CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM2005 marked the fifteenth year that the Chesapeake Bay Program has funded environmental improvement projects for Wyoming County’s agricultural community. Because “We All Live Downstream”, as the program’s motto states, Wyoming County is an integral part of the monumental Chesapeake Bay restoration effort. Since the Chesapeake Bay Program’s inception, 35 landowners within the County have completed various environmental improvements known as “Best Management Practices” and received a total of $783,284.50 in cost-share reimbursement. These BMPs, as they are called, included the installation of concrete barnyards, manure storage facilities, milkhouse waste treatment systems, stormwater runoff control devices, and barn roof gutter systems. Practices such as these are designed to achieve two major objectives: to keep clean water…clean, as well as prevent excess farm nutrients from entering our waterways. When these important goals are met, the cumulative impact to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay resulting from agricultural operations is greatly improved. In addition to the funding that make these projects possible, the Bay Program also provides the technical support needed to put them “on the ground”. Chesapeake Bay professional engineers, with support from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), design the BMPs that will achieve the desired nutrient management goals for the lowest possible cost. Once the landowner approves the design, it becomes the duty of the County’s Chesapeake Bay technician to assure the project is constructed to the required standards and specifications.
Since the enactment of Pennsylvania’s Nutrient Management Act, the Conservation District has taken on added responsibility. Under the Act, concentrated animal operations, as well as farmers receiving financial assistance through the Chesapeake Bay and other related programs must agree to implement an approved nutrient management plan. Operators who do not meet these criteria may also volunteer to comply with the Act. Benefits of complying with these common sense regulations can include more efficient utilization of manure nutrients, improved animal health, increased profits, and limited liability protection from civil action.
The Conservation District is assisting those operators who are affected by the Nutrient Management Act to meet these new challenges. The District’s Chesapeake Bay technician serves a dual role as its Nutrient Management Specialist. His job is to work one on one with cooperating landowners to formulate a management plan that best suits the specific needs of each operation, while meeting the requirements under the law. In 2004, nutrient management plans were written for three cooperating landowners to properly handle manure applications on 732 acres of cropland.
The Conservation District also cooperates with the non-profit Chesapeake Bay Foundation to implement CBF’s Farm Stewardship Program. To date, twelve cooperating landowners have established 14,877 feet of forested riparian buffer and restored over 61 acres of wetlands through financial incentives to exclude cattle from these environmentally sensitive areas.
Landowner interest in the Chesapeake Bay and related programs remains strong. Several large projects are scheduled for completion in 2005. Other projects wait funding in the year 2006 and beyond. As the program continues into the new millennium, we can all be proud of Wyoming County’s role in the restoration of the nation’s largest estuary, the magnificent Chesapeake Bay.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS SPECIALIST/RESOURCES PLANNER
The continuing role of the Information Systems Specialist/Resources Planner is to provide support and assistance to District and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff as needed.
As the scope of activities increases with new programs administered by the District, so do the duties of the ISS/Resources Planner. The District newsletter is published at quarterly intervals to coincide with the seedling and fish sales, and mailed to over 1,400 addresses. However, if there is special information that needs to be disseminated in a timely manner, additional newsletters are quickly composed and mailed. Eleven press releases were issued to the appropriate media concerning District programs as well as special events, seminars, workshops and other newsworthy activities.
The organization and coordination of the Annual Northeast Regional Contractors/Engineers Workshop is done by the ISS/Resource Planner. The workshop continues to grow in both public attendance and exhibitor displays. This year, our tenth, 217 people registered to attend, but a late spring storm the day before dropped about 6” of snow and 161 actually made it. There were 24 exhibitors, the same amount as last year, which is just about the maximum number the hall will accommodate.
Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc. and Morrissey Insurance Co. presented the opening session on underground safety law and insurance, a mainstay of the workshop. Three breakout sessions were held later in the morning. First was “Stream Restoration Techniques for Contractors” presented by Todd Moses, Senior Restoration Specialist with Skelly & Loy, Inc.; Hazardous Materials Handling presented by Jerome Washo, Director of Operations for Resource Environmental Management, Inc.: and “Do I Really Need a Permit?” presented by Joe D’Onofrio and Kevin White, both Senior Civil Engineers with the Department of Environmental Protection. DEP is always a very important part of the workshop and, in fact, many contractors return to the workshop year after year just to learn about updates and changes.
In a change from previous years, the afternoon sessions were broken into two tracks. One track was formulated for designers and engineers concerning low impact design. The other, for general contractors and township officials was a step by step explanation of the permitting process.
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is a technical agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), that provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment. Land users may request NRCS assistance through the Wyoming County Conservation District or by directly contacting NRCS.
Wyoming County land users receive service from the NRCS personnel headquartered at the Agricultural Service Center, located along Hollowcrest Road, approximately three miles west of Tunkhannock. During fiscal year 2004, Edward A. Patchcoski, District Conservationist, and Kevin A. Rohe, Civil Engineering Technician; were assigned to the Tunkhannock Field Office. The NRCS staff received assistance throughout the year from conservation district personnel, technical center personnel, volunteers and related specialists.
Much of our time during the past year was devoted toward technical assistance to USDA program participants, specifically; those interested in maintaining their eligibility for program benefits. The office provided assistance to 893 individuals during the fiscal year. A total of 967 acres received some form of conservation planning assistance. The installation of various erosion control measures resulted in soil savings of 6500 tons. Conservation systems were applied to 227 acres. Forest stand improvement was implemented on 15 acres. Prescribed grazing was installed on 150 acres. We have continued to provide technical assistance to many traditional areas of need, such as, the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), Resource Conservation and Development, Rural Development, Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Reduction Program, Erosion and Sediment Control, General Land use Planning, Wetlands Restoration, Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), Natural Resource Inventory, Forestry Programs, Conservation Reserve Program, Farmland Preservation, Environmental Education, and overall Resource Management/Information. Numerous landowners have benefited from one or more of these programs.
Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) – The WHIP program remains very popular in Wyoming County. The program provides technical and financial assistance to landowners interested in habitat improvement. This wildlife habitat enhancement initiative has resulted in several projects with private landowners. The field office staff has assisted landowners with habitat improvement on 465 acres of wildlife land. We presently have 13 active contracts.
Dirt and Gravel Roads Program – We continue to serve on the Quality Assurance Board and provide technical assistance to Township Supervisors. Several projects were completed that resulted in the stabilization of eroding areas and a reduction in sedimentation to our waterways. The Conservation District administers this annually funded program.
Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)- The present EQIP program is serving as a vehicle for land users to address environmental concerns related to nutrient management, erosion control, and water quality. The program has been reauthorized in the latest Farm
Bill and provides technical and financial assistance to land users to address natural resource concerns. Several projects have been completed since the inception of the program. The most recent was a manure storage facility for a dairy operation in Clinton Township. Landowners are reminded that there is a continuous sign-up for this program. EQIP is one of several programs that a landowner may utilize to apply conservation to his land.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) – During the past year landowners placed over 500 acres of highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land into this long term conservation program. The majority of the acreage has been planted to a combination of grasses and legumes. A few acres have been planted to forested riparian buffers. NRCS provides technical assistance to interested landowners. The program allows for land rental contracts up to 15 years. Interested individuals should contact the field office for an eligibility determination.
Throughout the year our technical staff assisted the conservation partnership with a variety of technical requests such as, the planning and installation of barnyard projects, the installation of stream bank fencing, farmland preservation, riparian area establishment, forest improvement, wildlife habitat improvement, grazing land improvements, conservation education, watershed initiatives, non- agricultural related erosion and sedimentation concerns, and various related resource initiatives.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs) persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-2600 (voice & TDD).
To file a complaint, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Bldg., 14th & independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA/NRCS is an equal opportunity employer.
