1949 - 2019
istrict
Helping people use resources wisely 2019 Annual Report 1949 - 2019 1998 1998 2007 District Conservation First Dirt, Gravel and Westmoreland Land Conservation 1972 1983 Programs Low Volume Road Trust established istrict State delegates Shared office space Erosion & Sediment Improvement Project Pollution Control responsibility for in St. Clair Way Helping people reviewing erosion Stormwater Management use resources wisely Then and Now Forestry 2019 and sediment More than 82 projects 1967 control plans Agriculture/Nutrient 1949 completed; $1.7 million County resolution Jacobs Creek Management 2019 invested 274 acres conserved establishes the Watershed project in seven Westmoreland Westmoreland is proposed – three 2019 dams and one channel 2019 2000 County communities Conservation District District reviews to reduce flooding in Barn headquarters, 2019 Pennsylvania establishes the the 9,700th plan District Conservation Scottdale and commu- recently expanded Growing Greener program Programs nities along this stream to invest in water quality Erosion & Sediment improvements. 2012 1977 1994 Pollution Control The District undertakes the First PennDOT The Surface Mining Donohoe Center, a Stormwater Management Forestry first Growing-Greener-funded mitigation project: Control and Reclamation one-stop agricultural project to improve water Cherry Creek WCCC 2019 2019 Act provides funding for and conservation Agriculture/Nutrient Jacobs Creek Management quality in Westmoreland County resolution cleaning up streams center opens to the County: $21,000 to stabilize establishes the Watershed “Phase II” and land polluted by public Watershed Restoration Dirt, Gravel and streambanks and create Integrated Water is proposed to reduce abandoned coal mines flooding in other parts Low Volume Road animal crossings on a farm 2019 Resources Plan in Mount Pleasant Township of Scottdale and East Improvement Program 4 PennDOT mitigation Huntingdon Township Landowner Reclamation projects complete, Conservation Education $840,000 invested Floodplain Management 2019 2019 This year alone, the District 2019 Stream Encroachments A larger “conservation is using $467,000 of Growing In 2019 alone, $54 million West Nile Virus campus,” with three Greener funds to improve is allocated to Pennsylvania Water Quality Monitoring and 30% of that is used buildings on eight area water quality by manag- for stream restoration acres ing stormwater in Hempfield Township, Murrysville, and Vandergrift, and by stabilizing streambanks in Latrobe 1998 1998 2007 District Conservation First Dirt, Gravel and Westmoreland Land 1972 1983 Programs Low Volume Road Trust established State delegates Shared office space Erosion & Sediment Improvement Project Pollution Control responsibility for in St. Clair Way reviewing erosion Stormwater Management and sediment Forestry 2019 More than 82 projects 1967 control plans Agriculture/Nutrient 1949 completed; $1.7 million County resolution Jacobs Creek Management 2019 invested 274 acres conserved establishes the Watershed project in seven Westmoreland Westmoreland is proposed – three 2019 dams and one channel 2019 2000 County communities Conservation District District reviews to reduce flooding in Barn headquarters, 2019 Pennsylvania establishes the the 9,700th plan District Conservation Scottdale and commu- recently expanded Growing Greener program Programs nities along this stream to invest in water quality Erosion & Sediment improvements. 2012 1977 1994 Pollution Control The District undertakes the First PennDOT The Surface Mining Donohoe Center, a Stormwater Management Forestry first Growing-Greener-funded mitigation project: Control and Reclamation one-stop agricultural project to improve water Cherry Creek WCCC 2019 2019 Act provides funding for and conservation Agriculture/Nutrient Jacobs Creek Management quality in Westmoreland County resolution cleaning up streams center opens to the County: $21,000 to stabilize establishes the Watershed “Phase II” and land polluted by public Watershed Restoration is proposed to reduce Dirt, Gravel and streambanks and create Integrated Water abandoned coal mines animal crossings on a farm Resources Plan flooding in Scottdale Low Volume Road 2019 Table of Contents and East Huntingdon Improvement Program in Mount Pleasant Township 4 PennDOT mitigation Stable Soils...... p 3 Township Landowner Reclamation projects complete, Conservation Education $840,000 invested Clean Streams...... p 7 Floodplain Management 2019 2019 This year alone, the District 2019 Stream Encroachments Productive Farms...... p 11 A larger “conservation is using $467,000 of Growing In 2019 alone, $54 million West Nile Virus is allocated to Pennsylvania campus,” with three Greener funds to improve Healthy Forests...... p 13 buildings on eight Water Quality Monitoring and 30% of that is used area water quality by manag- Sustainable Communities...... p 14 for stream restoration acres ing stormwater in Hempfield Township, Murrysville, and Scientific Monitoring...... p 17 Vandergrift, and by stabilizing Organizational Development...... p 20 streambanks in Latrobe Above and Beyond Map...... p 26-27 Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Road Map..... p 28
1 Dear conservation friend,
Since 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of our District, we thought it might be nice to take a brief look back on how conservation and the people who were willing to give it a try have made life better for all of us in Westmoreland County. Soil and farms were conservation’s first focus, and the earliest message was “plow with the contour.” Today, contour plowing is so universally accepted that it seems like simple common sense. But it wasn’t always that way. Most farmers in the 1940s and early 1950s were plowing straight up and down the many hilly slopes in our county, and the result was a tremendous amount of erosion.
