Ag. Conservation Assistance – Snyder County, PA Government

Technical Assistance

Much of the work done by the Snyder County Conservation District staff relates to offering technical assistance for protecting our ground and surface waters to the agricultural community.

Best Management Practices

Along with other cooperating agencies, we have installed many best management practices (BMPs) on farms throughout Snyder County.

Examples of agricultural BMPs are: improved barnyards, streambank fencing, manure storages, waste stacking structures, diversions, grass waterways, cattle stream crossings, milkhouse wastewater treatment systems, riparian buffers, cover cropping and no-till crop planting. Further details can be found in the Snyder County AG BMP Guide and the PA Conservation Catalog. These booklets show many types of BMPs that can prevent sediment and nutrient pollution of surface and ground water.

To reach one of our technicians about these BMPs, go and reach us at 570-837-3000.

Manure Management Planning

The Conservation District offers assistance to farmers by helping them write their own manure management plans (MMPs) or teaching them how to write these plans themselves. Contact Barry Spangler, Agricultural Conservation Technician, at 570-837-3000 x5 for details.

Other Technical Assistance

From time to time, other publications are available either at the SCCD office or at the (USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service) NRCS-Middleburg Field Office. Examples include materials on no-tilling, cover cropping, soil health and workbooks to help write a manure management plan (MMP).

We also sell soil test kits for farmers to analyze nitrogen needs (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), pH and other soil nutrient levels.

We also can help out with manure spreader calibrations. Contact us at 570-837-3000 if you are interested

Additional information can be found in our Agricultural Erosion Prevention → and Agricultural Nutrient Management → web pages.

Financial Assistance

There are several programs that farmers can seek financial assistance from the Conservation District, NRCS and other agencies. They are as follows:

Examples of recent, upcoming and potential Conservation District financial assistance programs include barnyard improvements, pasture and streambank fencing, cattle stream crossings, pasture watering systems, manure storages, roof runoff controls and riparian buffers. Go to “Financial Assistance Downloads” to read some examples.

SCCD ACAP Policy Change The Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) will now be accepting Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) applications from farmers on a continuing basis. Submitted ACAP applications will be reviewed during the next quarterly Local Advisory Board (LAB) meeting. LAB meetings will be held on the third Friday of March, June, September and December unless publicized otherwise. Project contracts will be ranked and awarded as funding permits and at the discretion of the LAB. The LAB operates in any capacity set forth by the SCCD Board of Directors. All applications for funding must be acted on by the SCCD’s Board of Directors at a “sun-shined” publicly advertised meeting. All applicants should be notified in writing of the funding decisions made by the SCCD Board of Directors. The SCCD may retain unfunded ACAP applications on file for two (2) years set by the LAB for future allocations. The applicant may revise or withdraw an application at any time. For more information about ACAP in Snyder County, please reach out to Lauren Cheran, SCCD Program Administrator, at 570-837-3000 x2.

SCCD Seeking Snyder County Farmers interested in BMPs

The SCCD is gathering a list of farmers, agricultural operators, livestock and equine owners and farm landowners interested in best management practices (BMPs) as described above in the “Technical Assistance” section. Potential BMPs to be funded may include riparian and vegetative buffers, streambank fencing, improved barnyards, manure storages and pasture watering systems. Contact us for more information by calling 570-837-3000.

Interested persons may also check with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at 401 West Market Street, Middleburg, (570-600-4031) for possible financial assistance.

Ag. Planning Funding for Middle Creek & Mahantango Watershed Farmers

Ag. Planning

Any Snyder County farmer (who is within Middle or Mahantango Creek Watersheds) interested in having necessary plans to follow PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations can sign up at the Snyder County Conservation District. Eligible plans are as follows:

Manure management plan (MMP)
Nutrient management plan (NMP, Act 38 or NRCS “590”)
Agricultural erosion & sedimentation (Ag. E&S) plan
Conservation plan (NRCS style)

The pressure is on farmers to comply with new agricultural environmental regulations enforced by DEP and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This will also help farmers thinking of seeking financial assistance from programs such as the PA Chesapeake Bay Program Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Grants to install or improve their operations.

Questions may be forwarded to Barry Spangler, Ag. Conservation Technician, at 570-837-3000 x5, or Lauren Cheran, Program Administrator, at 570-837-3000 x2.

To see a map of Middle Creek and Mahantango Watersheds within Snyder County, click here .

Program funding statement: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government, or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources.

Ag. Planning Program for Farmers outside Middle Creek Watershed and any CAOs & CAFOs

For those who do not qualify for the Middle Creek Watershed planning program (listed above), farmers may hire a qualified consultant to develop or update their MMPs, Ag. E&S plans, nutrient management plans (NMPs) and conservation plans offered through the PA Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD). CAOs and CAFOs may participate. The only stipulation is that the operation cannot have participated in a similar program recently offered by DEP.

Update: This program is “on hold.”

Interested farmers must complete an application with the Conservation District and their consultant. Additional information is available at the SCCD office by reaching out to Barry Spangler, Ag. Technician at 570-837-3000 x5.

Financial and other support for the Ag Plan Reimbursement Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Some staffing for this project promoting agricultural environmental compliance was financed by in part by an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant provided by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of EPA, DEP, or any of its subagencies.

PA Tax Credit Program – REAP

The PA State Conservation Commission (SCC) is offering a tax credit program (REAP Program: Resource Enhancement and Protection Program) for farmers who recently installed or plan to install best management practices (BMPs), have planted/will plant cover crops, or have purchased or will purchase no-till planting or specialized manure handling equipment. Farmers can also receive tax credits for nutrient management plans (NMPs), manure management plans (MMPs), conservation plans and agricultural erosion & sedimentation (Ag. E&S) plans. If approved, tax credits are awarded by the PA Department of Revenue.

Please note that the applicant must have an MMP or NMP (if produce or receive manure) AND an up-to-date conservation or Ag. E&S plans on all land they own and rent to qualify for BMP and equipment tax credits. If not, tax credits can only go towards the development of MMPs, NMPs, conservation and Ag. E&S plans.

Contact the Snyder County Conservation District office, or Joel Semke, SCC REAP Program Administrator in Harrisburg, PA, at 717-705-4032 for information.

A new set of REAP guidelines and application have been released for your reference. The SCC is not accepting any more applications at this time.

USDA-NRCS Financial Programs

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also has many programs such as:

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA)
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
and others.

USDA-FSA Financial Programs

The USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers conservation cost-share and loan programs as well. For example:

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

PA DEP Small Business Grant Program

The PA DEP’s Small Business Ombudsman’s Office has a grant program in which small businesses, including agricultural operations, can apply for grant to fund natural resource conservation best management practices (BMPs) that prevent sediment and nutrient pollution. Possible projects include forested/grass riparian buffer plantings, streambank fencing and barnyard runoff controls.

The maximum grant award allowed is $9,500.00 and a match up to 50% of equipment/material costs is possible. This is a first-come, first-serve award basis.

For more information, contact the DEP Small Business Ombudsman’s Office at 717-772-5160 or epadvantagegrant@pa.gov.