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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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DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management (BWRNSM)
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2023 Pilot and Tier 3 and 4 County Snapshots Now Available for Viewing
New Pilot and Tier 3 and 4 county 2023 snapshots are now available on the PA DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management website. These snapshots reflect the updated Chesapeake Bay modeling scenarios each county submitted as part of its Two-Year
Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Milestone Report. The recently released 2022 numeric progress by EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program was used to create these snapshots and reflects the progress each county has made towards their CAP nutrient reduction goals. Snapshots can be very useful tools for outreach updates with stakeholders on the status of a county’s progress!
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PA’s Final 2023 Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Submitted and Accepted by EPA
Pennsylvania’s annual submission of its Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for Tracking, Verifying, and Reporting Nutrient and Sediment Pollutant Load Reducing Practices, Treatments, and Technologies was submitted to EPA on February 7, 2024, and was approved on February 23, 2024. The QAPP is submitted annually and summarizes the data collection procedures administered between July 1 and June 30 of the previous year for best management practice (BMP) implementation within the state, for use by EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO). The data described within this document are utilized within the Chesapeake Bay watershed model for the estimation of nutrient and sediment loads generated by different source areas within the Pennsylvania portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The final submission for the 2023 progress year concludes a review and revision process in collaboration with CBPO staff that began with gathering state data reporter information in the Summer of 2023 and submitting a draft QAPP on September 1, 2023. The methods described in the 2023 QAPP will remain in effect until the release of the next annual report in 2025.
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Programs and Projects by Local, State and Federal Partners
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Shapiro Administration Awards $3 Million to Implement Conservation Practices on Pennsylvania Farmland, Improving Soil and Water Quality
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced on February 2 that the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) approved the allocation of $3 million to be granted to four organizations under the framework of the Conservation Excellence Grant Program. The funds will be used to implement projects that leverage public-private partnerships in the Susquehanna River watershed that will improve water quality in Pennsylvania, directly impacting the Chesapeake Bay. This includes over $1 million in funds each for the Alliance for Chesapeake Bay and Lancaster Farmland Trust to cover a wide variety of projects, including installing conservation practices on 10 preserved farms.
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Shapiro Administration Invests $5.8 Million To Protect 1,519 Acres on 22 PA Farms from Future Development
The Shapiro Administration announced on February 15 that Pennsylvania preserved 1,519 acres on 22 farms in 11 counties, forever protecting them from residential or commercial development. The development rights approved for purchase by the State Land Preservation Board represent a more than $5.8 million investment in ensuring that Pennsylvania farmers will have prime farmland to feed families and economy in the future. Farms were protected in Adams, Centre, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Northampton, Schuylkill, Union and York counties.
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Shapiro Administration Announces $194.3 Million Investment Through PENNVEST in 28 Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, Water Quality Improvement Projects in 20 Counties
On January 24, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the investment of $194.3 million for 28 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and nonpoint source projects across 20 counties through the PA Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).
The projects include replacing lead or other corrosive pipes, rehabilitating aging systems, upgrading service capabilities, extending service to more communities, and reducing environmental contaminants through compliance with current regulatory levels and agricultural BMPs.
The funding for these projects originates from a combination of state funds approved by voters, Growing Greener funds, Marcellus Legacy funds-- supported by Act 13 drilling impact fee revenue, the federal Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) stimulus funds, the federal grant awards to PENNVEST from EPA under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, and the recycled loan repayments from previous PENNVEST funding awards.
These investments can help to not only modernize, but futurize, Pennsylvania water infrastructure to ensure it operates efficiently, effectively, and provides clean water for Pennsylvanians. Projects within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed include drinking water projects in Adams and Franklin Counties, wastewater projects in Adams, Clearfield, Lancaster, Potter, and Tioga Counties, a stormwater project in Cambria County, and nonpoint source projects in Lancaster and Mifflin Counties.