Asking farmers to completely change the way they plow wasn’t an easy sell, and it happened only because those early conservationists had the strength of character to be both persistent Ronald J. Rohall and persuasive. And because some local farmers were brave enough to give it a try. Board Chair As farmers saw the benefits of stabilizing their soil, contour farming began to become THE way to plow. And over the years, this one practice alone has stabilized hundreds of acres of valuable agricultural soil. Today, contour strips have been joined on the farm by an even newer way of conservation farming – no-till – that is reducing agricultural erosion even more. The story is much the same when we look back on how area streams have become clearer, how damaged lands have been restored, and how forests once nearly stripped bare to supply our growing nation with timber are now healthy. In every one of these areas, conservationists promoted new ways of thinking…willing people put them into practice…and everyone in our community reaped the benefits. Over these past 70 years, our staff, along with thousands of farmers, engineers, teachers, earthmovers, loggers, business people, foundation officers, and citizens in all walks of life have joined together to make major community conservation projects happen, as well as to Gregory M. Phillips make good conservation practices a part of their own personal, daily lives. District Manager/CEO It has been our good fortune to always have people by our side who are willing to come together in a spirit of cooperation to work for the common good. Thank you, one and all for 70 great years of conservation!
Sincerely,
Ronald J. Rohall Gregory M. Phillips Board Chair District Manager/CEO
2 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
nearing completion at the end of the year, after sev- STABLE SOILS eral years of work to extend infrastructure, including public sewage, and to widen roads to the site in Sewickley Township. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT Our senior erosion control specialist met regular- fter three active years, residential develop- ly with the industrial park’s owner, the Westmoreland ment in the county slowed in 2019. County Industrial Development Corporation, and the One project that was underway in 2019 project’s contractors and engineers throughout the Awas the grading of lots for a new phase of the Victoria year to monitor progress. Highlands community in Unity Township. A little He also personally visited the site every month in more than 10 acres were disturbed for a potential 17 2019, as work progressed to unearth building foun- Upwards of 225 work-site plans were reviewed during the building lots. year by our staff to make sure that measures would be dations from the adjacent, former-Westinghouse site put in place to control erosion and sediment. Our erosion control specialist regularly inspect- and to prepare five pad-ready building parcels, each ed the site, and the contractor acted promptly to re- from 19-29 acres in size. best route for the next phase, which will replace sewage pair controls that were damaged in a summer heavy Final work to bring utilities to the $6-million site lines between Manor and Harrison City. downpour. will occur in early 2020. As this happens, and as pads are sold, our erosion control specialist will continue HIGHWAYS AND ROADS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT to be involved, monitoring earthmoving to ensure good conservation practices. Major earthmoving related to the Interstate 70 Thirty-six years after the former Jeannette Glass improvements continued in 2019, and our senior factory was shuttered and padlocked, bulldozers be- erosion control specialist was very busy monitor- WATER, SEWAGE gan to move remediated earth at the cleared site in ing the large scope of work to ensure minimal ero- December for the next generation of industry – The Western Westmoreland Municipal Authority sion and the protection of several area streams, which Elliott Company’s new $60-million testing facility. continued its work to prevent sewage overflows into also were directly impacted by this construction. Our senior erosion control specialist conducted Brush Creek. The eastbound side of the highway in the area the first of many inspections on the 14-acre prop- During the past three years, a new pump station of the intersection with Route 31 was widened, cre- erty, which will ensure that sediment does not find was built and new sewer lines were installed in Irwin. ating slightly larger traffic lanes and a new shoulder its way into area waterways. In 2019, the new sewer line was extended from Irwin between the median barrier and the passing lanes. The site will include several stormwater retention to Manor. This portion of the multi-year highway project ponds and a compressor-testing building with a Part of this recent work involved earthmoving in also involved creating a new “diamond” configu- foundation 25 feet deep. a floodway and our senior erosion control specialist ration at the West Newton/Mount Pleasant inter- Company officials are aiming to open the facility regularly inspected the active work sites to make sure change; moving a feeder road, State Route 3014 in mid 2021. that they did not add pollution to Brush Creek. He in Hunker; realigning Smithton Pike and replacing also followed up to ensure that the sites were restored the bridge over I-70; and creating a new access road. The newest addition to the county’s industrial park properly after construction was complete. The project also had to relocate a portion of Lick system, Commerce Crossing at Westmoreland, was The sewage project will continue in 2020, and Run and other small tributaries to Sewickley Creek planning was underway at year-end to determine the to make room to widen the highway and create the 3 new off-ramp. on area dirt, gravel, and low-volume roads. The banks of the streams also had to be stabilized Although these projects do make life easier for to help absorb the flow from a new discharge pipe local drivers, their primary purpose is to keep pollu- carrying water from the highway. tion out of streams. 