News & Notes March 2004

PACD Helps Make Growing Greener Work

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) submitted three Growing Greener Grant applications to secure cost-share dollars for farmers. The three applications address the needs of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in the lower Susquehanna River Watershed, the CREP expansion into the upper Susquehanna River Watershed and the Ohio River Basin Watershed. The purpose of the CREP is to take highly erodible cropland and marginal pastureland out of production and set them aside in conservation cover plantings and buffers resulting in improved local and downstream water quality.

PACD's role in this program is an administrative one. Working with the United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, PACD enters into contracts with eligible landowners and provides disbursements.

PACD also submitted a Growing Greener application to continue the Engineering Assistance Program. The Engineering Assistance Program provides engineering and soils assistance to entities developing or implementing a watershed assessment, watershed restoration plan, or watershed protection plan. From July 2001 to December 2003 this program has completed 134 different environmental improvement projects for hundreds of Pennsylvania's local organizations and individuals. It is estimated that this program supported projects with a total estimated value of 7.2 million dollars during the past two and one half years. Thank you to those districts who sent a letter of support to continue this program.

Page 4>