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PENNVEST Announces Purchase of Up to $14.8 Million in Verified Nutrient and Sediment Reductions Through the PENNVEST Clean Water Procurement Program
Pennsylvania's Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget, Act 54 of 2022, allocated $22 million of non-lapsing funds to PENNVEST for the establishment of the PENNVEST Clean Water Procurement Program (CWPP) and the purchase of verified nutrient and sediment reductions by PENNVEST through a competitive bidding process. PENNVEST issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on June 30, 2023, and on January 19, 2024, PENNVEST issued a Notice to Proceed for the five Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Purchase Agreements being awarded for the purchase of up to 32,128 pounds of verified nitrogen reductions, and the associated 6,323.86 pounds of verified phosphorus and 3,457,762.16 pounds of sediment reductions, for a maximum purchase price of $14.8 million. Five successful bidders received contract awards for nutrient reduction work in Adams, Lancaster, Snyder, and York Counties.
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Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Presents a Livestaking 101 Webinar
Join the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to learn more about the process and science of livestaking through their Livestaking 101 Webinar. Livestaking is a quick and simple way to acquire cuttings of fast-growing trees and shrubs that thrive in wet areas. Species like elderberry, boxelder, buttonbush, and others are all good species for livestaking.
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Chesapeake Bay Foundation Conservation Coordinators Join Teams Advancing Restoration Work in the Pequea and Halfmoon Watersheds
On February 9, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) announced Isabel “Izzy” Snee and Mariah Saunders have joined the CBF team as conservation coordinators, working to accelerate progress toward bringing impaired streams back to health in parts of four Pennsylvania counties. The work by Snee and Saunders continues momentum created by Pequea Creek and Halfmoon Creek Watershed Implementation Plans coordinated by CBF. The work within the Pequea Creek watershed benefited from a $2.18 million funding request by both US Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.). Senator Casey also requested an additional $1.06 million to benefit the Halfmoon Creek watershed plan. Another funding source included the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and both watershed restoration plans are eligible for federal funding through the Clean Water Act and other sources.
The Pequea Creek watershed is in Lancaster and Chester counties. Halfmoon Creek watershed is in Centre and Huntingdon counties. Under the Pequea plan, funding will be used to keep soils and nutrients on the land with such practices as cover crops, no-till agriculture, riparian buffers, streambank fencing, streambank stabilization, and other practices. Also, in the Pequea watershed, access and use of non-motorized cover crop and no-till equipment will be available for use by Plain Sect farmers.
The goals for the Halfmoon Creek watershed are to reduce sediment, preserve critical landscapes, restore degraded landscapes, and foster stewardship of the watershed. Of the 32 miles of streams, a priority is restoring roughly 10 miles of headwaters in the Bald Eagle Region.
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Chesapeake Bay Program Notes Increase in Wetlands Across the Watershed
Experts from EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program report that between 2014 and 2022, the Chesapeake Bay watershed gained 4,310 acres of newly created or restored wetlands. This is a slight increase (5.1%) for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement wetland outcome to create or re-establish 85,000 acres of tidal and non-tidal wetlands, primarily on agricultural or natural landscapes. This figure includes 616 acres of wetlands on agricultural lands.
The Watershed Agreement outcome also calls for the function of 150,000 degraded wetlands to be enhanced by 2025. The latest data shows that 60,666 acres of wetlands have been enhanced (i.e., improving one or more functions of an existing wetland) between 2014-2022, meeting 40.4% of this goal.
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|  | American black ducks visit salt marsh wetlands at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, MD., on Jan. 9, 2023 (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program).
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DCNR Restoration Work in Big Elk Creek State Park Resulted in 80 acres of Seeded Meadows and Continues with Tree Planting on 255 Acres of Streamside Buffer
On January 17, Bureau of State Parks Director John Hallas announced the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is beginning restoration work at Big Elk Creek State Park in Chester County.
In 2023, about 80 acres of meadows were seeded on former agricultural fields which will come into bloom this spring. In April 2024, tree plantings will occur on more than 255 acres of streamside buffer areas at the park. Hallas stated that work is being accomplished in partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay with a grant through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program supported by federal dollars.
The native meadow plantings on two areas of the park will provide important floral resources for pollinators and habitat for ground nesting birds. The tree planting areas are currently hay or crop fields and reforesting them will improve the health of nearby streams.
There will be opportunities for volunteers to help plant streamside forest buffer tree plantings in the spring, with a 1,500-tree planting scheduled for April 6. More information about the tree planting relay can be found on the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay website.
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Meadows seeded by DCNR surrounded by forest at Big Elk Creek State Park (Photo provided by Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay).
