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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! And 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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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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Shapiro Administration Celebrates Historic Improvements to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the Susquehanna River as Commonwealth Leads Effort to Improve Water Quality
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s (UMCES) 17th annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card was issued on July 9, 2024, at the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) office in Harrisburg for the 2023/2024 period. The report measures the health of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, considering ecological, societal, and economic indicators. For the first time in the report’s history, the Chesapeake Bay showed steady overall improvement, earning a C+ grade – the highest grade ever awarded to the overall health of the Bay since the report was created. The Upper Bay, which is fed by the Susquehanna River from Pennsylvania scored one of the highest grades among any area of the Bay – and posted a significant improvement from last year – showing how efforts in agency collaborations, strong partnerships, and sustained investments led to progress throughout the Susquehanna River watershed and beyond.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, joined by DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley, Department of Agriculture (PDA) Secretary Russell Redding, and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn celebrated this event marking significant improvements to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Since 2021, Pennsylvania has invested more than $580 million into supporting farm conservation, watershed restoration, and other on-the-ground projects to improve local water quality. This includes more than $61 million in Growing Greener grants, more than $92 million in farmland preservation and conservation projects, and nearly $9 million to plant forest buffers and restore urban tree canopy.
The Susquehanna River is the largest tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, playing a critical role in the overall health and ecology of the Bay. This significant milestone for the Susquehanna River represents the ongoing work to restore Pennsylvania’s watershed through strategic partnerships and funding.
Since 2004, DEP has restored approximately 967 miles of streams and more than 28,000 acres of public lakes. The Shapiro Administration will continue to work towards a vibrant and resilient watershed.
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Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro offered remarks regarding recent improvements to the Chesapeake Bay watershed along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3 Administrator, Adam Ortiz.
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Shapiro Administration Invests $9.8 Million to Protect 2,629 Acres on 28 Farms in 19 Counties from Future Development
On June 13, 2024, the Shapiro Administration announced that Pennsylvania will purchase development rights for 2,629 acres on 28 farms in 19 counties, protecting them from future residential or commercial development. The farms, approved for conservation easement purchases by the State Agricultural Land Preservation Board, represent a $9.8 million investment to ensure that Pennsylvania farmers have the resources they need to continue supporting families, communities, and jobs.
Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, when voters overwhelmingly supported creation of the Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,392 farms and 639,254 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.7 billion in state, county, and local funds.
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Shapiro Administration Awards Over $980,000 to Environmental Education Projects Engaging Youth and Adults
On May 22, 2024, the Shapiro Administration announced the award of $980,256 in Environmental Education Grants to 56 projects by DEP. These projects will promote environmental education and stewardship across Pennsylvania, and nearly all of these projects will support people in environmental justice communities (communities that are more threatened by climate change, air pollution, and water pollution). The program prioritizes proposals that engage youth or adults who live, work, or attend school in environmental justice areas. Chesapeake Bay watershed counties featured among the awardees include Blair, Chester, Dauphin, Lycoming, Potter, Schuylkill, and Snyder. Multi-county projects were also included among the list of awarded grants.
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Chesapeake Bay Program Reports Highest Number of Forest Bufffers Planted Across Watershed Since 2016
The Chesapeake Bay Program reported that in 2023, partners working across the Chesapeake Bay watershed restored 640.5 miles of forest buffers, which was the highest number of new forest buffers restored since 2016. Forest buffers, also known as riparian forest buffers or streamside buffers, are forests growing near a stream or river. They are critical to clean water and fish habitat. The trees absorb nutrient and sediment runoff, protect against erosion, reduce the impact of floods, and make the water cooler.
In 2023, 268 miles were reported restored in Pennsylvania. The advancement of forest buffer restoration is in part due to increased state and federal investments in programs for landowners, including funding provided through the federal Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Additionally, recent progress is likely due to increased implementation of flexible buffer programs that complement the existing PA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP-PA). The planting and maintenance of forest buffers is critical to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. Unfortunately, due to development, forest buffer loss across the watershed continues to outpace forest buffer plantings.
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Young trees planted next to mature trees between pastures and fields on a farm near Leibs Creek in Stewartstown, PA (Provided by Will Parson, Chesapeake Bay Program).