2019 Erosion and Sedimentation Work in 2019 also created several detention basins Eroding dirt and gravel from unpaved roads, and Control Plan Reviews for managing stormwater. (Also see Clean Streams, water runoff from both paved and unpaved roads can by Watershed page 9.) harm the quality of local streams. In 2019, the District helped to improve eight dirt, Roadwork at the junction of PA Route 31 and gravel, and low-volume roads in Westmoreland the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Donegal continued County, and a ninth road project was underway. in 2019, and our erosion control specialist visited the Improvements were specific to the road conditions, site about once each month. and included such things as drop inlets, grade breaks, She worked with the contractor to ensure that a underdrains, and cross pipes. unique design for a sediment basin was interpreted Funding for the projects was provided by alloca- and installed correctly. tions in 2018 and 2019 from the Pennsylvania Dirt, She also prompted erosion and sediment-control Gravel, and Low Volume Road Maintenance Program. measures to be corrected on another basin so that Some $277,828 of improvements were installed on they were in line with the controls approved for the two dirt and gravel roads and six low-volume roads site. during the year (see map on page 28). Work will continue on this project in 2020. An additional $92,575 is being invested on Weavers Loyalhanna Creek...... 62 Mill Road in Cook Township, and that project is scheduled to be complete in 2020. Sewickley Creek ...... 53 A big rainstorm in the fall caused some sediment filters to fail on a project that is improving a 1.4-mile Turtle Creek ...... 41 section of Route 356 in Allegheny Township. One of the road-improvement projects we co- ordinated during the year was the second phase of Pucketa Creek/Allegheny River ...... 17 These filters are important conservation measures because they contain, reduce, and/or direct water work on Sugar Run Road, beginning south of the Kiskiminetas River ...... 14 flowing from construction sites and so help make Sugar Run Reservoir and continuing almost to the sure that disturbed soil doesn’t find its way into access road for State Game Lands #42 in Saint Clair Youghiogheny River ...... 13 streams and rivers. Township. Jacobs Creek ...... 12 We worked with the contractor to increase the size On this half-mile section of dirt and gravel road, of the rock filters used at the site and to make other we monitored the installation of grade breaks, cross- Conemaugh River...... 8 improvements that have eliminated any additional pipes, underdrain, and more than 600 tons of fill to Monongahela River ...... 1 problems. raise the road profile. The project also included installation of a second Erosion and Sedimentation Control large squash pipe (the first was installed in 2018 on Total Plan Reviews...... 221 In addition to inspecting major highway projects, such as those undertaken by PennDOT and the Penn- the initial phase of this road-improvement project). sylvania Turnpike Commission, the District also The new 87-inch-wide, flared squash pipe gives the administers state funds for improvement projects stream a channel under the road surface that is the
4 Work involved replacing a deteriorating drainage and a trail at this popular recreation site. pipe under a portion of Club House Drive, the Tredway Trail, and River Forest Drive. ENERGY It also involved a new and improved way to man- In February, construction of the Mariner East 2 age the spring and surface water that flows from the pipeline in Derry Township resulted in an inadver- golf course. tent return, which is when the fluid used to lubricate A rock-lined channel was created and now directs the underground drill makes its way through natural this water into a new stormwater basin. The basin crevices in the earth to the surface of the ground. holds the water long enough for sediment to drop out Because of the potential for this fluid to then pol- before allowing it to flow through the new pipe and lute nearby waterways, the Pennsylvania Department into the Allegheny River. of Environmental Protection has regulations for how Native brook trout now have an easier time travelling in These new features improve water quality, which is these returns must be managed. Poplar Run, thanks to a new, wide drainage pipe installed a leading goal of the Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Our erosion control specialist was on-site to moni- level with the streambed. The drainage pipe installation Road Maintenance Program. was part of work done to improve water quality along a tor the clean up of this fluid, which was done properly. section of Sugar Run Road. The Mariner East 2 pipeline project in Westmore- RECREATIONAL DAM same width as the banks of the stream itself. The land County is essentially complete, except for the area previous pipe was only 30 inches wide, and so it was A two-year project to reconstruct the dam at around Loyalhanna Lake. At the end of the year, the often overwhelmed in times of high water, giving the Donegal Lake was essentially completed in 2019, and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protec- excess water nowhere to go but onto the road. The our erosion control specialist regularly inspected this tion was reviewing the company’s plans to drill under new, wider pipe will help prevent that. seven-acre work site during the year to ensure mini- this popular recreation area. Because both ends of the new squash pipe also are mal erosion and impact on nearby Fourmile Run. level with the bottom of the stream, it also provides The original earthen dam was built in 1967. The A smaller, 16-inch pipeline, part of the Mariner easier passage for aquatic life, including trout. new dam contains both earth and rolled concrete. East 2 pipeline project, was completed from Delmont Improvements to Sugar Run Road mean that there Our inspections will continue in 2020, as there are eastward across Westmoreland County during the will be far less erosion, and so less road surface get- plans to create some additional parking, a boat ramp, year, as was restoration of a few “sunken ditch” areas ting into Poplar Run, which is a Pennsylvania Wild Trout Water, a stream that supports naturally repro- ducing populations of trout.