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Northcentral PA Conservancy Partners with Barry and Jane Brucklacher to Preserve 29 Acres in Tioga County
On January 17, the Northcentral PA Conservancy announced it partnered with Barry and Jane Brucklacher to preserve 29 acres of their 138-acre homestead near Wellsboro in Tioga County.
Originally a dairy farm, the sprawling hayfields are still productive today, harvested by a local farmer to support a mushroom grower in Kennett Square, Chester County. With future conservation in mind, the Brucklachers’ sought out options to conserve wildlife habitat, biodiversity, farmland, and natural resources on the property. Initially they enrolled 103 acres of their property in the Tioga County Agricultural Farmland Preservation Program, but they still wanted to conserve even more, leading to the establishment of this conservation easement agreement.
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The Brucklachers at their property (Photo provided by Northcentral PA Conservancy).
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Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts’ 2023 Highlights
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) released their Highlights of Conservation District Activities in 2023 report, which recognizes and credits the PA General Assembly for providing significant additional funding for conservation districts and focuses on local conservation district(s) activities. The report notes several accomplishments for every conservation district, including additional activities made possible by the increased conservation district funding, which further ensures natural resource protection and restoration.
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Penn State Center for Ag Conservation Assistance Training Hires Engineering Firm to Help Develop Certification Program for Conservation Professionals
The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training, administered by Penn State Extension, has contracted with Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc., an infrastructure consulting firm operating in Pennsylvania and surrounding states with more than 60 years of experience in civil engineering and a reputation for innovative water quality solutions.
This partnership is aimed at boosting the conservation workforce’s capacity to implement best management practices, ultimately improving and protecting soil health and water quality in Pennsylvania. The firm will assist in establishing certification requirements, providing training, and supervising certified conservation professionals for the installation of projects statewide.
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Penn State Extension Offers Free Hiring and Retention Webinar
Penn State Extension is offering a free Hiring and Retention: Workplace Culture and Negotiating Across Diversity webinar funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant. The webinar explores the importance of workplace culture and addressing diversity among individuals. Workplace culture is a collection of attitudes and behaviors that shape the workplace atmosphere. A healthy culture can have a significant impact on employee retention. This webinar explores the importance of fostering a healthy workplace culture that promotes the organization's mission. It also addresses collaborating with people of a different gender or culture. This webinar will inform viewers on ways to adapt negotiation styles based on these differences to assure successful outcomes.
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Plain Sect Farms in Lancaster County Receive $2.2 Million in State Conservation Funds
Seventeen Plain Sect farms in Lancaster County will benefit from $2.2 million in state grants to improve manure storage and reduce harmful runoff into local waterways. The SCC awarded $1.1 million each to nonprofits Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Lancaster Farmland Trust as part of the Conservation Excellence Grants announced earlier this month.
The Alliance is targeting seven small Plain Sect dairy farms in Lancaster County, along with two farms in Snyder County, and is expected to start work by next summer. A total of 18 acres of new streamside plantings will improve water quality in the Octorara and Conestoga watersheds. Each acre will host 275 new trees.
The Trust will focus on 10 farms – nine dairy farms plus one beef and chicken operation – in the Pequea Creek watershed. Those 10 Amish farms cover a total of 682 acres. The Trust’s projects, expected to be completed by 2025, will include increased manure storage, barnyard runoff and stormwater controls, and streamside tree plantings.
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This manure storage tank, installed by the Lancaster Farmland Trust on a property in the Pequea Creek watershed, is an example of the kind of work that will be expanded in the area due to the Conservation Excellence Grant awarded in February 2024 (Photo provided by Lancaster Farmland Trust).
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ReImagine Appalachia Spotlights Work to Clean Up Orange-Stained Streams in PA’s Coal Communities
The Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) is working to reclaim abandoned mine lands and restore watersheds impacted by abandoned mine drainage in northcentral and northeastern PA. As waters empty from the abandoned mines and resurface, they’re introduced to the water supply in downstream communities. Currently, costly water treatment facilities are needed to remove pollutants and improve the water. With funding for watershed restoration, EPCAMR hopes to keep streams above ground where they belong, minimizing the costs of long-term water treatment.