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Chesapeake Bay Partners Celebrate Funding in Pennsylvania Budget for Water Quality
The Shapiro Administration’s new fiscal year 2024-2025 budget included $50 million in dedicated state funding for the Clean Streams Fund. This funding will support on-farm conservation practices and other local water quality improvement projects. The Clean Streams Fund tackles the top three sources of stream impairment in the Commonwealth: some agricultural activities, acid mine drainage, and urban/suburban stormwater runoff. The funding in the fiscal year 2024-2025 plan extends the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), which otherwise would have been exhausted by the end of 2026. With this budget, Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania legislature have made it clear that the Commonwealth and its many partners plan to continue clean water work.
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Inaugural ACAP Ag Conservation Conference Held
The first ACAP Ag Conservation Conference was held June 4-6, 2024, in State College, PA. The three-day conference was tailored for individuals working in agricultural conservation and opening day presentations included program updates from the State Conservation Commission (SCC), the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA NRCS), and DEP.
Participants attended breakout sessions covering a variety of topics relevant to ACAP and other conservation practices. The capstone session on "Silvopasturing to Expand and Enhance Grazing in the Northeast" was delivered by Brett Chedzoy from Cornell Cooperative Extension.
This conference celebrated the creation of the ACAP Program and the dedicated funding it provides for the installation of best management practices. SCC staff have worked to meet with numerous stakeholder groups and conservation directors to encumber and spend $154 million by 2026. The funds were dedicated to ACAP through the Clean Streams Fund created by the legislature and signed by the Governor as part of the FY 22/23 budget.
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Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Awarded
On June 25, 2024, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $22.4 million in Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grant awards to support water quality improvement efforts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Of that total, more than $14.4 million went to eight projects t include work in Pennsylvania.
Several highlighted awards include:
Pennsylvania DCNR ($2,000,000) will utilize novel contracting and procurement mechanisms in partnership with regional watershed forestry specialists and local partners to expand adoption of watershed forestry best management practices to restore 135 acres of riparian forest buffers, plant 50 acres of urban trees, and install 50 acres of conservation landscaping.
Chesapeake Conservancy ($1,633,500) will advance delisting of impaired local streams across central Pennsylvania implementing approximately 30 full-farm restoration projects including comprehensive nutrient management planning and restoration of 125 acres of riparian buffers.
Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District ($1,972,000) will accelerate implementation of stream corridor projects and practices to diverse landowners across the upper Susquehanna River basin, reducing annual sediment pollution by nearly 200 tons through development and implementation of stream restoration plans, creation of accessible education opportunities for underserved landowners, and engaging 200 volunteers in conservation efforts to improve water quality and promote ecological and habitat benefits.
A complete list of the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants recipients is available here.
Since 2006, the INSR Program has provided more than $200 million to more than 250 projects that have reduced 36 million pounds of nitrogen, 9 million pounds of phosphorus, and nearly 800,000 tons of sediment across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Chesapeake Bay Dead Zone Forecast for Summer 2024
Researchers from the Chesapeake Bay Program, UMCES, University of Michigan, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are predicting this year’s Chesapeake Bay dead zone to be just above the long-term average taken between 1985 and 2023, despite above-average rainfall in spring 2024 that led to relatively high water flows entering the Bay from around the watershed. Experts also noted that the dead zone likely began earlier this year due to warmer-than-normal temperatures throughout the spring as well as weaker winds.
Nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient pollution that runs off the land from across the Bay watershed spurs the growth of algal blooms, which remove oxygen from the water when they die off. These low-oxygen sections of the Bay, known as hypoxic areas or “dead zones,” can suffocate marine life and shrink the habitat available to fish and crabs. Due to higher-than-average precipitation, stream and river flows to the Chesapeake Bay recorded from January - May 2024 were 63% higher than the previous year and 23% higher than the long-term average. Based on this information, researchers estimate that the total annual hypoxic volume for the Bay in 2024 will be just 4% higher than the historic long-term average. The slightly above-average estimated hypoxic volume following a season of relatively high stream and river flows indicate that management efforts to keep nutrient runoff out of the Bay watershed is having the desired effect. In the fall of 2024, researchers will follow up on this forecast with a Bay-wide assessment of the dead zone size and duration.