The first stormwater basin ever built in West- moreland County with funds from the Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Maintenance Program was installed in Allegheny Township in conjunction with work done to improve 200 feet of Club House Drive. This work also marked the first time a dirt, gravel, and low volume road project was done in Allegheny Donegal Lake’s new, reconstructed dam and spillway. The long black expanses of cloth are in place to limit the Township. amount of erosion. Grass also was sown at the site to act as another erosion-control measure. 5 where the larger 20-inch pipeline had been installed leave the meeting with a Completeness Letter. year: Lunch and Learn. in 2017. Once each month from October through Decem- It takes about a year for soil to settle after a pipe- Eight municipalities renewed their Conservation ber, we encouraged folks to come to the barn, bring line is installed and sometimes when it does, there Partnership Agreements with us in 2019: Derry their lunch, and learn about some of the new ero- is a need to add more topsoil and fill to bring the Township, the City of Greensburg, Hempfield Town- sion-control and stormwater-management products trenched area back to the level of the surrounding ship, Irwin Borough, the City of Latrobe, Ligonier that may be useful in their work. ground. It is then seeded and mulched. Borough, Ligonier Township, and North Hunting- Vendors used the 90-minute sessions to present Our erosion control staff monitored these areas don Township. information on new conservation-related products, and ensured that the backfill work was done with These documents of mutual understanding outline including inlet protection, concrete pavers, and rein- proper erosion and sediment controls. how we can work together to protect and conserve forcement mats, explaining how to install them cor- the area’s natural resources. rectly and how they work. SERVICES Thirty-seven project coordinators/engineers We held a roundtable discussion, focusing on the requested pre-construction meetings with our tech- impact of 2018’s record rainfall, for area municipal 2019 Erosion and Sedimentation nical staff during the year. officials in late January. Control Inspections These meetings are especially valuable for large Specifically, we discussed responsibilities and ju- by Municipality or complex projects, and offer a chance to review risdictions related to cleaning debris from streams, maintaining stormwater facilities, and addressing the project specifics after development plans are ap- Unity Township ...... 50 proved and just before earthmoving begins. landslides. Ligonier Township ...... 38 They help ensure that the work will be done in We also distributed No Mow riparian buffer signs compliance with permits and regulations such as the to interested municipalities. Penn Township...... 29 Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law and so reduce the Some 40 people attended. South Huntingdon Township...... 29 potential for violations. Salem Township ...... 26 2018’s unprecedented rainfall left many unpaved Hempfield Township ...... 25 Ten project coordinators/engineers requested a driveways, farm lanes, and access roads washed out meeting to have their permit paperwork checked and marred by ruts. North Huntingdon Township ...... 23 by our administrative staff, and their plan initially We hosted a workshop with Brandywine Conser- East Huntingdon Township...... 17 vancy in Laughlintown in March to explain how to assessed by our technical staff. Rostraver Township...... 17 We introduced this new service in 2018 as an ad- repair and maintain gravel driveways and unpaved Municipality of Murrysville ...... 14 ditional help for those who need a National Pollutant lanes. Discharge Elimination System permit for their project. Our watershed specialist offered tips on making Donegal Township ...... 12 If the technical comments our erosion control and cost-effective repairs and preventing repeat problems. Fairfield Township...... 9 Reducing runoff from unpaved driveways is a good stormwater staff offer in this one- to two-hour meeting New Stanton Borough ...... 8 are incorporated, the likelihood that a plan will be conservation practice. It helps to keep sediment and approved on first submittal increases significantly. other pollutants that can compromise water quality Municipalities with six inspections or fewer ...... 48 And if our administrative staff determine that out of nearby streams. the permit application is complete, the applicant can Total Inspections..... 345 We debuted a new education series during the 6 CLEAN STREAMS
he local work group that formed to address problems in the Sulphur Run Watershed for- mally approached the Army Corps of Engi- Tneers and requested a study of this watershed, which includes the Lincoln Road area of Latrobe, where se- vere flash flooding in 2018 badly damaged a number of homes and businesses. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in late 2018 awarded a $250,000 grant for stormwater management improvements in the Sulphur Run Watershed, which includes parts of both the City of Latrobe and Derry Township. A water course, channeled for decades inside a brick tunnel under six feet of dirt (left photo), was opened up and District stormwater staff are providing technical brought to the surface in a new, 40-foot-wide channel that helps reduce local flooding in Jeannette (right photo). assistance for this project. into nearby basements. Our work to day-light a channel that runs Because of the new day-lighting work, the water The creation of a three-acre wetland in Chestnut through the former Jeannette Glass site was com- had a channel wide enough to hold it until it slowly Ridge Park near Acme Dam was completed during pleted in 2019, and quickly proved its value during a infiltrated into the ground or was able to reach Brush the year. July 11 rainstorm that flooded other parts of the city. Creek. Nearby houses and townhouses stayed dry. Work on the wetland began in 2018 as a way to The water in this channel, which at one time was As part of our work at this site, we also used earth mitigate the impact of major highway construction connected to Old Bull Run, is now mostly storm- excavated during the day-lighting to make landscape at the intersection of PA Route 31 and the Donegal water that drains from about 32 acres