These watersheds also feed river systems downstream, which means mine-polluted waters are also flowing into the central and western parts of the state destined for the Susquehanna, Delaware, and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. Federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act could provide a transformative opportunity to address some of the 5,500 miles of polluted streams needing restoration.
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Susquehanna River Basin Commission Awards $150,000+ Grants to Support 34 Local Watershed Projects
On January 31, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) announced the award of more than $150,000 in grant funds to organizations that are dedicated to the health and quality of our local watersheds. The Stream & Watershed Enhancement Grant program is supporting 34 community-based environmental and water resource projects or events that will improve, restore or protect the Basin’s waterways.
Awardees include county conservation districts, environmental volunteer groups, school districts, universities, municipalities and even one fire department. Community gardens, an ADA-accessible boat launch, water trail signage, microplastics monitoring, water rescue equipment, and a pollinator meadow are just a few examples of the exciting projects soon to benefit the Basin.
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PA American Water Now Accepting Applications for Water and Environment Grants
On February 15, Pennsylvania American Water announced it is now accepting applications for the American Water Charitable Foundation 2024 Water and Environment Grant Program for projects within its service territory. The deadline for applications is March 15.
To streamline the grant experience for its community partners, the Foundation has combined Pennsylvania American Water’s former Environmental Grant Program with its Water and Environment Grant Program. This strategic integration will strengthen the Foundation’s charitable focus and impact across American Water’s footprint. The Foundation invites community partners to apply for grants that promote clean water, conservation, environmental education, climate variability and water-based recreation projects.
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NFWF – FY24 Chesapeake WILD Grant Soliciting Proposals
Chesapeake WILD Grant is soliciting proposals that restore, conserve, steward, and enhance important Chesapeake Bay watershed habitats and ecosystems for imperiled fish and wildlife.
Proposals are due April 10, 2024, and awards are expected to be announced in fall 2024. Proposal narratives should incorporate conservation action recommendations consistent with federal, tribal, or state habitat conservation or species recovery plans, or with actions listed for the species within state wildlife action plans, NFWF’s Business Plan, and/or fish and wildlife habitats identified as important by EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program.
This year’s Chesapeake WILD RFP includes Appendix A: Priority Fish and Wildlife Resources to help prospective grantees easily locate and use information resources, including examples of priority conservation actions eligible for funding, to inform competitive grant proposals.
For general questions, contact Tori Sullens (NFWF) at Tori.Sullens@nfwf.org or Faren Wolter (USFWS) at Faren_Wolter@fws.gov.
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WeConservePA Accepting Applications for Grants for Resource Management Planning on Eased Forest Land in Chesapeake Bay Watershed
WeConservePA is now accepting applications from land trusts for grants for resource management planning for forest land in conservation easements in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The grant program is intended to explore the ways that land trusts, landowners, and forest professionals might work constructively together to better understand conserved lands and ultimately produce better conservation results on the land, including better forest health, habitat improvement, water resource protection, and sustainable timber production.
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis through May 31, 2024, or until all project funds are committed, whichever comes first. The first grants will be awarded on March 11. WeConservePA will award up to $150,000 in total grants for this planning work. Questions should be directed to Carol Grayshaw at cgrayshaw@weconservepa.org with the subject “FMP grant app.”
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Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR) Funding Announcement for Emergency Repair to Mine Drainage Systems
For 16 years, WPCAMR’s Quick Response Program has provided Growing Greener funding statewide for emergency repairs for Growing Greener-eligible water restoration projects which includes Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) passive treatment systems. Now, in addition to funding from the Growing Greener program, Quick Response will provide an additional source of funding from the federal Office of Surface Mining’s Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program (WCAP) exclusively for repairs to AMD treatment systems. If applicants have an acid mine drainage treatment system that is in need of repair, they should contact their DEP Mining Watershed Manager. The Mining Watershed Manager will contact WPCAMR and see which funding source, Growing Greener or WCAP, will be the best fit for that repair.
