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Hello partners for water quality!
We have much news to share on progress by state, local, and sector partners to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution and improve water quality in Pennsylvania’s share of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
For more details on the Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan and Countywide Action Planning, visit the Phase 3 WIP website. For a broader educational look at nutrient and sediment pollution in local streams, rivers, and lakes in the watershed, including tips and success stories, visit Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities. Please consider how you might join in or help support this work. Check out each county’s Phase 3 WIP Countywide Action Plan and make connections with your county team! Also, please share this newsletter with your networks and encourage them to subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
— DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management
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DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management (BWRNSM)
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Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management Management Updates
On August 27, 2024, DEP Executive Deputy Secretary Ramez Ziadeh announced that Jill Whitcomb, Director, Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management, will serve as Acting Deputy Secretary of DEP’s Office of Water Programs, effective immediately.
Whitcomb possesses ten years of experience within the Office of Water Programs and prior service with the Lancaster County Conservation District. Whitcomb has a master’s degree in Environmental Pollution Control from Penn State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Lebanon Valley College.
Carl DeLuca, Program Manager of DEP BWRNSM’s Nonpoint Source Division, will serve as Acting BWRNSM Director, and Kate Bresaw, Chief of DEP BWRNSM’s Agriculture Compliance Section, will serve as Acting Nonpoint Source Division Program Manager.
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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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DEP Accepting Applications for Environmental Education Projects
DEP’s 2025 Environmental Education Grants Program is accepting applications through November 15, 2024. Up to $1,000,000 in funds may be awarded for projects that educate people about clean water and climate change, especially projects that focus on environmental justice areas. Eligible applicants include schools, colleges, nonprofit community and environmental organizations, county conservation districts, and businesses.
Projects with a local focus may receive up to $5,000, and regional or statewide initiatives may receive up to $30,000. Projects that engage students and teachers from at least 60 Pennsylvania counties at three levels, local, state, and national, may be awarded up to $65,000. Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis. Projects must be implemented during the period of July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026.
“Environmental Education grants are some of the best ways to teach people about the water they drink and the air they breathe. The projects that these grants support strengthen the bonds between people and their environment so they are able to make informed decisions and take responsible actions for their communities,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These projects are especially important to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution.”
Many of last year’s awardees supported people in environmental justice communities, communities composed of Pennsylvanians that are more threatened by climate change, air pollution, and water pollution.
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $23.8 Million in Grants to Support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Efforts
On September 4, 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $23.8 million in Small Watershed Grants to support Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration efforts. The 56 grant awards will support water quality improvement, habitat restoration, and community stewardship efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The grants were awarded through the Small Watershed Grants (SWG) program, a key funding mechanism of the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership designed to support projects within the Chesapeake Bay watershed that promote voluntary, community-based efforts to protect and restore the diverse and vital habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams. Major funding for these awards is provided by EPA, with additional support provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS), U.S. Forest Service, and Altria Group.
One of the award winners highlighted from Pennsylvania was WeConservePA receiving $360,000, which will provide Pennsylvania land trusts with financial assistance to conduct planning work and cover transaction fees in support of conservation easements, ensuring quality legal, title, survey, and baseline documentation work crucial for easements to protect water quality and deliver conservation value in perpetuity.
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Shapiro Administration Announces $9.9 Million to Protect 30 Farms in 14 Counties from Future Development
On August 12, 2024, the Shapiro Administration announced the investment of more than $9.9 million to purchase development rights for 2,654 acres on 30 farms in 14 counties to protect them from future residential or commercial development. These conservation easement purchases ensure that Pennsylvania farmers will have the quality land they need to continue supporting families, communities, and jobs in the future. By selling development rights, farm owners ensure that their farms will remain productive farms and never be sold to developers. Counties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed receiving this investment include Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lycoming, Susquehanna, and York.
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Shapiro Administration Invests $1.5 Million for Research to Support Agricultural Industry Work to Tackle Complex Climate, Conservation Challenges on Farms
On September 4, 2024, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) Secretary Russell Redding announced nine recipients of new grants investing $1.5 million in research to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges like climate change, air quality, and loss of critical water and soil resources. Highlighted projects relevant to Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration efforts include Pennsylvania State University’s $146,000 award for a statewide project to gather data to educate farmers on low- and high- risk areas in fields to effectively target measures to reduce run-off, increase water and soil quality, and retain nutrients in crops. Additionally, the Stroud Water Research Center received $133,000 to quantify the climate benefits and effectiveness of best management practices funded by Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) and Conservation Excellence Grants (CEG).