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Conservation Districts Awarded Nonpoint Source Mini-Grants
On May 17, 2024, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) announced the award of nearly $37,000 to 21 pollution reduction projects across 20 counties. These projects promote water pollution prevention activities through the Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant Program. Funding for the grants of up to $2,000 is provided through DEP under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. Of the 21 projects awarded, eleven occur within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds Announces Grant Recipients
On June 25, 2024, the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds (FPW) announced more than $650,000 in grant awards to advance the protection and restoration of Pennsylvania’s waterways. The FPW invests in local efforts that protect healthy streams, clean up pollution, and restore degraded wildlife habitat. Twice a year, FPW distributes grants that leverage local, state, and federal funds to protect the best of the best and restore the worst of the worst water problems. The next grant application cycle will open in August 2024.
Several examples of recipients receiving grant awards include:
- $7,000 to the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority to improve fish passage and reduce sediment in the Blacklick Creek watershed.
- $25,000 to ClearWater Conservancy for advancing wildlife and forest stewardship in Centre and Huntingdon Counties.
- $50,000 to PA Trout Unlimited for the Coldwater Heritage Partnership Program
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Partnership Helps Pennsylvania Communities Plant 2,500 Large Bare Root Trees
Since 1998, communities in northeastern Pennsylvania have worked with Penn State Extension to organize group orders of large bare root trees that municipalities and volunteers have planted along streets and parks. In 2020, the program expanded with a grant program coordinated by TreePennsylvania to deliver over 2,000 trees per year to communities across the state during twice annual deliveries. In spring 2024, this partnership helped communities across the state plant 2,500 trees.
Prior to shipping, Penn State Extension Urban Foresters and DCNR Foresters work with grant recipients to develop planting plans, select species for the sites, and prepare for delivery and planting. TreePennsylvania orders, pays for, and provides trees to communities without the need for long contracts or complicated reimbursement procedures.
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Pasa Celebrates Accomplishments in 2023 Annual Report
This past June, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture published its 2023 Impact Report, “What sustains us.” Pasa is a nonprofit that supports sustainable farms and equitable food systems through farmer-driven education, research, and community. Their executive director, Hannah Smith-Brubaker, noted that expanded grant funding – largely going directly to the farmers Pasa serves – enabled them to deepen their existing peer-to-peer learning and community science work and add new services, including distributing pandemic relief payments for farmworkers. The organization is also gearing up for one of their largest initiatives – providing financial and technical assistance for climate-smart installations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
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Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Hosting Working Lands Climate Corps, AmeriCorps Program
USDA selected Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to be one of 28 organizations to host participants of the Working Lands Climate Corps (WLCC), a new AmeriCorps program under the American Climate Corps Initiative. In its first cohort, at least 100 WLCC AmeriCorps members will receive technical training, develop high-demand skills, and access career pathway opportunities in the clean energy and climate resilience economies.
Through their work with Pasa, WLCC AmeriCorps members will aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and improve climate resilience on farms through a variety of conservation practices, including improving soil health, regenerative livestock grazing, implementing agroforestry systems, building wildlife habitat and biodiversity, restoring disturbed lands, and improving energy efficiency.
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Conservation Partners Promote Silvopasture
Silvopasture is the intentional integration of trees and pastures, and this practice provides livestock with shade and increases carbon sequestration on farms while providing additional ecological benefits.
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Trees for Graziers, Lancaster Farmland Trust, and volunteers worktogether on a silvopasture project at the Drager farm.
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Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light Expands Tree Planting Program
On June 26, 2024, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light, in partnership with the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, launched an expanded tree planting initiative called PA Plants Native! with the goal of planting an additional 100,000 trees across Pennsylvania in the next 18 months. The program is designed for people who want to request at least one native tree to plant (no upper limit) – either in their backyard, on acreage they own, their congregational or community space, or on public lands (with permission).
The initiative has a particular focus on reaching rural and urban communities who experience disproportionate impacts of environmental injustice or would otherwise have a more difficult time accessing quality and affordable native trees. Planting native trees and shrubs improves water quality, increases habitat for wildlife, supports pollinators, and supports healthier communities. Trees provide shade and cooling benefits, and they can also act as a food source for humans and animals. Tree equity is an important indicator of community wellbeing.
