Chesapeake Bay Program

At CCCD, technical assistance and design services are free.

We can provide:

• Field contours
• Maps of your farm (e.g., satellite imagery, soil types, field acreage, topography)
• Engineering consultations and project cost estimates
• Surveys and designs of BMPs (e.g., terraces, manure storages, concrete barnyards, etc.)

The CCCD can also assist you with seeking funds to install your planned BMPs. Funding sources typically include:

1.  Federal

     A.  Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

     B.  Farm Service Agency (FSA) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

     C.  NEW IN FALL 2018: NRCS Resource Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

Under this program CCCD and its partners will address a surplus in EQIP applicants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, by working closely with NRCS and private agricultural consultants to develop plans and install conservation practices.  As part of the RCPP ranking process, applicants will be given a higher score based on their willingness to implement or maintain a stream buffer, and commitment to work with one or more designated partners to develop plans and/or BMPs.

2. State — DEP Chesapeake Bay Special Projects

This program is available on a biennial basis and is exclusive for landowners in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  It operates similarly to EQIP and RCPP in terms of BMPs covered and their payment rates, but tends to be less competitive because projects are not ranked against each other.. If you would like to inquire about this program please contact: Paige LaDuca at 610-925-4920 ext. 118.

3. Miscellaneous Sources — Please contact a District representative to inquire about additional opportunities:

     A. Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP):  a tax credit program available for farm equipment and recently installed BMPs.

     B. Stroud Water Research Center’s recurring programs.

     C. Agricultural Planning Reimbursement Program:  currently in renewal process.

Since July of 2016, staff from the Chester County Conservation District (CCCD) and the Department of Environmental Protection Southeast Regional Office (DEP SERO) have been conducting inspections on farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed of Chester County. As mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) these inspections are checking on the status and availability of written agricultural plans and implementation of these plans. These plans include, at a minimum:

Chapter 91 Manure Management Plans – for all operations that either generate or land apply manure. This includes all operations from the single horse owner to the large pullet houses.

Chapter 102 Agricultural Erosion and Sediment Control Plans – for all operations with at least 5,000 square feet of cropland or Animal Heavy Use Areas (AHUA – sometimes also referred to as an Animal Concentration Area (ACA)).

Owners/operators who do not have plans are required to obtain these plans within a certain time period or face referral to DEP for follow-up. However, the CCCD is available to help write Manure Management Plans and provide resources to address erosion and sediment plans and/or concerns.

A recent assessment by The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has determined pollution levels, habitat, and fisheries are improving in the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, conditions were found to be the best they have been in the past 18 years. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels are decreasing, habitat-providing underwater grasses are recovering, and populations of blue crab and oysters are increasing. Progress in the control of nutrient and sediment-laden runoff from agricultural, residential, and urban surfaces could be the cause of the improvements, demonstrating the importance the implementation of Best Management Practices across our landscape. With approximately 700 farms comprising the Bay-region of Chester County, it is largely up to farmers to continue making progress to improve water quality. (Source: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation: http://www.cbf.org/.)