers along waterways in the Upper West Branch Susquehanna Watershed.

Work will include landowner outreach and engagement, buffer plantings, and post-planting establishment and other related site improvements.

Click here to read the entire article. 

Governor Tom Wolf announced that 106 projects to clean up local waters statewide, benefiting hundreds of communities, have been selected to receive funding through the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Growing Greener program.

Twenty-five conservation districts and PACD were among the recipients. They are:

Outside the Chesapeake Bay

• Armstrong County Conservation District, Pine Run stream restoration, $59,889; Agricultural best management practices to reduce sediment and nutrient loads to Spra Run, $110,096

• Berks County Conservation District, County agricultural best management practices implementation, $231,486
  
  
• Bucks County Conservation District, Dimple Creek Watershed water chestnut management project, $95,385

• Carbon County Conservation District, Nesquehoning Creek stabilization phase 3, $215,000
  
  
• Crawford County Conservation District, Agricultural Best Management Practice Cost Share Program, $263,343; Little Sugar Creek streambank stabilization, $79,368

• Greene County Conservation District, Browns Creek stabilization/best management practice implementation, $207,484

• Indiana County Conservation District, McKee Run streambank stabilization, $20,494

• Jefferson County Conservation District, Pine Run agricultural best management practices implementation, $486,580

• Mercer County Conservation District, Elder Run streambank stabilization, $40,247; Sandy Creek Watershed conservation project, $209,000

• Washington County Conservation District, Covered Bridge Meadow agricultural best management practices, $36,683

• Westmoreland County Conservation District, Murrysville stormwater basin retrofits, $64,620; Vandergrift CBD stormwater management phase 2, $5,000

In the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

• Berks County Conservation District, Creekside Stables erosion best management practices, $50,033; Dennis Bross Farm best management practices, $306,551

• Cambria County Conservation District, Glendale Lake shoreline stabilization project phase 5, $167,618; Northern Cambria flood control restoration project phase 2, $29,838

• Centre County Conservation District, Reducing pollution loads from Centre County farms, $702,147

• Cumberland County Conservation District, Agricultural best management practices, $289,813

• Cambria County Conservation District, Cherry Tree flood control restoration phase 2, $70,701

• Juniata County Conservation District, Lost Creek restoration phase 2, $116,028

• Luzerne County Conservation District, 2016 Agricultural best management practice projects, $318,000; Nescopeck Creek Watershed restoration efforts, $140,000 

• Lycoming County Conservation District, Agricultural and streambank best management practices, $214,984

• Montour County Conservation District, Chillisquaque Creek/Limestone Run restoration, $746,713

• Potter County Conservation District, Potter County streambank stabilization, $20,050

• Schuylkill Conservation District, Good Spring Creek floodplain restoration phase 1, $230,000; Swatara Creek floodplain restoration phase 1, $2,991,000

• Snyder County Conservation District, Snook barnyard improvement – lower lot, $163,840

• Susquehanna County Conservation District, Countywide spring developments, $71,808; Priority watershed spring developments, $32,651; Meshoppen Watershed barnyards, $38,328; Tunkhannock Creek Watershed barnyards, $170,000; Wyalusing Watershed barnyards, $180,000

• Tioga County Conservation District, Marsh Creek Watershed improvement, $60,389
  
  
• Wyoming County Conservation District, Freeman Farm manure and wastewater handling and storage, $134,650

Multi-County

• Armstrong Conservation District, Excitation emission matrix analysis water quality testing in Armstrong and Indiana Counties, $7,839
  
  
• Columbia County Conservation District, Multicounty soil health project, $409,465
  
  
• Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, CREP Outreach Program Office, $382,355

Click here to read more. 

Submitted by Susquehanna County Conservation District

The Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) held its 70th Anniversary Banquet with over 100 people from the community attending. The SCCD was created by County Commissioner proclamation on May 12, 1947. Since that day the SCCD has endeavored to conserve the soil and water of Susquehanna County.

During a delicious meal prepared by the staff of the VFW, a slide show of past pictures of district directors, district staff, cooperators, and projects reminded attendees of the the district’s past successes in conservation. In a short presentation, Dairy Princess Michayla Stahl and Alternate Princess Victoria Clark extolled the virtues of dairy products for good health. After the crowd moved to the upper level of the VFW banquet facility, District Manager Jim Garner narrated a PowerPoint timeline of the district’s 70 years. The banquet also featured two special guest speakers. Richard Fritsky, Wildlife Diversity Biologist with the PA Game Commission, spoke on owls, farming, and the PA Game Commission. Denise Coleman, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist, gave a presentation on Conserving Pennsylvania’s Private Lands. Each was well received by the audience.

After the speakers, the district honored several awardees for their contribution to conservation in Susquehanna County. Awards presented were:

• Envirothon Donors – Forest Lake Township, Bob Warriner (In Memory), Chief Oil & Gas, Repsol, and Bluestone Gathering
• Dirt and Gravel Road Cooperator – Apolacon Township
• No-Till Cooperator – Edward Chianese

At the close of the meeting, Emcee Jim Kessler disbursed the beautiful centerpieces and presented the speakers with a gift of maple syrup.

 

The Perry County Conservation District recently hosted their annual Land Judging Competition for students in grades 9-12. The event was held on November 1 at a local farm in Duncannon owned by district board member Ken Martz.

A total of 58 students were in attendance along with 20 agency staff, volunteers, teachers, and special guests who helped at the stations and participated in the award ceremony. Brie Hess of Greenwood High School took 3rd place, Jared Foster of West Perry High School took 2nd place, and Garrett Beal of West Perry High School took 1st place.

 

On October 17^th, several school classes from the Mt. Carmel and Shamokin area spent the day learning about local environmental issues and wrapped up the day by planting trees and shrubs along Quaker Run, a tributary to Shamokin Creek.  The event focused on teaching local students about local land use practices and their impacts on water quality.

The Kulpmont Borough partnered with Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance and Northumberland County Conservation District to organize the day long field trip educating students about water quality issues.

Click here to read more. 

On October 3, 2017, the Cumberland County Conservation District presented a check for $138,044.09 to the Penn Township Supervisors. This funding allowed the district to complete the Beetem Hollow Low Volume Road Project in Penn Township. Work included installing a box culvert, replacing a small stream crossing pipe, and allowing drainage. The funding was made possible with a Low Volume Roads Program grant.

Click here for photos and details on the project. Click here for a press release. 

The Monroe County Conservation District recently completed a Nonpoint Source Pollution Educational Mini-grant project. The district purchased a three-pan rain simulator to use during their outreach events. They educated the community on how nonpoint source pollution occurs and how vegetated soils can help prevent the pollution from making its way into our water.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

On Monday, October 9, 2017, Columbia County Conservation District and the Columbia-Montour Coalition for Source Water Protection held a “Good Water = Good Beer” event that featured brew master Don Abraczinskas from Turkey Hill Brewing Company discussing the importance of water source and mineral content in creating this much-loved beverage.

This followed the first successful “Good Water = Good Coffee” event the district held earlier this year.

Click here to view the event flyer.