HARRISBURG, PA — In a move aimed at improving water quality in Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding recently announced that the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission has approved the allocation of $3 million to four organizations. The funds come under the Conservation Excellence Grant Program, which aims to implement projects that enhance public-private partnerships in the Susquehanna River watershed.
The Alliance for Chesapeake Bay and Lancaster Farmland Trust are among the beneficiaries, each receiving over $1 million to execute a wide range of projects. One of the major initiatives includes installing conservation practices on 10 preserved farms.
The Centre County Conservation District has been awarded $510,000 to fund two projects within priority watersheds in Centre County. These projects aim to achieve water quality and pollution reduction goals in two local watersheds, both directly linked to the waterways leading to the Chesapeake Bay.
Franklin County Conservation District received $300,000 to strengthen the Restore. Exclude. Vegetate. (R.E.V.) program in Franklin County. The R.E.V. program will provide 100% cost-share to landowners to complete various conservation measures such as livestock exclusion fencing, off-stream waterers, vegetated buffers, and private engineering fees. The Franklin County Conservation District is partnering with the Antietam Watershed Association to monitor stream health and calculate the impact of the R.E.V. program.
Lancaster Farmland Trust, awarded $1,095,000, aims to reduce nitrogen flowing into the Chesapeake Bay through agricultural best management practices on 10 preserved farms in the Pequea Creek Watershed. Upon completion of each activity, the Lancaster Farmland Trust will provide new or updated conservation plans for the participating farms to the Lancaster County Conservation District.
Finally, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, County Conservation Districts, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, has also been granted $1,095,000. The funds will be used to implement best management practices on farms in Lancaster and Snyder Counties. The funding will be allocated to farmers keen on implementing practices like riparian forest buffers, improving local water quality, and achieving cost-effective nitrogen load reductions for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
y supporting these initiatives, Pennsylvania is taking a proactive stance towards environmental sustainability and fostering a more sustainable future for Pennsylvania farms. For more information on the Conservation Excellence Grant Program and other State Conservation Commission programs, visit agriculture.pa.gov.
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