Chesapeake Bay Special Project Program
Most of Lebanon County is within the Chesapeake Bay Drainage basin or watershed. In an effort to reduce sediment and nutrient pollution impact to local streams and the Chesapeake Bay, the LCCD provides technical and financial assistance through the Chesapeake Bay Special Projects program. The projects range from the implementation of agricultural best management practices, to wetland enhancement projects, to hosting educational workshops for local farmers.
The LCCD receives funding annually for projects from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through a competitive grant process. If you are within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and are in need of agricultural best management practices that reduce sediment and nutrient pollution, please contact the LCCD. Application can be downloaded on the right under Forms & Applications!
Tulpehocken Creek Land Treatment Program (PL566 Program)
In 1997, the LCCD, Berks County Conservation District, Berks Conservancy and the Natural Resources Conservation Service partnered to conduct an environmental assessment and wrote a watershed protection plan for the Tulpehocken Creek, which has its headwaters in Lebanon County. As a result of this collaboration, federal funding was dedicated to provide technical and financial assistance to farmers in the Tulpehocken watershed for the installation of agricultural best management practices. Examples of such practices are grassed waterways, streambank stabilization, fencing and buffers, and barnyard runoff control systems. Funding for this program varies from year to year. Download the PL566 form application on the right, which you can mail or drop-off to the LCCD. Contact us if you have questions or for further information.
Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP)
REAP is a program that provides State income tax credits for no-till equipment and various agricultural best management practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The State Conservation Commission (SCC) administers this program and receives all applications. Click here to link to the State Conservation Commission’s REAP Program website for further information and to download an application.
Currently, the SCC is not accepting applications, but may open the program for applications in mid-2009. The LCCD does not receive applications.
The LCCD’s role in the program is to assist with outreach and also to verify that potential applicants have current conservation plan and nutrient management plans. We also provide cost estimates for conservation practices included in REAP applications and final certification of completed practices prior to tax credits being certified by the SCC and issued by the State Treasury Department.
Nutrient Trading
Through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, farmers can certify nutrient credits for practices they install which substantially reduce nutrient runoff from their farms. These credits can then be purchased by municipal sewage treatment plants or industry as a way to reach compliance with stricter nutrient discharge standards.
Currently, the market for buying and selling nutrient credits is not very “hot”. However, this is likely to change, as new standards for waste water treatment plants take effect in 2010.
In the spring of 2008, the LCCD implemented a nutrient trading grant project funded by DEP. Through this grant we were able to assist two farms in the construction of poultry mortality composters. We also assisted in certifying these practices for nutrient credits.