in downtown mounds and create a buffer area planted with more interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Jeannette. than 80 trees, 200 shrubs, and wildflowers. Six small wetlands already existed in the park, Years ago, this water had been buried in a This landscaping improves aesthetics, adds hab- which is in the same watershed (Jacobs Creek) as the six-foot-diameter underground brick tunnel, a itat, and saved on the cost of the project because the highway project. For this project, the small wetlands then-common practice on industrial sites. excavated earth didn’t have to be trucked off-site. were connected to form one large one. We liberated it from that small underground Accomplishing this was a major undertaking that tunnel, brought it to the surface of the ground, and Our hydraulic engineer provided assistance to the required obtaining many permits, removing some opened up a 40-foot-wide channel for it to flow in. It City of Jeannette for another, upcoming project to 400 truckloads of dirt from the site, and planting was the extra capacity of this new channel that gave help control flooding on Brush Creek. more than 700 mature trees and shrubs. the July 11 rainstorm runoff a place to go. He provided information to municipal officials Vehicle access to the eastern side of the lake also In the past, a storm of the intensity of the one on how to stabilize the streambanks, remove debris, was needed for this project but didn’t exist, so a two- on July 11 would have created too much fast-flowing and maintain the flood-control project after it is put lane entry road was created from County Line Road. water for the six-foot tunnel to handle, and so, with into place in the next few years by the Pennsylvania A small paved parking area also was created. Both nowhere else to go, the water would have backed up Department of Environmental Protection. make this side of the lake more accessible and are 7 now able to be used by visitors coming to fish, boat, (See page 4 for information on the Route 31/ of Salem, Hempfield, and Unity townships. or enjoy this county park. Donegal Turnpike Interchange project, and page 17 Our staff monitored the wetland and related proj- for information on monitoring.) Over the course of several decades in the 1980s ects frequently to ensure that all were done according and 1990s, the Jacobs Creek flood control project was to plan and with minimal impact on the natural We came up with a new approach to managing built – three dams and a channel, which combined resources. stormwater on a site in Murrysville after discovering to significantly reduce flooding along this stream in The wetland is on property owned by the Westmore- it was filled with natural springs from the unprece- Scottdale, Everson, and surrounding areas. land County Bureau of Parks and Recreation, and the dented rainfall in 2018. And although the scope of this project was one project was funded by PennDOT. We were able to adapt our original stormwater of the largest in the United States at the time it was management plan to move the installation of the built, it did not include certain upstream tributaries proposed pipe and stormwater basin to a different, of Jacobs Creek. 2019 Stormwater Plans Reviewed dryer location. These tributaries – which pick up soil, debris by Municipality Before this project, stormwater runoff from the and speed as they travel down the steep slopes of Hempfield Township ...... 37 First Presbyterian Church flowed unchecked down East Huntingdon Township – have contributed to a steep slope, carving a 10-foot gully as it went, and the frequent flooding of homes in adjacent parts of Penn Township ...... 33 carrying the soil into Haymaker Run, a stream with Scottdale, putting some 25 homes under direct threat Derry Township ...... 29 high water quality. of flooding and about 100 more at risk for basement Now, it runs instead through an underground pipe Ligonier Township ...... 28 flooding. and into the new basin where it is held, allowing In 2019, representatives from the District, the Unity Township ...... 26 pollutants to drop out, and then slowly released. National Resources Conservation Service, the Bor- Washington Township ...... 21 ough of Scottdale, and East Huntingdon Township jointly applied for funding from the federal gov- North Huntingdon Township ...... 20 Water quality in Crabtree Creek has suffered for decades from coal-mine drainage and the lack of a ernment to address this problem. Salem Township ...... 19 sanitary sewer system in the small, namesake village The application was approved and funded for Donegal Township ...... 18 it flows through. Phase I of the project, which is a study of conditions upland of the flood-prone area and of tributaries Mount Pleasant Township ...... 17 The stream also is prone to flooding, including one recent incident in which the volunteer fire de- of Jacobs Creek, including Anderson Run, Stauffer South Huntingdon Township ...... 16 partment was not able to respond to calls because the Avenue, and Little Sherrick Run. It is estimated East Huntingdon Township...... 12 roads were impassable. that the study will take about a year and a half to complete. It will be conducted by the U.S. Depart- New Stanton Borough ...... 12 Our stormwater management staff helped municipal officials obtain a permit to remove ment of Agriculture. Sewickley Township...... 12 sediment and debris from the creek during the Rostraver Township ...... 11 year, which should lessen flooding by creating a Our stormwater staff visited flood-prone sites clearer channel for stormwater to flow through. in Ligonier Township and Ligonier Borough and Municipalities with eight plan reviews or fewer ...... 41 They also attended meetings with legislators and worked with these municipalities and their engi- an ad hoc taskforce to discuss additional measures neers toward relieving some water issues near Mill TotalTotal Stormwater Stormwater Plans Plans R eviewedReviewed .....352 .....352 for improving the stream, which flows through parts Creek in Darlington and near the Compass Inn in Laughlintown.
8 We provided technical resources and information and attended planning meetings. We also used the Integrated Water Resources Plan (see following item this page) to provide information for engineering studies, design work, and so on. At year-end, plan- ning on this project was continuing.
