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EPA, NFWF Announce $2.4 Million For Projects To Improve PA Streams In Chesapeake Bay Watershed

On February 12, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced $2.4 million in grant funding for 14 projects that will help improve local waters in Pennsylvania and contribute to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.

The awards will directly support efforts by local governments and partners throughout the Bay watershed in Pennsylvania to implement water quality projects that reduce stormwater runoff pollution from urban, suburban, and agricultural lands.

The $2.4 million in federal funds will be leveraged with $3.4 million in local matching funds for a total impact of nearly $6 million.

The projects funded include--

-- Hallam Borough, York County: Streambank Restoration on a Tributary to Kreutz Creek: Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $67,500, Total $267,500. Hallam Borough will restore 545 linear feet of stream bank along with 400 linear feet of eroded swale on an Unnamed tributary to Kreutz Creek in Hallam Borough, York County, PA. Project will stabilize stream banks and reduce sediment discharge to Kreutz Creek.

-- Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County, Cocalico Creek Floodplain Restoration: Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $827,890, Total $1,027,890: The Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County will establish native vegetation and

stabilize streambanks in preparation for next phases of floodplain restoration within the Little Cocalico Creek and Cocalico Creek watershed. Project will improve water quality through reduction of polluted runoff and increase of wetland habitat.

-- West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Groff Farm Floodplain Restoration: Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $722,649, Total $922,649: West Lampeter Township will Restore a 2,300 linear foot section of an eroded streambank and create approximately 4.4 acres of riparian habitat on a large portion of streambank of Big Spring Run in the Mill Creek Watershed. Project will reduce pounds of sediment, pounds of nitrogen, and pounds of phosphorus through the construction of Agricultural Best Management Practices on Groff Farm.

-- Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Stoner Park Streambank Restoration, Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $100,000, Total $300,000: Manheim Township will restore streambank along Landis Run within Stoner Park for approximately 1,336 linear feet of property owned by Manheim Township. Project will contribute to the sediment load reduction objectives of Manheim Township’s Pollutant Reduction Plan by eliminating a known source of sediment.

-- Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Streambank Restoration on a Tributary to Conestoga Creek, Grant: $93,780, Matching Funds: $100,000, Total $193,780: Manheim Township will Restore approximately 1,065 linear feet of an unnamed tributary to the Conestoga River along Manheim Township property in Lancaster County, PA. Project will provide sediment load reductions to help meet Manheim Township’s Pollutant reduction Plan (PRP) by eliminating a causal source of sediment.

-- Manheim Borough, Lancaster County, Memorial Park Stream Restoration: Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $949,000, Total $1,149,000: Manheim Borough will implement riparian buffers and stream bank stabilization for an approximate 3,000 linear foot section of the Chiques Creek. Project will reduce sediment and associated nutrients and other pollutants entering the stream in addition to providing educational and passive recreational opportunities.

-- West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Streambank Stabilization and Stormwater Management on a Tributary to Chiques Creek: Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $102,62, Total $302,621: Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $102,621, Total $302,621: West Hempfield Township will partner with a plain-sect farmer to stabilize an eroded stream and drainage channel that conveys stormwater discharge from an upland developed area to Chiques Creek and install a bioretention basin to reduce stormwater volume and provide water quality benefits. Project will advance load reduction efforts through accelerated implementation of structural load-reduction practices.

-- Lancaster Farmland Trust, Stream Restoration on Cedar Creek: Grant: $161,934, Matching Funds: $32,000, Total $193,934: Lancaster Farmland Trust will implement the following priority practices: loafing lot management, forest and grass buffers with exclusion fencing, and stream restoration along five properties on Cedar Creek in East Earl Township. Project will reduce nutrient and sediment pollution near the headwaters of the Conestoga River Watershed, improving water quality for downstream neighbors.

-- Penn Township, Lancaster County, Stream Restoration on a Tributary to Chiques Creek, Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $295,717, Total $495,717: Penn Township will partner with a plain-sect farmer to restore an eroded stream channel that conveys stormwater discharge to a tributary to Chiques Creek from an upland developed area including installing a stormwater bioretention facility to reduce stormwater volume and provide water quality benefits. Project will achieve a portion of the Township’s required pollutant reductions through stream restoration and native forest riparian buffers.

-- Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, Detention Basin Retrofit in Residential Area, Grant: $160,486, Matching Funds: $24,073, Total $184,559: Lower Allen Township will retrofit an existing dry detention basin to a bioretention facility in the Moreland residential neighborhood of Lower Allen Township. Project will retrofit a total drainage area of 17.7 acres improving water quality and stormwater management while engaging and educating the local community about stormwater pollution.

-- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Lancaster City Retrofit and Rain Garden Implementation, Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $30,000, Total $230,000: Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. will support the City of Lancaster in implementing two green infrastructure projects within the southwest quadrant of Lancaster City. Project will partner with the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals and Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake to retrofit an existing rain garden in Brandon Park and a rain garden will be installed on the property of a neighborhood church to reduce the amount of stormwater that enters Lancaster City’s combined sewer overflow system.

-- Borough of Akron, Lancaster County, Community Rain Garden and Stream Restoration, Grant: $120,000, Matching Funds: $41,100, Total $161,100: Borough of Akron will implement a rain garden for runoff control from the Akron Borough office building and restore approximately 500 feet of eroded stream through Roland Park. Project will reduce stormwater runoff and maximize infiltration and will continue community education events to encourage its residents, businesses, and churches to do similar Best Management Practices to reduce stormwater runoff and maximize infiltration.

-- Mount Joy Borough, Lancaster County, Stormwater Management in Rotary Park, Grant: $100,000, Matching Funds:$15,00, Total $115,000: Mount Joy Borough will establish a native vegetative bioswale to slow down the velocity of water through a native grass channel while providing heavy erosion control to prevent future washouts. Project will reduce the amount annual sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen transported to Little Chiques Creek and erect educational kiosks throughout the park to promote education on pollutants, erosion control, and stormwater best management practices for Borough residents and participants at the park.

-- TeamAg, Inc., Agriculture Runoff Water Quality Improvement in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Grant: $200,000, Matching Funds: $129,42, Total $329,421: TeamAg, Inc. will implement prepared Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans for several small Plain Sect dairies in SalisburyTownship identified with critical water concerns including leaking manure storage facilities, runoff from barnyards and loafing areas, inadequate manure storage, improper treatment of milk house wastewater, and lack of cattle stream crossings and fencing to exclude cattle. Project will implement environmental improvements on farms to increase their economic and environmental performance.

Click Here for more on the projects.

The grant awards resulted from an EPA decision in September 2019 to reallocate portions of Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay funding to ensure the funds are spent more quickly and efficiently and help alleviate the commonwealth’s high amount of unspent grant funds, known as unliquidated obligations (ULOs).

“It is a priority for EPA to help our partners advance their plans to restore the Chesapeake Bay and improve local water quality,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “We were pleased to work with Pennsylvania and NFWF to ensure that these federal funds were applied in the most timely and beneficial way.”

“Through its 20 year-partnership with EPA on Bay restoration, NFWF has a long history of supporting efforts by Pennsylvania communities to identify, plan, and implement water quality improvement projects that support Bay recovery while also restoring local rivers and streams,” said Amanda Bassow, NFWF’s Northeast regional director. “We’re happy to leverage that legacy in helping deploy critical federal funding to advance local and regional conservation goals.”

Under the plan to reallocate grants from Pennsylvania’s fiscal year 2018 and 2019 Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant and Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program, EPA directed $2.4 million to NFWF’s Small Watershed Grants program to assist Pennsylvania local governments in implementing priority restoration projects.

EPA also announced plans to redirect funds to support stream-side forest buffer projects proposed by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and to fund critical staff positions, including those at PADEP and Pennsylvania’s Conservation Districts, and up to eight new coordinator positions to implement county action plans under the commonwealth’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan.

EPA also accepted an application for Chesapeake Bay funding from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for stream restoration projects and is encouraging additional applications from the Department of Agriculture and other Pennsylvania agencies or commissions for projects that improve local water quality and further nutrient and sediment reductions to the Chesapeake Bay.

For more information on how Pennsylvania plans to meet its Chesapeake Bay cleanup obligations, visit DEP’s PA’s Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan webpage.

Click Here for a summary of the steps the Plan recommends.

(Photo: Wind turbines supplying renewable energy to Turkey Hill Dairy at the Frey Farm Landfill, Lancaster County.)

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