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$1 Million in Federal Grants to Support Stroud Water Research Center Tree-Planting Efforts
As part of a larger $5 million effort funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), $1 million of funding, combined with a $540,000 matching fund contribution from the Chester County Conservation District, is supporting tree plantings and livestock fencing in addition to work already started in 2023 by the Stroud Water Research Center. The total work will include 300 acres of streamside plantings across 60 sites. The latest $1 million round of funds will support tree-planting and livestock-fencing efforts on at least six farms targeting farms in Lancaster, Lebanon, Berks, Chester, and Bradford counties (the majority of farms are expected to be in Lancaster County) to filter harmful runoff before it hits local waterways. Maintenance work will continue past 2026, as Stroud has committed to providing three years of assistance to participating landowners to improve tree survival rates.
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Stroud Water Research Center installed this streamside tree planting in East Earl, in spring 2024 as part of a multi-year, $5 million effort to reduce harmful runoff from local farms (Photo by Lamonte Garber).
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Chesapeake Watershed Investments in Landscape Defense Program Award Winners Announced
On August 27, 2024, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and NFWF awarded a total of $8.9 million for 30 grants investing in environmental benefits throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed through the Chesapeake Watershed Investments in Landscape Defense Program (Chesapeake WILD). The program helps fund projects that support wildlife habitat, climate resilience, community partnerships, and equitable access to nature.
WILD Planning and Technical Assistance award winners with a focus on Pennsylvania include:
- Conservation Planning for Eastern Hellbender and Native Turtle Habitats in Pennsylvania State Parks ($75,000 grant award and $81,400 total project amount).
- Conserving At-Risk Mussel Species in the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed ($74,900 grant award and $247,300 total project amount).
WILD Implementation award winners with a focus on Pennsylvania include:
- Aligning Partnerships to Address Conservation Priorities in the Upper Susquehanna Watershed ($500,000 grant award and $1,250,000 total project amount).
- Conserving Farmland Raptors in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed ($246,000 grant award and $545,600 total project amount).
- Expanding State Game Lands for Species Conservation in Northeast Pennsylvania ($500,000 grant award and $1,000,000 total project amount).
- Improving Forest Habitat in the Chesapeake with Woodland Stewardship Networks ($500,000 grant amount and $868,900 total project amount).
- Preserving Recreational Access and Wildlife Habitat at Campbell’s Ledge ($500,000 grant award and $1,006,200 total project amount).
- Protecting Water Quality and Wildlife Habitat Through Conservation Easements in Pennsylvania ($500,000 grant award and $1,821,600 total project amount).
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USDA Awards $650,000 for New Approach to Understanding Nitrate Pollution Using Artificial Intelligence
Penn State University was awarded a four-year, $650,000 grant by USDA to study nitrate contamination in streams, lakes, and estuaries. Nitrate contamination is a critical problem in many agricultural watersheds, but water-quality data is limited, making monitoring stream health and management decisions difficult. Penn State’s study will focus on the Upper Mississippi River Basin, the Ohio River Basin, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The award, administered by USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture, funds a new approach to understanding nitrate concentration dynamics.
The proposed system will use deep learning — a subset of machine learning and computer science, and a form of artificial intelligence (AI) — to make sense of the huge volume of nitrate data collected. The AI will be designed to detect complex patterns and anomalies in the deluge of data and generate a comprehensive nitrate database that allows resource managers to quantify hotspots of nutrient pollution. That knowledge will enable the resource managers to know precisely where to implement conservation practices. High-frequency sensors are changing the way scientists monitor and manage water quality. The sensors provide unparalleled insights on the time series of nitrate concentrations, enabling better understanding of fertilizer and manure applications, seasonal and precipitation events, storm event size and intensity. The researchers will make the data publicly available, and results will be presented to local decision makers, watershed planners, and conservation district staff through well-developed collaborations with Penn State Extension.
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A nitrate sensor deployed in a small stream in an agricultural area provides water chemistry readings at a high frequency (Photo provided by Penn State. Creative Commons). | |
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Training for Agriculture Conservationists Available Across Pennsylvania
Penn State Extension and associated partners are hosting various virtual and in-person training events. October events cover a range of topics including ACAP Ag Conservation Keystone Trainings, a Soils, Hydrology and Liquid Manure Workshop, and Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) meetings. Another featured event is a Conservation Cornerstone Webinar titled “Working with Plain Sect Farmers.”
