Catalog of Sample Policies for Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts

Access to Public Files
(Union Conservation District)

Public files created or maintained by the District are open to the public for inspection and review at the District Office during normal working hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding County holidays). No files, or portions of files, may be removed from the District office by the requesting party.

Files may be reviewed at the District by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling the Union Conservation District (570-523-8782) at least 2 working days in advance. Appointments will be made pending the availability of the District staff to oversee the entire review and, when requested, assist with the review.

Please list all documents and other file items that are desired to be reviewed at the time the appointment is made.

• Act 6 nutrient management plans that are in their final form and are ready to be submitted to the District Board for final approval are considered public information and are available for public review at any time. Any supplemental documents that were referenced in order to approve/disapprove a nutrient management plan shall be considered as available to the public also.
• Earth disturbance permit applications that are in their final form and ready to be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection are available for public review also.
• Conservation plans are the property of the landowner and can only be reviewed with the landowner's expressed written permission.
• NRCS files are not maintained by the Conservation District. Review of these files must be requested through NRCS.

The reviewer must be prepared to show proper identification to the District staff person. The District will record, and keep on file, the reviewer's name, address, telephone number and name of document reviewed. This information is for District use only and will be kept confidential. The landowner will be notified that files were reviewed, but names will not be disclosed.

The party reviewing the file may take notes or otherwise duplicate, by their own hands, any file material. If the party would like photocopies, the District staff can make copies as requested by the reviewer. The current office fee schedule will be used to calculate costs of copying. If an extensive number of copies are requested, the District will have them mailed, or they can be picked up at a scheduled time. No materials will be released until payment is made in full.

As per the ruling on May 4, 1989 of the Environmental Hearing Board, complaint files are considered privileged information and will be withheld. Access to portions of the file pertaining to any complaints will be denied.

If enforcement actions have been initiated by the State Conservation Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection or the Conservation District, access to the files relevant to the investigation may be denied. Access to those files will be reopened when the enforcement action has been completed.