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PennDOT Required to Plant Native Plants Along State Highways
On June 25, 2024, Governor Shapiro signed into law House Bill 797, sponsored by Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster), requiring PennDOT to plant native vegetation along state highways. The legislation requires PennDOT to develop a list of native vegetation species that can be used in roadside work throughout the state. The use of specific species in a given area will be based on the recommendations of the state Department of Agriculture’s Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee.
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Pennsylvania Dairies Sought for Climate-Smart Funding Assistance
Penn State is seeking more than 100 Pennsylvania dairy farms to receive assistance in planning and implementing practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Penn State, the Center for Dairy Excellence, and their collaborators are offering the aid through a $25 million USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant. Farmers can get help reducing methane produced by cows and manure storage and with cutting nitrous oxide emissions from cropland.
The project is known as CARAT for climate-smart agriculture that is profitable, regenerative, actionable, and trustworthy. CARAT will provide 150 dairy farms with technical assistance to create voluntary climate-smart farming plans. The plans will include ideas for reducing the farms’ greenhouse gas emissions. About 70 of the farms will receive funding to implement a practice or two selected from their personalized climate plans. Twelve of those farms will be selected for detailed before-and-after emissions measurements. The project will also explore ways for farmers to get carbon credits for their work.
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DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management (BWRNSM)
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Larson Design Group - Technical Assistance Program Announcement
Larson Design Group, Inc. (LDG) has been retained by DEP to provide technical services for project implementation to assist Pennsylvania in reaching its clean water goals. Examples of projects that can be completed utilizing technical assistance services include, but are not limited to, stormwater, agriculture, wastewater, and aquatic resource restoration.
LDG will be accepting project assistance requests from county Conservation Districts to provide technical services for projects focusing on nutrient and sediment reduction. In order to evaluate Conservation District needs, LDG will be opening the application for technical assistance requests starting July 29, 2024, through August 16, 2024. Examples of services that can be provided through the program include permitting, site survey, inventory and evaluation, project engineering and design, construction inspection, and project coordination. LDG will provide technical services to assist with project implementation in two county groupings.
County groupings are as follows:
North Group: Berks, Cameron, Clearfield, Columbia, Elk, Indiana, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Northumberland, and Potter counties.
South Group: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Fulton, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Snyder, Somerset, and Union counties.
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Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management Publishes Nonpoint Source Management Plan
BWRNSM published the program’s Nonpoint Source Management Plan 2024 (3320-BK-DEP5836) to eLibrary. The US EPA's Section 319 requires each state to update their Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Plan every five years. The Pennsylvania NPS Management Plan 2024 outlines ongoing efforts and activities to address NPS pollution through 2028, based on adequate resources including necessary personnel. The NPS Management Plan has incorporated recommendations from the 2020 NPS Management Program Assessment.
The NPS Management Plan expands and enhances Pennsylvania’s NPS Management Program and includes education and outreach (E&O), technical assistance, financial assistance, monitoring, compliance, and enforcement programs, along with technology improvements to maintain and improve surface and groundwater quality. The NPS Management Plan is organized into several sections aligned with EPA’s successful NPS Management Program components. Component 1 is a review of the goals, measurable objectives, and strategies to address Pennsylvania’s NPS pollution. Component 2 reviews the NPS Management Program partnerships within Pennsylvania. Component 3 reviews ongoing and continuing programs to address NPS pollution. Component 4 discusses Pennsylvania’s NPS pollution financial resources. Component 5 discusses Pennsylvania water quality assessment methods. Component 6 reviews program components required by Section 319(b). The components consist of:
- Measures to control NPS pollution
- Key implementation programs
- Program coordination to implement NPS pollution controls
- Schedule of goals and objectives for implementation
- Funding sources, federal programs
- Description of the monitoring/evaluation to determine NPS Management Program effectiveness.
Component 7 highlights the baseline requirements found in statutory and regulatory programs relating to NPS pollution abatement and activities. Component 8 briefly discusses fiscal management, and Component 9 discusses programmatic review.
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Clean Water Progress Teams Continue to Meet to Develop Strategies for Success
Clean Water Progress Teams have continued to meet as part of the process to develop robust recommendations around priority action items generated at the Fall 2023 Clean Water Gathering of state and county action leaders. Each of the three Progress Teams are addressing priority action items and will create recommended “Strategies for Success” around each item. The recommendations will be drafted by a focused small group and vetted by the larger Progress Team throughout the summer. Recommendations will discuss what should be done to address the action item, who should be engaged, how steps should be taken to move forward, and when that should occur.