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Riparian Forest Buffer Successes and Innovations October Webinar Open for Registration
The US Forest Service’s Eastern Region State, Private, and Tribal Forestry Watershed Forestry Team is hosting a quarterly series offering technical information on watershed forestry topics – ranging from silviculture to social science – presented by researchers and practitioners to connect land and water. The information shared will be relevant to implementing on-the-ground watershed forestry and to supporting the information sharing and partnerships required to solve landscape-scale issues. The next available webinar in the series open for registration is on October 10, 2024: “Riparian Forest Buffer Successes and Innovations.”
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Moshannon Creek Watershed Association Working to Combat Acid Mine Drainage in the "Red Moshannon"
The Moshannon Creek Watershed Association (made up of volunteers, government agencies, non-profits, researchers, and students) is working to bring trout back to the “Red Moshannon,” named from the color caused by acid mine drainage (AMD) discharges. Heavy metals from unstable rock exposed through mining reduce the pH in the water inhibiting aquatic insect life and trout habitat. The Moshannon Creek Watershed Association is taking its inspiration from successful clean-up efforts at Two-Mile Run in Clinton County. Historically, the stream had been devoid of trout and aquatic life from AMD, but Trout Unlimited pushed for a passive treatment system upstream. This passive system runs low pH AMD through limestone to raise the pH. Since installation, brook trout have returned. The Moshannon Creek Watershed Association is working to map, test, and quantify acid mine discharges in Moshannon Creek between Clearfield and Centre Counties to help target future clean-up efforts.
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Drainage shafts, discharges, and impacted areas of Moshannon Creek showing evidence of AMD.
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Active AMD treatment system (capable of remediating large amounts of AMD), a passive treatment system (Photo courtesy of BioMost, Inc.), and a view of Two-Mile Run.
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Keystone Trails Association Announces Susquehanna Riverlands Hiking & Outdoors Weekend
The Keystone Trails Association, a statewide organization committed to promoting, protecting, preserving, and providing hiking trails and opportunities in Pennsylvania, opened registration for the Keystone Hiking and Outdoor Weekend, which will be held October 18-20, 2024, in York and Lancaster counties. Keystone Hiking and Outdoor Weekend allows visitors and local residents to explore Pennsylvania's beautiful and unique Susquehanna Riverlands. The region is one of eight conservation landscapes identified by DCNR. A featured trail of the Susquehanna Riverlands is the Mason-Dixon Trail. This 193-mile trail starts at Whiskey Springs on the Appalachian Trail in Cumberland County, and ends at Chadds Ford, on the banks of the Brandywine River.
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Volunteers Needed for 5th Annual Great Plastic Purge of the Lower Susquehanna
On October 5-6, 2024, volunteers will participate in a river cleanup on the Susquehanna River at Lake Aldred (the reservoir formed between the Safe Harbor Dam and Holtwood Dam). Additional volunteers are welcome to register, and any questions can be directed to events@lowsusriverkeeper.org.
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Shapiro Administration Announces New Ag Innovation Program
Governor Shapiro and PDA Secretary Redding visited Pennsylvania State University’s Dairy Research and Teaching Complex for a ceremonial bill signing to highlight investments in agricultural innovation secured in the 2024-25 budget — including the first-of-its-kind in the nation $10 million Agricultural Innovation Grant Program to help support new solutions and technologies to build the future of American agriculture right here in Pennsylvania.
The new program will be administered by PDA and will offer grants to farmers and other agriculture businesses to implement new agricultural technologies, conservation, and renewable energy innovations – expanding their potential to generate profits, enrich soil and water resources, and produce energy on the farm.
Grants will reimburse expenses for project planning, on-site project implementation, and larger grants for projects that have a regional impact. Examples will include technology that improves efficiency on the farm or in processing, generates energy while reducing nutrient waste leaving the farm, or supports crops that effectively store carbon or replace non-renewable resources. Projects may address practical challenges including data collection, biosecurity, and odor remediation.
Detailed grant guidelines and application procedures will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture webpage on September 28, 2024. Applications will open on September 30, 2024, at esa.dced.state.pa.us until November 26, 2024.
Governor Shapiro’s Economic Development Strategy places agriculture at the forefront, and his 2024-25 budget proposal allocates additional funding to support the growth of new businesses and reinforce Pennsylvania’s national reputation as a leader in agriculture.
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Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program Open
NFWF, in partnership with EPA and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership, is soliciting proposals under the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grants Program to accelerate the rate and scale of water quality improvements through the voluntary implementation of best management practices that cost-effectively reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to the Chesapeake Bay and contribute directly to the improved health and function of tributary rivers and streams. For 2025, this includes both INSR Partnership Grants, supporting the coordinated and collaborative efforts of sustainable, local, and regional-scale partnerships working to implement proven water quality improvement practices more cost-effectively, as well as INSR Infrastructure Grants, supporting projects working to implement critical natural and nature-based watershed restoration infrastructure at scale. All proposals must be submitted no later than noon, November 5, 2024.