Stormwater retention basins, like most everything else, have a shelf life, and for the past few years we have been helping municipalities upgrade these important community infrastructures that capture rainwater runoff and slowly release it. During 2019, we worked with the Municipality of Murrysville to retrofit seven of its municipal storm- water basins, thanks to a $64,620 grant from Pennsyl- vania’s Growing Greener program. The grant originally was for six basin retrofits. The District received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in Pennsylvania for a two-part educational video on But thanks to careful management, we were able to stormwater basins. Accepting the award for the District were Chelsea Walker, second from left, and Ron Rohall, far right. complete seven. Improvements were tailored to each basin, and This work was funded through a grant from the PennDOT have all approved the plan. included riser modifications, flow path adjustments, Colcom Foundation, and a major in-kind donation and vegetation management. of materials, equipment, and services by Adam Our hydraulic engineer reviewed plans for the Murrysville has experienced significant residen- Eidemiller, Inc. next phase of the I-70 improvement project, the tial and commercial development since many of its Yukon-Madison interchange. basins were originally built, and the seven new up- In partnership with PennDOT, we came up with This was the single largest plan he reviewed in grades will help manage the increased runoff. a suggestion for a beneficial way to manage the terms of both disturbed area and the number of stormwater runoff that will be created when Penn- stormwater control features. We were able to undertake some needed storm- DOT rebuilds and widens State Route 981 between (Also see Stable Soils, page 4.) water management work in the lower parking area Mount Pleasant and Norvelt. of the GreenForge building. Stormwater management practices, added to the We held a question-and-answer session in Feb- Eighteen parking spaces were repaved with a per- grounds of Mount Pleasant High School, will not ruary and two public hearings to get input on the meable concrete block system that allows water to in- only do the job for the new roadway, but also manage draft Integrated Water Resources Plan we released filtrate. The remainder of the parking spaces and the stormwater from the school campus (which has nev- in 2018. The plan suggests best practices for manag- driving lane were milled and repaved with asphalt in er had any stormwater management) and eliminate ing our county’s water resources. a way that allows them to drain into the parking lot’s the need to condemn property along the route for Municipal officials, county planning staff, sewer and permeable spaces. building detention ponds. water authority personnel, local watershed association A trench drain also was installed near the eastern The Mount Pleasant School Board, the Pennsyl- members, local and state politicians, and the mem- entry doors of the building. vania Department of Environmental Protection, and bers of the general public were among those invited 9 to review the draft plan and provide comments. The Integrated Water Resources Plan is a guide Suggestions from these meetings, such as the for good stewardship of our water resources. It was suggestion to include a discussion of the impact of developed by a community partnership that looked fracking on local water resources, were incorporated deeply into the ways we use water throughout West- and a revised document was submitted to the Penn- moreland County, the impacts of those uses, and 2019 Stream Encroachment sylvania Department of Environmental Protection things that can be done to ensure that these important Permits Obtained for review. resources are responsibly managed. by Category DEP comments, which were heavily weighted to- ward providing more information for communities The District was selected as one of 18 statewide classified as falling under the Municipal Separate recipients of the 2019 Governor’s Award for Envi- Storm Sewer System, were received in November and ronmental Excellence in Pennsylvania for a two- were being addressed at year-end. part educational video on stormwater basins. The Integrated Water Resources plan is a living The video explains how to assess how well a ba- document, which will be reviewed again in five years sin is functioning, and how to retrofit it if needed to and updated as needed. Its development is funded by handle increased runoff and/or meet new standards the Richard King Mellon Foundation. for water quality (basins also capture sediment and debris, keeping them out of streams and rivers). The Westmoreland County Commissioners The video is available on the District’s website as approved and adopted the Integrated Water well as being a resource on the Pennsylvania Depart- Resources Plan as part of the public review process. ment of Environmental Protection’s Clean Water Utility Line Stream Crossings ...... 103 A model stormwater ordinance that the plan con- Academy. Minor Road Crossings ...... 17 tains was covered under that action. The ordinance applies to new development in the A case study of how an erosion and sedimentation Bank Rehabilitation, Bank county, and is designed to help solve existing runoff plan works in the field, information for MS4 commu- Protection & Gravel Bar Removal .... 16 problems. nities, how to design for PennDOT, and updates on Intake and Outfall Structures ...... 15 Once the ordinance is formally adopted by the programs of the Pennsylvania Department of Envi- Temporary Road Crossings ...... 14 municipalities, we expect to see more science-based ronmental Protection were some of the presentations stormwater-management plans, which will benefit Fish Habitat Enhancement at our 2019 Engineers’ Workshop in March. Structures ...... 5 all area citizens with improved water quality and Our two featured presentations were on landslides reduced likelihood of flooding. and stormwater management from a municipal per- Small Docks & Boat spective. Launching Ramps ...... 4 We updated the digital home of the Integrated For the first topic, we focused on the factors that Agricultural Activities ...... 1 Water Resources Plan, westmorelandstormwater.org. influence landslides and how to minimize the poten- Our conservation programs technologist used tial for slope failure. Total Permits Obtained .....175 Google Analytics’ statistics to make this site more For the second, we featured a presentation about a responsive. He also reformatted and updated the in- city-wide green infrastructure program in Lancaster. teractive elements to improve users’ experience and The full day of information was offered twice to search engine availability. accommodate some 380 attendees.
10 The Next Generation Farm Summit featured a variety of resources for farmers, including speakers discussing organizations such as The Pennsylvania Agricultural Ombudsman Program (left photo)…information on certifying agencies such as PCO for organic farms (middle photo)…and companies able to assist with labeling and marketing ag products (right photo).
