The best way to answer that question is to invite a Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) and/or USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff person to your farm.

Pennsylvania's erosion & sediment (E&S) and stormwater management regulations have existed since 1972. However, these rules have recently changed. All farms must have a written plan to reduce erosion from tillage, areas along streams and animal heavy use areas (AHUAs) disturbing more than 5,000 square feet. (This includes no-till farming and areas lacking vegetation.) Best management practices (BMPs) must be implemented to control soil runoff.

If you ask a farmer what is an agricultural erosion and sedimentation plan, he or she may have no idea what you are talking about. However, many are familiar with the term "conservation plan," a type of plan written by NRCS. In many instances, a recently written NRCS plan will meet what PA regulations call an "agricultural E&S plan." If you have a NRCS written conservation plan, you may want to check if it addresses the following:

• Does the plan address BMPs to control erosion within 100 ft. of streams, etc. In PA, there must be at least 25% plant cover or crop residue within this zone.
• AHUAs must be identified and BMPs to fix or limit their impact. In PA, the farmer must prevent pollution to water bodies from these areas.

While NRCS or a another professional can write a conservation plan, a farmer is allowed to write his or her agricultural E&S plan. If you wish to do this, please contact the SCCD at 570-837-3000 for more information.

Note: Agricultural E&S plans, including NRCS developed conservation plans, must be available for review at the farm by PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or other designated staff if requested.

Definition of AHUAs: "Barnyards, feedlots, loafing area, exercise lots or other similar areas on agricultural operations where due to the concentration of animals it is not possible to establish and maintain vegetative cover of a density capable of minimizing accelerated erosion and sedimentation by usual planting methods."

These AHUAs are also described as areas not in a pasture, but still outside of a barn or other animal raising facility. For practical purposes, they are similar to what PA nutrient management regulations define as an animal concentration area (ACA). Besides, these areas not only can cause sediment pollution; but they move manure nitrogen and phosphorus that would fertilize plants and end up in streams.

No matter if the area is earthen or concrete; in a pasture or not in a pasture; near a stream or away from a stream; the farmer is responsible for preventing pollution from these AHUA from reaching surface waters. Examples of fixing these problems are as follows:

• Keep grassy areas between AHUAs and streams green and lush.
• Maintain a permanent vegetative buffer between cattle and streams.
• Divert roof water and other clean water away from AHUAs.
• Transfer dirty water to a manure storage or treat it with a grassy filter area or other BMP.

If you are looking for technical assistance, please contact the SCCD (570-837-3000) and/or the NRCS Middleburg Field Office (570-837-0007, x3)

Keeping cattle and other livestock out of streams is good for animal health and stream health. In PA, there is no state-wide environmental regulation or law that states that animals must be fenced out of streams in pastures. However, the farmer runs the risk that the animals will "beat up" the streambanks and pollute the water with sediment and manure nutrients. If this is happening, the farmer runs the risk of violating PA environmental rules.

The SCCD and other agencies and groups encourage streambank fencing. Vegetative buffers between streambank edge and fence help filter sediment and nutrients from pastures before reaching streams. Contact the SCCD for more information.