NFWF strongly encourages all prospective INSR applicants to consult with NFWF program staff prior to submitting applications. These consultations help to ensure eligibility and competitiveness of proposed projects and allow NFWF program staff to provide constructive feedback to strengthen proposed projects, consistent with program priorities. Prospective applicants can schedule consultations with NFWF program staff. Prospective applicants are also encouraged to contact field liaisons to vet potential project ideas prior to contacting NFWF staff directly.
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Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Program Open
The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership announced the opening of the 2024 Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Program through October 25, 2024. The program supports the advancement of regional outdoor recreation, conservation, trail projects, and programs within the Susquehanna Greenway, which includes all 22 counties that the Susquehanna River goes through. Applicants may request up to $10,000, and proposals must include a 1:1 match (cash or in-kind). The program is financed by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, under the administration of DCNR, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
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USDA Announces Funding for Agricultural Conservation Easement Program for FY2025
On September 4, 2025, USDA announced funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for fiscal year 2025. USDA’s NRCS accepts applications year-round for ACEP Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE) and Wetland Reserve Easements (ACEP-WRE). ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements. Interested producers, landowners, and partners should apply by the next two ranking dates, October 4, 2024, or December 20, 2024, at their local NRCS office, to be considered for these two state-led funding cycles. Any application submitted to NRCS that was unfunded in fiscal year 2024 will be automatically be re-considered during the October funding cycle.
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Recreation Economy for Rural Communities Planning Assistance Available
U.S. EPA is accepting applications for the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program through October 16, 2024. This program helps communities identify strategies to grow their outdoor recreation economy and revitalize their main streets. The planning assistance process will take place over 8 to 12 months, with a focal point being a facilitated community workshop where participants will work together to identify a vision, goals, and specific actions to realize the locally set goals. Partner communities are encouraged to pursue activities that foster environmentally friendly community development and Main Street revitalization through the conservation and sustainable use of public or private forests or other natural resources. Eligible applicants include local governments, Tribes, nonprofit organizations, and institutions. Local colleges, universities, and extension agencies can also serve as the lead organization for the assistance. Communities located in the Appalachian region will receive special consideration.
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Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program Opening Soon
U.S. EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program is expected to open in fall 2024 and will provide subgrants to community-based nonprofits and other eligible subrecipients for assessment, planning, and project development activities. Grantmakers will alleviate much of the burden that the federal grants process places on small, resource-constrained community-based organizations supporting underserved communities and marginalized populations. These Grantmakers are a combination of community-based nonprofit organizations in potential partnerships with a federally recognized Tribal government or an institution of higher education. Grantmakers will design competitive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement a tracking and reporting system, provide resources, and support to communities, all in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.
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Northcentral PA Conservancy and Partners Complete Project to Stabilize a Portion of the Tioga River
Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Tioga County Conservation District, and Trout Unlimited, as well as other partners, worked together to stabilize approximately 300 feet of riverbank along the Tioga River in Blossburg’s Island Park in Tioga County. Several trout streams flow into the Tioga River, and though the river is currently impacted by abandoned mine drainage, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and DEP are designing an active treatment plant to address this. Biologists expect there to be fish in the Tioga River within a year of the active treatment plant starting operations.
The project in Island Park is an effort to reduce sediment, improve access for anglers, and create fish habitat using mud sills, log vanes, and deflectors. As water flowing downstream encounters the logs used in the structures, the logs redirect the flow back toward the center of the river. They are held in place with rebar and rock, and they allow for a regraded surface to create a sloped riverbank. A sloped riverbank provides space for higher-than-normal flows to move up the riverbank and spread out, which will slow down the water further reducing erosion at the site and downstream.
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Conservation Innovation Fund and Kennett Township Achieve Ground-Breaking Stormwater Permit in Chester County
On August 27, 2024, the Conservation Innovation Fund, and Kennett Township (located in Chester County) announced that Kennett Township was issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. The NPDES MS4 permit is the result of a successful four-year partnership between the Conservation Innovation Fund and Kennett Township to develop a municipal stormwater compliance strategy, in collaboration with AECOM, Hicks Brothers IV, Longwood Gardens, and Mowery Environmental.
Under the NPDES MS4 permit, the Revolving Water Fund (RWF) finance model will facilitate the investment of private capital into nature-based solutions on privately-owned land to meet Kennett Township’s compliance standards under the Clean Water Act and Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law. The RWF finance model, developed by Conservation Innovation Fund, increases the pool of capital and number of conservation projects that support watershed health by working with the local agriculture sector to implement practices that generate pollutant reductions. The reductions are quantified and packaged into transferable environmental impact units so public and private enterprises may use the units to achieve compliance-driven and voluntary sustainability targets, subject to approval.