ing to agricultural complaints in 2012. This work farmers throughout the year. PRODUCTIVE FARMS previously had been done by the Pennsylvania He made 48 visits to local farms, met with Department of Environmental Protection. 38 individuals who came to the District to discuss the specifics of their agricultural operation, and estmoreland County farmers showed Two of the three Growing Greener conservation responded to some 125 phone calls for conserva- their strength of character in responding projects that we were prepared to implement on tion assistance. These numbers have averaged in to the few complaints received by our nutri- area farms in 2019 were deferred until 2020. this range for several years. Went management/agricultural conservation technician. One, for a stream crossing on two adjacent farms When told of the reported problems, such as ero- along Turtle Creek, had to be postponed due to the A board review of the District’s agricultur- sion from their farm impacting a local stream or ma- continuing wet weather. The other, for a manure pit al complaint policy resulted in some minor ad- nure causing a problem for a neighbor, half of the 10 on an organic dairy farm in Salem Township, was de- justments, including adjusting the number of board farmers contacted immediately asked, “How do I fix it?” ferred due to a death in the family. Both projects are members on the agricultural complaint committee One even had the problem resolved the very next day. now planned for 2020. from five to three, and making some slight adminis- The10 agriculture-related complaints received The third Growing Greener project, which would trative revisions to the procedure used to respond to by our office during the year were split about evenly have involved an animal walkway, a riparian buffer, complaints. between issues related to erosion and issues related to gutters and downspouts on the barn, and a number manure. Nine were resolved by year-end. of other conservation improvements on a small farm The remaining complaint will be resolved in 2020, Since the sale of the GreenForge building on our on the edge of the Borough of Delmont, has encoun- and needs that extra time because the time of year campus to the county Industrial Development Au- tered a number of significant technical issues and so was not right for implementing the fix (planting grass thority several years ago, GreenForge, Inc., the the funding may be transferred to another agricul- requires the right season to germinate and grow). nonprofit established to provide property manage- tural project in the same watershed, Beaver Run. In addition, one complaint that had been carried ment services for the building, has adapted the way into the year from 2018 was also resolved. it advances the District’s mission. The District assumed responsibility for respond- Our nutrient management/agricultural conserva- In 2019, the nonprofit turned its focus to sup- tion technician provided personalized assistance to porting ways to make area farms more viable and, 11 toward that end, received a $100,000 loan from the with no-till practices) and farms that have bare areas Some of the topics presented included: Using the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Cor- created by animals (such as exercise lots), must have Internet to Make Sales, Poultry Processing, Organic poration that was used to purchase two planters and an agricultural and erosion sedimentation control Farming: How to Get There, and What You Need to two harvesters for use by area farmers, beginning plan to reduce erosion. Know to Operate a Small Farm. with those licensed to grow hemp. The planters can Organizations and companies represented at also be used by area vegetable farmers in the future. Precision farming technologies was one of the rele- the event included: AgChoice Farm Credit, Ameri- The year started out with a bright outlook for hemp. vant topics addressed at the annual Southwest Penn- can National Insurance Company, CAMO, Food21, A Pittsburgh company, Commonwealth Alternative sylvania Soil Health Conference, held on February 1. GreenForge Inc., Kiva Pittsburgh, National Young Medicinal Options, had opened a hemp processing Cover crop strategies, digital tools in a changing Farmers Coalition, Penn State Extension, PA Agricul- plant near New Stanton in 2018, and was planning to fertility environment, grazing plan specifics, and up- tural Ombudsman Program, Pennsylvania Associa- expand the number of acres of hemp it grew from 50 dates from the Pennsylvania Department of Agricul- tion for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), PA Certified in 2018 to about 300 in 2019. ture also were presented. Organic, PA Department of Agriculture, PA Veterans Unfortunately, by the end of 2019, things had Some 120 area farmers attended. Farming Project, Project Grass, U.S. Department of changed dramatically. The nationwide supply of The District sponsors and coordinates the event. Agriculture Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department hemp out-paced the demand for one of its key of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Ser- products, CBD oil, and Commonwealth Alterna- Some 80 people participated in this year’s Next vice, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Develop- tive Medicinal Options went bankrupt. Generation Farm Summit in June. ment, and Republic Food Enterprise Center. Although this is a disappointing start to Green- This is the second year we’ve hosted this free, day- Event sponsors were the Appalachian Region- Forge, Inc.’s efforts to support local agriculture, it is long event that brings together speakers, resources al Commission, Republic Food Enterprise Center, already investigating new avenues of opportunity and information to help farmers and would-be farm- Food21, and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Ombuds- (see page 24). ers learn about new ways to make their operations man Program. viable. We conducted five workshops during February and March on how to prepare a manure manage- ment plan. Sixteen area farmers attended and prepared these documents for their properties, which represent a combined total of 640 acres. In addition, we joined with the Fayette County Conservation District to host a two-evening work- shop for farmers on how to prepare an erosion and sedimentation control plan for their farm. Six area farmers attended. The District works with farmers so that they have the plans they need for their operation. Any farm that generates or imports manure needs to have a plan for managing it. Likewise, farms that plow and till soil (including Agriculture continues to be Westmoreland County’s number one industry, and one of the many ways the District supports it is by hosting an annual conference on soil health. 12 HEALTHY FORESTS