Once finalized, the Strategies for Success will be shared among a broad audience of Clean Water Gathering partners in December 2024.
The Funding and Multi-Grant Coordination Progress Team is working on the following action items: centralized funding tool/concierge; common application/letter of intent concept; connecting projects with funding sources; leveraging available funding sources more efficiently; and financing outreach and education. The Staff Building/Staff Retention Progress Team is working on the following action items: expand management and leadership training; diversify staff hires: Hire staff with different backgrounds, not all science and technical degrees; explore regionalization opportunities for technical expertise or certification or administration; cross training to build on employee knowledge to assist with District turnover; and allocate dedicated annual funding to counties to stabilize and assure workforce needs. The Technical and Administrative Progress Team is working on the following action items: expanding engineering assistance; streamlining and centralizing reporting; building and leveraging private/public partnerships; project prioritization and timeline management; and block permitting applications.
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Webinar Wednesdays Continue
Hosted by BWRNSM, Webinar Wednesdays offer a chance for county partners to connect with DEP staff to receive timely information on grant and reporting updates and have their questions answered. On July 3, 2024, DEP staff presented the 2025 CAP Grant Round. Kate Beats overviewed the 2025 CAP Grant Round (opening in October 2024), John Dawes with The Commons presented on how to enter potential projects into FieldDoc for nutrient reduction estimation on the 2025 application, and Todd Deroba presented on some of the 2025 application updates. Future Webinar Wednesdays will focus on progress reporting and CAP applications.
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Application Period Open for Phase II Grants for Act 167 Plan Development or Revision
The application period for Phase II, Act 167 Plan Development or Revision Grants, is open through August 30, 2024. This grant opportunity is the second phase of the grant program to reimburse counties for costs associated with preparation or revision of Act 167 stormwater management plans. The first phase of this funding was for preparation of Act 167 Plan scopes of study and was included in the 2023 Growing Greener Plus Grants Program.
Counties that have completed a Phase I scope of study in accordance with 25 Pa. § 111.14 are eligible to apply for Phase II funding. Counties that have completed a Phase I scope of study through a prior grant agreement with DEP, and counties that have completed a Phase I scope of study outside of a grant agreement with DEP are eligible to apply for Phase II funding.
More information on funding eligibility and the instructions for completing the Phase II funding application can be found on DEP’s Act 167 Program website.
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PACD Accepting CREP Mini-Grant Applications
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) is accepting mini-grant applications from conservation districts for up to $3,000 to implement educational and outreach activities that support and extend the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Projects should focus on CREP enrollment, re-enrollment, and/or CREP maintenance.
Applications will be accepted and approved on a rolling basis until funds are spent. The project completion and final report deadline is extended to October 31, 2024.
Project examples include:
- Walkabouts/field days
- Farmer and landowner workshops
- Riparian buffer workshops
- Workshop series with several topics
- Developing educational materials like brochures, flyers, fact sheets, or even billboards
- Hiring interns to provide CREP outreach
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Pennsylvania Eligible for Nearly $245 Million in Funds to Reclaim Abandoned Mine Lands
On June 5, 2024, the Department of the Interior announced that nearly $725 million is available to 22 states and the Navajo Nation to create good-paying jobs and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands (AML). This is the third allotment of the overall $11.3 billion in AML funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is being used to help communities clean up dangerous environmental conditions and pollution caused by past coal mining. Pennsylvania is eligible for nearly $245 million in formula-based funding allotments under this announcement. Applications for this funding must be submitted in GrantSolutions by June 30, 2025.
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United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Accepting Applications to Help Cover Organic Certification Costs
Through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will cover up to 75% of organic certification costs at a maximum of $750 per certification category. FSA is now accepting applications, and organic producers and handlers should apply for OCCSP by the October 31, 2024, deadline for eligible expenses incurred from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Eligible expenses include application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, inspector travel expenses, user fees, sales assessments and postage. FSA will issue payments as applications are received and approved. Eligible OCCSP applicants include any certified organic producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent. To apply, producers and handlers should contact FSA at their local USDA Service Center.