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Marking Substantial Progress in Blair County
During the 2023 progress year, reporters for Blair County have submitted a substantial amount of BMPs. The BMP sources range from cover crop and tillage data, to PracticeKeeper, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)/Farm Service Agency (FSA), Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR), and Resource Enhancement & Protection Program (REAP) BMPs. Collectively, there were 838 total BMPs reported for Blair County, which accounted for approximately six percent of the total BMPs reported for PA. Of these reported BMPs, approximately 90 percent were newly implemented and nearly 10 percent were older verified or re-verified BMPs. The work that has been completed in Blair County is an outstanding representation of time, money and effort well spent that can be used as an example for other county partners in the Bay watershed to replicate.
Blair County utilized an exceptional college intern seeking her GIS Certificate (Hope Long, University of Pittsburgh Johnstown) to enter “mounds” of unreported plans and projects from a multitude of sources. That, along with reverifying previously reported plans and adding new projects including its revamped Cover Crop Incentive Program, contributed to the final numbers. Rich Huether, Ag Conservation Specialist, and Chelsey Weyant, Stormwater Coordinator/Watershed Specialist, performed commendable work in reporting and moving Blair County forward. Staff at the Blair County Conservation District sincerely appreciated the implementation work by producer partners in their county that made this achievement possible.
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Spreading Awareness of the Cover Crop Program in Cumberland County
Cumberland County is in the 18th year of its cover crop program which began in 2006/2007. For the 2023-2024 program, the county has over 90 farmers participating totaling 9,355 acres (8,023 non-till acres and 1,332 minimum till acres). This program pays farmers $20 per acre for minimum till and $30 per acre for no-till by participating and following the guidelines. Any winter cover crop planted after silage corn, grain corn, soybeans, or sorghum may be enrolled in the program. For more details on the Cover Crop Program and how to become part of it visit the Cumberland County Cover Crop Program website.
Since cover crops improve soil health, control weeds and pests, and protect local streams from sediment and nutrient runoff, it has been a mission for this county to find ways to promote this program. At the beginning of 2024, the county bought six signs and had them placed in different locations on busy roads. The signs read “We love our soil but we do not want to see it!”
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Promoting cover crops on the Brubaker farm.
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Promoting cover crops on the Mains Walnut farm.
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Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program Supports Cumberland County Family Farmer
Greg Strayer’s family farm received a much-needed manure storage upgrade through 90 percent cost-share funds for a new $111,000 storage area through the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) distributed through the Cumberland County Conservation District (CCCD). This program allowed the Strayer farm to invest in a waste management measure that would otherwise have been out of reach financially, and it helped to protect a small stream that leads to the Conodoguinet Creek, and eventually the Susquehanna River, from future liquid manure leaks. Strayer’s farm has also engaged other conservation measures including enrolling with NRCS’s Conservation Stewardship Program and working with CBF to plant trees on a streamside buffer, with plans to add more on the hillside above the new manure storage facility.
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A new 185,000-gallon manure storage area installed on Greg Strayer’s beef farm in Cumberland County is reducing polluted runoff into local streams. The storage was made possible with cost-share funds through Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) (Photo by BJ Small/CBF Staff).
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Stream Restoration Joint Effort in Lycoming County
Lycoming County’s February 2024 Clean Water Chronicles CAP newsletter highlighted their collaborative Spring Garden Hunting Club Stream and Habitat Restoration Project. This project introduced carefully designed log structures for fish habitat to Blockhouse Creek in Waterville. Best management practices implemented in the project targeted the reduction of nutrients as well as sediment from entering the waterway. The project involved a partnership between the Lycoming County Planning Commission, the Lycoming County Conservation District, and Trout Unlimited. The success of the project translates to enhanced fish habitat, a healthier ecosystem, and a reduction of over 34,000 pounds of sediment. Phase 2 of the project is set to begin next fall.
In addition to featuring key projects, Lycoming County’s CAP bi-monthly newsletter seeks to provide overall CAP progress updates and CAP news, raise awareness and educate on water quality issues, display local watershed information, and highlight relevant legislative news.
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"Pennsylvania farmers know that sustainable practices and environmental stewardship are critical to the future of agriculture here in Pennsylvania and across our nation. Our goal to meet and exceed the Chesapeake Bay water quality standards is coequal with the goals that our farmers have in ensuring viable and sustainable farmland. These are generational decisions that our farmers are making today that will ensure a future of healthy soils and clean water for the decades to come.”
- Russell Redding, Agriculture Secretary
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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