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Tree Planting at Lancaster City High School
Three recipients of the 2023 Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Award, presented by the K10 Partnership, and coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will lead a November tree-planting effort at McCaskey High School in Lancaster. The award winners, Marlisa Yoder-Bontrager and twin sisters Keisha and Tarsha Scovens, each will receive $5,000 for the planting and $1,000 for maintenance of the trees. Additional funding support will come from a $4,000 Healing the Planet grant from the GIANT Company and funding from the Frank Albrecht Memorial Fund (Frank Albrecht was a long-time employee of the School District of Lancaster). The trees will filter and absorb polluted runoff before it reaches the Conestoga River, which travels directly through the City of Lancaster.
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Lancaster County Partnership Emphasizes Collaboration for Clean Water
Lancaster Clean Water Partners recently shared a video, Lancaster Clean Water Partners – The Backbone of an Amazing Network, describing the role of their partnership in bringing various organizations together with the common goal of advancing clean water projects throughout Lancaster County. The video features several of the many projects being pursued by the partnership organizations including tree buffer planting at Overlook Park in Manheim Township, Conewago Creek floodplain restoration in Londonderry Township, and Long’s Park wetlands to clean runoff. The video was made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from Chesapeake Bay Trust, Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and Chesapeake Bay Program.
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Views of the tree buffer planting at Overlook Park in Manheim Township, floodplain restoration project on the Conewago Creek in Londonderry Township, and wetland water quality project at Long’s Park in Lancaster City.
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Franklin County Holds Summer Conservation Farm Tour
On July 30, 2024, Franklin County Conservation District (FCCD) held a Summer Conservation Farm Tour and Luncheon at the Lurgan Lions Club. FCCD took the opportunity to present the 2024 Conservation Farmer of the Year award to the Scott Kiskaddon Family of Orrstown, PA. The grant funding for this event came from a Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Mini Grant and enabled FCCD to provide important education on the benefits of reducing nonpoint source pollution with best management practices (BMPs) to approximately 100 attendees. Tour participants visited the Kiskaddon’s beef farm and observed various conservation practices such as manure storage facilities, pasture management, concrete barnyards with nutrient runoff control, no-till, and grid soil sampling. All of these practices reduce potential pollutants from entering the waterways and help to prevent soil erosion.
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The Kiskaddon Family was presented with the Conservation Farmer of the Year award at FCCD’s Summer Conservation Farm Tour and Luncheon (Provided by The Shippensburg News-Chronicle).
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Upgrades Completed on Delaware Creek in Juniata County
In August, the Juniata County Conservation District (JCCD), Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, HRG Inc., and Resource Restoration Group (RRG) completed stream upgrades on Delaware Creek at the Thompsontown AMVETS Post 122 property.
Since the 1970s, Thompsontown AMVETS’s section of Delaware Creek has been designated as a place to fish for children and disabled persons. This project featured 300 linear feet of stream work continuing restoration efforts on Delaware Creek that were installed in 2012 in partnership with the AMVETS, JCCD, and PFBC. With the improvement to the stream, the AMVETS boasts more accessible areas and better fishing conditions. The restoration work completed provides environmental benefits that include habitat protection, streambank stabilization, stream bed stabilization, overhead coverage for fish and the creation of feeding lanes.
JCCD has also recently completed approximately 2,200 linear feet of stream restoration located on Lower Lost Creek on private property. Stream restoration efforts provide stream bank and bed stabilization while creating habitat critical to aquatic organisms such as trout and aquatic insects. Floodplain connectivity is also important to reconnect wetlands to the stream corridor. Funding for both projects was provided through a DEP Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Grant.
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Stream upgrades recently completed on Delaware Creek at the Thompsontown AMVETS Post 122 property (Provided by The Sentinel).
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“In my Administration, we know economic growth and opportunity flow right through our farmlands – and that is why we have put agriculture front and center in our economic development strategy and in the bipartisan budget I signed this summer. We’re proud to announce the $10 million secured for the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program as we continue working to ensure Pennsylvania leads the nation in agriculture, as the first state to create a dedicated program like this. We’re talking game-changing projects — alternative fuel tractors, methane digesters powering entire farms, and cutting-edge robotic milkers being developed right here at Penn State. This first-in-the-nation initiative is going to help fund game-changing projects – and thanks to our bipartisan work, the future of farming is happening right here in Pennsylvania.” ”
- Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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