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Chesapeake
Bay Program- This program provides cost share assistance
for the installation of Best Management Practices (BMP's) to correct
existing manure and nutrient problems from agricultural operations.
Landowners can receive up to 80% for installing BMP's, with a limit of
$30,000 per landowner. Some examples of BMP's that can be installed
are: manure handling & storage facilities, barnyard runoff control, roof
water management, and soil & manure testing. Funding is provided through state and federal
sources. To date, 32 Northumberland County farmers
have signed CBP contracts, installing BMP’s totaling $1,528,653.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the NCCD also
provided assistance with survey, design and construction quality
assurance. More about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
For more information on the Chesapeake Bay Program, contact
Amy Croll.
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Farmland Preservation -
The NCCD coordinates the activities involved in the Agriculture Land
Preservation Program for the county on behalf of the Northumberland County
Agricultural Land Preservation Board. Applications are received year
long, and are typically processed towards the end of the year. A $100 fee
is required to accept an application.
Applications are ranked using a two-part Land Evaluation and Site
Assessment (LESA). The LESA looks at the quality of soils/site
assessment, and considers local factors that may have an impact on the
current or future viability of a farm.
Once the farms are ranked and the funding is provided from the State, the
land development rights are purchased from the highest-ranking farms.
The total number of farm easements purchased to date in the County is 11,
totaling 1,366 acres. Click here for more information and an
Application.
You may also get more information on the
program by checking out the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's
"About Farmland Preservation"
website, or contact
Judy Becker.
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Nutrient
Management (Act 6)- The PA Nutrient Management Act
Requires all concentrated animal operations (CAOs) or animal operations
that have 2,000 pounds or 2.0 AEUs (AEU-1000 pounds of animal on a typical
production day) per acre available for manure to develop and submit a
nutrient management plan to the conservation district for review and
approval. Available acreage includes all rented and owned crop, hay
and pasture land.
NCCD also administers programs to help implement a farms nutrient
management plan. To be eligible for any of the cost share programs a
farm must have existed prior to October 1, 1997. These programs
include:
Plan Development Incentives
Program (PDIP): 75% cost share program for developing a
nutrient management plan. Rates are determined by the amount of
acres planned.
Agri-Link: loan program
that provides up to 80% cost share with a maximum of $75,000 for Best
Management Practices required in a farm’s approved Nutrient Management
Plan. Loans are available from Farm Credit and other
participating banks.
Nutrient Management Plan
Implementation Grant Program: grant program which provides 80%
cost share up to $75,000 for Best Management Practices required in
farm’s approved nutrient management plan. Signups are every
other month starting in February. Farm must have existed prior
to 10/1/97 and practices covered can not include part of an expansion
for an existing operation.
For more information on the Nutrient Management Program
contact
Amy
Croll, or check
out the following links:
Penn State's Nutrient Management Site
State Conservation Commission & PA Department of Agriculture's Nutrient
Management Site
PA Nutrient Management
Program Site
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