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USDA Opens $50 Million in Wetland Restoration Project Funding
On May 29, 2024 the USDA announced the investment of up to $50 million through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP) to support conservation partners with local projects that help protect, restore and enhance critical wetlands on agricultural lands and help mitigate climate change as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting proposals until August 16, 2024. NRCS is prioritizing proposals that focus on producers who conserve wetlands in or that are anticipated to benefit disadvantaged communities, contributing to NRCS’ effort to advance equity and environmental justice in its delivery of conservation programs. WREP enables effective integration of wetland restoration on working agricultural landscapes, providing meaningful benefits to farmers and ranchers who enroll in the program and to the communities where the wetlands exist. Partners should apply through their NRCS state office.
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USDA Farm Loan Programs Available to Support Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices
Farm loans through the USDA’s FSA can be used to support a variety of climate-smart agriculture practices, which build on many practices that farmers and ranchers already use, like cover cropping, nutrient management, and conservation tillage.
Climate-smart agricultural practices generate significant environmental benefits by capturing and sequestering carbon, improving water management, restoring soil health, and more. Farm loan funding complements other tools to help producers adopt climate-smart practices, such as FSA’s Conservation Reserve Program, crop insurance options that support conservation, and conservation programs offered by USDA’s NRCS.
FSA offers multiple types of loans to help farmers and ranchers start, expand, or maintain a family agricultural operation. These loans can provide the capital needed to invest in climate-smart practices and equipment including the establishment of rotational grazing systems, precision agriculture equipment or machinery for conversion to no-till residue management. Additionally, for programs like the Conservation Reserve Program and NRCS conservation programs where USDA and the producer share the implementation cost, a farm loan could be used for the producer’s share, if consistent with the authorized loan purpose.
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Columbia County Conservation District Holds Rain Barrel Workshops
The Columbia County Conservation District held rain barrel workshops at a local farm market, reaching 49 attendees who learned about nonpoint source pollution, how it affects the state’s waterways, and best management practices that can be used at home to reduce stormwater. The rain barrels can be connected to downspouts to reduce stormwater runoff during rain events and the stored water can be used during dry weather periods. A total of 45 rain barrels were distributed for installation across Columbia County to reduce stormwater runoff.
Partners at Rorhbach’s Farm Market and the Coca-Cola syrup factory near Allentown, provided the funding to expand the number of workshops and donated all of the rain barrels for free. Additional financial support for the project was provided through the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from DEP under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act administered by EPA.
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Attendees learn about stormwater at a rain barrel workshop (Provided by Columbia County Conservation District).
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Columbia, Montour, and Luzerne County Conservation Districts Hold Grazing Workshop and Pasture Walk
Columbia, Montour, and Luzerne counties offered the “Maximizing Grazing for Maximum Benefit Workshop and Pasture Walk” on April 18, 2024, for 55 attendees representing farmers and agency personnel. Presenters shared insights on managing pastures and the animals that rely on them while attendees saw best practices applied at the farm level. The morning session featured Russ Wilson at the Montour Preserve Environmental Education Center Auditorium. Dave Hartman led a pasture walk at his farm in the afternoon. They emphasized management that provides livestock with extended grazing in the late fall and early winter while providing enough nutrition to finish with a high-quality product. Financial support for the event was provided by a DEP Growing Greener grant.
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Attendees at the grazing workshop and pasture walk (Provided by Gary Rinehimer).
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Conowingo Creek Restoration Serves as a Model for Conservation
Lancaster County Conservation District awarded its 2024 Watershed Project Award to a half-mile stream restoration project on the Conowingo Creek in May 2024. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Unique Excavating, Donegal Trout Unlimited, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and landowner Simeon Esh worked together to rehabilitate 3,000 feet of aquatic habitat and plant 4.5 acres of streamside trees.
The landowner reached out to Donegal Trout Unlimited after hearing about their other projects within the Plain Sect farming community. Notably, this stretch of stream restoration helped connect conservation projects that the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay implemented on two farms that are part of the dairy co-op Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association. The project used over $320,000 in grants and settlement funds. The US EPA 319 Grant Program provided $253,530 of the funding, with the remaining $48,677 coming from the Keystone Protein settlement fund.
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Newly planted trees along a stretch of the stream restoration project (Provided by Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay).