United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency
In 2004 the Farm Service Agency continued to make market conditions a priority in their program development. The Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment Program began its signup for 2002 and 2003 on October 1, 2002 and ended on June 2, 2003. This program replaced AMTA program which had provided commodity payments to farmers for the previous seven years. New land was eligible to enter the DCP program as well as land that had been in the previous AMTA. A total of 350 contracts were taken and payments were issued on farms with a history of growing grain commodities.
A dairy program called the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC), which began with the 2002 Farm Bill, continued efforts to stabilize the dairy prices. It was designed to compensate commercial dairy producers whenever the price of Class 1 milk in the Boston market dropped below $16.94 per hundredweight of milk. Class 1 utilization rate of 45% was used to multiply that difference and the result was paid to contract producers. The program is effective December 2001 through September 30, 2005. Monthly payments totaling $82,005.86 were disbursed to participants in 2004 for the months of January through April 2004. No payment was earned from May through December because the price exceeded Boston Class 1 rate. Sheep producers in the county were compensated for their market weaknesses with a program called the Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistance Program (LMAAP) which is designed to help producers improve their production efficiencies through the purchase or retention of quality ewe lambs. Three producers are enrolled in this program.
There was a new signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 2003 but no offers were selected from the county. The 27 contracts already enrolled, earned $32,960.00 in annual rental payments. In Wyoming County, 1,064.7 acres of farmland are in conservation cover for a minimum of 10 years. In exchange for this conservation reserve, producers receive annual rental payments.
Late in the 2003 program year, Wyoming County and 22 other counties were included in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) expansion. This program is designed to attract participants who will enter their cropland and marginal pastureland into a reserve, giving up harvesting on these acres in exchange for guaranteed annual payments. Annual payments are earned for a minimum of 10 years up to a maximum of 15 years. The program has a stronger emphasis on water quality improvement and is enhanced by partnership cost sharing with the state of Pennsylvania and certain private conservation organizations. The rental rates for this program can range from $44/acre minimum to $118/acre maximum on eligible land. Twenty-two (22) contracts were approved on 581.5 acres of land in the county under this program in 2004. The annual payments will total $55,630.00 averaging $ 95.66/acre.
Annual signup was held for the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). This program was designed to replace the conservation cost-sharing programs of the past using a contract approach which addressed all the current environmental concerns on a farm. Conservation practices such as strips, tile, waterways and diversions are offered under this program. No contracts were approved under this program to be implemented under this program for 2004.
The staff of the Wyoming County Farm Service Agency consists of Charles G. Perkins, County Executive Director and John Camburn, Field Assistant as well as Tammy Finan and Jan Ambrutis, Program Technicians. A county committee consisting of five members elected from three areas in Wyoming County and two areas in Sullivan guides and assists the office in funding and farming/program matters. Francis Moll (Sullivan) served as Chairperson and Eugene Adams (Wyoming) served as Vice Chairperson. The three regular embers were John Jurista (Wyoming), Colleen Zdaniewicz (Wyoming), and David Hottenstein (Sullivan).
Pennsylvania Game Commission
Listed below is the work accomplished by Game Commission personnel in the year 2003 in Wyoming County.
*1,985 Pheasants stocked/released *2,000 Evergreens distributed to Cooperators *1,200 other trees and shrubs distributed *6 farms received 2 acres of border cut *15 nesting devices erected *400 pounds of wildlife seed mixture distributed *88 landowners contacted *83 safety zones maintained *875 evergreens and 406 other trees and shrubs planted *50 fruit trees pruned *400 shrubs/vines released *11 acres of border cut *13 acres of food plots developed/planted to small grains *14 acres of food plots developed/planted to legumes *175 acres of food plots mowed and maintained *5/27 acres of food plots limed/top dressed *13 acres of grain left standing as wildlife habitat
Maintained by the Game Commission:
*18 miles of roads *30 miles of trails *87 parking lots *10 bridges *16 ponds/dams/dikes *30 waterfowl nesting devices *32 other nesting devices *4 miles of boundary line *18 large signs *19 gates *465 culvert pipes *16 buildings/grounds *27 miles of road sides mowed *115 informational signs *14 miles of snowmobile trails *1 Propagation area boundary line;/miles
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