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Harrisburg's Paxton Creek Awarded More Than $1 Million in Federal Grants to Address Flooding
Capital Region Water, the water authority for the City of Harrisburg, was awarded $500,000 to buy right-of-way for a new wastewater collection line, and the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority received $750,000 to design and engineer a creek restoration project. About 60% of Harrisburg is served by a combined sewer system, meaning stormwater and sewage run through the same pipes. When rain is heavy, it overwhelms the system, causing overflows into Paxton Creek and the Susquehanna River.
Capital Region Water and the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority hope to provide the creek more space (greenspaces and wetlands) to alleviate flooding. They are also using historical rainfall totals and projects to design an interceptor that can handle future storms. These entities recognize that addressing flooding on Paxton Creek will require a significant investment in the future but that this is a good first step.
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Section of Paxton Creek that has been diverted into a narrow, paved channel as it flows through Harrisburg (Photo Credit: Rachel McDevitt, StateImpact Pennsylvania).
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Hungry Run Watershed Planned BMP Implementation is Cleaning Up its Waters
The Mifflin County Conservation District (MCCD) has partnered with DEP and local organizations to restore the Hungry Run watershed, whose waters are impaired with nutrients and sediment from intensive agriculture. In 2017, DEP worked with MCCD to develop the first Advanced Restoration Plan (ARP) for a watershed in EPA Region 3, the Upper Kishacoquillas Creek ARP, which includes Hungry Run. The ARP provided numeric reduction goals for nutrients and sediment and recommended BMPs to attain these goals. Organizations that contributed time and funds to BMP implementation include MCCD, DEP's 319 Nonpoint Source Management Grants Program, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Small Watershed Grants Program, Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Buffer Bonus Program, and the PA Conservation Reserve and Enhancement Program.
Current modeling of the BMPs implemented is showing that nutrient and sediment load reduction goals have been reached, but monitoring is showing only partial restoration of the areas impaired by sediment deposits. As a result, the watershed is on track to be completely delisted from Pennsylvania’s impaired waters list for nutrients, and one tributary will be delisted for sediment. The blue tributary on the map (below) shows a complete restoration/delisting of sediment and nutrients. Most of the other areas containing sediment impairments are showing incremental improvements but are not quite to the point of delisting yet.
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Lancaster County Celebrates 1,400 Miles of Streams and Rivers
This past June, Lancaster County celebrated the 8th Lancaster Water Week, which ran from June 7-15. The event began as an idea between two kayaking buddies to celebrate the work being done to achieve clean and clear waters. The idea has since expanded to an annual celebration which boasted over 60 events this year hosted by multiple organizations drawing thousands of Lancaster County residents and celebrating “Rewilding for Clean Water” — the idea of replacing lawns and other monocultures with a diverse range of native species. Participants noted that Lancaster Water Week is first and foremost a celebration of Lancaster County’s 1,400 miles of streams and rivers, which are an incredible asset even though over half of these streams and rivers are polluted. Lancaster Water Week featured lectures on stream ecology, tours of wetlands and restored floodplains, a trivia night, a film festival on paddling, and volunteer opportunities to clean up trash from water and land in Lancaster communities.
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Lancaster celebrated its 8th annual Lancaster Clean Water Week June 7-15 (Photo provided by Lancaster Clean Water Partners, video by Lancaster Conservancy).
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Lancaster Conservancy's Work Highlighted in 2023 Annual Report
Lancaster Conservancy’s emerging theme for 2023 was access to nature. The conservancy manages 50 nature preserves open to the public, and their annual report noted their work on building and restoring trails to handle increased foot traffic, including a new universal access trail. In carrying out this work, they also balanced concerns related to forest and stream health.
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Potter Creek Streambank Stabilization Improvement Project Completed in Bedford County
On June 4, 2024, the Fort Bedford Chapter of Trout Unlimited (FBTU) completed the Moyer – Potter Creek Streambank Stabilization Improvement Project. The project was conducted under a DEP GP-1 General Permit, that was issued in March 2024. The project impacted approximately 140 linear feet of Potter Creek, a high quality-coldwater fishery, in Woodbury Township of Bedford County. Volunteers from FBTU and a contracted equipment operator, with technical assistance from Bedford County Conservation District Staff, installed a 140’ Modified Mudsill with two cross logs and random boulders for grade control, and one log framed stone deflector. 123 tons of stone was used with hemlock logs to create the structures. FBTU will continue to monitor the site to see how the stream is reacting to the installed improvements.
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Before and after photos show the work done to stabilize the streambank along Potter Creek.
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Susquehanna County Conservation District Installs Rain Gardens at Salt Springs State Park
Recently, Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) procured funding to build a bioretention/rain garden at Salt Springs State Park. The project was made possible with funding from the DEP Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Block Grant Program. Volunteers were citizens participating in the Penn State Master Watershed Stewards Program and the Upper Susquehanna Coalition.
Rain gardens are a stormwater BMP that promotes increased infiltration rates and reduces sediment in stormwater by retaining water over well-drained soils planted with vegetation. When it rains, water runs off surfaces like roofs, driveways, and streets, picking up dirt and pollution along the way. Instead of dirty water going straight into rivers and lakes, a rain garden catches and helps improve the water quality before it goes back into the environment.
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Rain garden construction.
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Codorus Greenway Project Receives $15 Million from the U.S. Department of Transportation
On June 24, 2024, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) announced $15 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the Codorus Greenway Project along Codorus Creek in York. The Greenway will be an approximately one-mile waterfront trail for York residents and visitors and includes upgrades to flood control infrastructure along Codorus Creek. It will also provide a designated pedestrian and bike path that connects to the region’s mass transit through the York Transfer Center, connecting to the 27-mile York County Heritage Rail Trail. The funding comes from a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Kevin Schreiber, CEO of the York County Economic Alliance noted that the Codorus Greenway is the largest green infrastructure project in York County’s history. Through the award, the waterfront will return to its natural park-like environs, providing public access through beautification of the waterfront. The funds will also provide stormwater and sediment reduction supporting water quality goals for the Chesapeake Bay watershed and ultimately support environmental and economic justice, multiple modes of pedestrian transportation, recreation, and an historic waterfront transformation.
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A rendering of the Codorus Greenway Project as presented in the RAISE grant submission.
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Watershed Forestry Success in York County
The Watershed Alliance of York (WAY) recently wrapped up the first round of funding for their WAY Watershed Forestry Program. Since the summer of 2023, they have implemented over 64 acres of riparian forest buffers. They acknowledged that the help of landowners was important to the success of this program. The riparian buffers were planted on an array of landscapes across York County (suburban, rural, and agricultural) with a diverse range of landowners including families, groups, and businesses.
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York County Highlights Restoration Project on a Tributary to the South Branch Codorus Creek
The Unnamed Tributary (UNT) South Branch Codorus Creek Stream Restoration project is situated along a severely eroded and incised perennial stream located on three separate adjoining family member properties in Spring Garden Township. The stream has a drainage area of 0.17 square miles (108.8 acres) and is predominantly comprised of steep agricultural fields that produce flashy runoff surges of stormwater during large precipitation events. With a lack of a woody riparian buffer and repeated stormwater runoff events over the years, conditions would worsen, and property damage would continue over time jeopardizing sections of residential yards and agricultural crop fields.
WAY worked with the landowners and ECS Mid-Atlantic to restore about 1,100 feet of stream channel through regrading stream banks to 3:1 slopes, raising the steam bed invert of 300 feet of incised channel sections, installing eleven log sill grade control structures and establishing a native riparian buffer through the planting of trees, shrubs and live stakes. Construction funding for the project came from the York County Planning Commission’s CAP Implementation Grant.
Before construction, eroded streambank heights ranged from 2.5 to 7.0 feet deep. Raising the stream channel in deeply incised sections and installing grade control structures will help the stream to return to its natural pre-existing conditions and reduce flooding issues. This project counts towards, and gives credits for, the York CAP and the Chesapeake Bay Pollutant Reduction Plan, in turn helping DEP to reach its Chesapeake Bay goals. The project is estimated to annually reduce 163.9 pounds of nitrogen, 75.5 pounds of phosphorus, and 143,750 pounds of sediment.
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Before and after pictures showing the original eroded, steep banks and the regraded stream banks (Provided by WAY).
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"This year, the Chesapeake Bay got its highest grade in 22 years, and the portion of the bay that the Susquehanna River flows into got the second-best grade of the entire watershed. Pennsylvania's portion of the watershed is significantly improving because we've brought people together and invested in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. My administration is proud of this progress - and we're going to continue to work to restore the Chesapeake Bay for years to come.”
- Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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