ur forester is working with a property own- er to help restore the health of some 30 wooded acres of a 191-acre farm her family Ohas owned for several generations near I-70 in South Huntingdon Township. The property had been farmed and harvested and those areas, some of which are steep, have since be- come covered with brush and invasive plants. Our forester prepared a Stewardship Plan for the property several years ago and has been advising the landowner on how to implement it. To date, she has planted trees, installed protective shelters, and sprayed to eliminate invasive plants on three acres that were previously pasture. She plans to work next on a 22-acre, previously harvested portion of the property, where multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), various exotic bush honey- Signs were installed in Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park as part of a three-year improvement effort. suckles (Lonicera spp.), and Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) have taken hold. of wooded stands. see as much harvesting in Westmoreland County in Our forester’s experience with regenerating a por- 2019 as we have in the past. tion of the woods in Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park Four property owners contacted us about enroll- Our forester participated in 14 pre-plan meetings that also had many of these invasive plants (see page ing their woodlots in the state’s Clean and Green in 2019 with those planning to do a timber harvest, 14) will be especially valuable in making improve- program, which encourages land to remain forested a decrease from the five-year high of 20 in 2018. ments on this property. by providing owners with a property tax reduction. These one-hour pre-plan meetings are a way to Part of the process of enrolling in the program help harvesters with permit applications and ensure Six landowners contacted us to request an exam requires identifying the type of trees growing on the that adequate erosion and stormwater controls will of their woodlot and a brief plan for managing it. property, and so our forester visited each site during be in place on a site before any work begins. Our forester visited each property, which included the year, traveling to Penn Township, Derry, Mount a total of 317 acres from locations in Donegal (100 Pleasant Township, and North Huntingdon to walk All timber harvests are required to have a writ- acres), Derry (27 acres), South Huntingdon Town- the property and provide this information. ten plan, outlining how erosion and sediment will be ship (40 acres), and Penn Township (150 acres). All four properties were accepted in the program, controlled on the site. The brief management plan provides general rec- adding nearly 140 acres to those in Westmoreland Our forester reviewed 25 such plans during the ommendations on the best way to steward a particu- County already enrolled in Clean and Green. year, the same number as in 2018. lar property. It is based on an inventory of the trees Fourteen of these plans were discussed and found found there, the types of soils, and the different types The market for timber is down and so we did not to be adequate during pre-plan meetings, and so were 13 able to be approved that day. were added in 2015. A grant from the Pennsylvania SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Environmental Council helped to make the trail possible. Our forester was part of a committee that made revisions to the “Timber Harvest Operations Field We helped Bolivar get a new kayak launch in he third year of work in Westmoreland Coun- Guide,” a resource that includes information such as 2019, and West Newton to have the funds to im- ty’s Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park included how to design skid roads and landings; special man- prove its existing one. improvements to some 1,200 feet of the trail, agement considerations related to ponds, seeps, and Access to rivers is not only important to those Tfrom the parking area through the Donohoe Center wetlands; and how to retire a timber-harvest site. looking for recreation, but to the economy of the property, and then into the park to the first bridge. The resource was initiated by the Pennsylvania towns that offer it as well. When the trail enters the park, it gets steeper. It Department of Environmental Protection and the In Bolivar, a $40,000 grant from the Community also had a steep side slope in places that made walk- Sustainable Forestry Initiative of Pennsylvania. Foundation of Westmoreland County and a $4,000 ing especially challenging for some people, such as It will be available on the District’s website. grant from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy those with hip issues. were used to expand the parking lot near the launch For this portion of the trail, we were able to level area, install fencing around adjacent ball fields and out the side slope and resurface it with a combination tennis courts, and install poles for future lighting and of dust and stone that also helps resist erosion. security. This three-year project was funded by Dominion When a proposed project to put a boat launch on Foundation ($15,000), the Community Foundation Sewickley Creek fell through due to site restrictions of the Alleghenies ($5,000), and the Pennsylvania on the original location, we were able to convince the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to transfer the ($29,500). grant money to West Newton so that it could upgrade We are hoping to obtain new funding and its existing river access. That work is scheduled to be partnership support to continue monitoring and complete in 2020. maintenance work in the 60-acre park in 2020. Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park is a natural wood- land just about one mile from Westmoreland Mall. Emergency repairs we did in 2017 to stabilize a The Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement bridge carrying the Great Allegheny Passage over Association celebrated its 30th anniversary on Cedar Creek brought to light the need for addi- A cleanout of three of the six manmade ponds at April 18. tional repairs to the stream in this area of Cedar Lowber did not occur in 2019 as planned because the During the year, this active association sponsored Creek Park. mound of iron oxide previously removed from this a number of interesting programs, including ones on Our watershed technician prepared a plan and passive wetland treatment system had to be removed the Spotted Lantern Fly, Utility Rights of Way in For- conceptual design that will improve stream con- first. ests, and raptor migration on Chestnut Ridge. It also ditions, safeguard the foundation of the bridge We are hopeful that this work will be done in 2020, hosted field trips to the Ames sawmill in Donegal abutment from further damage, and reduce erosion. and have funding from a Growing Greener grant to Township and Forbes State Forest, and a field day on It includes re-grading the stream’s slopes so they do so. woodland regeneration. are more stable, adding multi-log vane deflectors and The good news at Lowber in 2019 is that a trail The District provides administrative support for a modified mud sill, and removing the rest of the around the ponds was officially opened to the pub- this organization, which encourages good manage- concrete from an old water wheel upstream so that lic. The trail is a loop, 8/10ths of a mile long, and ment of woodlands. the full width of the stream’s channel is restored. accessible via a gravel parking area and steps that 14 WESTMORELAND HERITAGE TRAIL We continued our work of helping to stabilize slopes ahead of construction of the next sections of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail. In 2019, we added riprap and planted trees in six areas along the proposed path, which parallels Turtle Creek. Funding for this work was previously provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Mariner East 2 pipeline penalty) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. In 2019, additional funding was supplied by the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation. In August, an additional 3.4 miles of trail, from Roberts Trail Access in Murrysville to Lincoln Avenue in Export, opened to the public.
Recreational trails continue to be popular and add to the vitality of our region. One of the newest is the Westmoreland KISKIMINETAS Heritage Trail, which is being constructed in several phases, including this recent one where trees are being planted. WATERSHED ASSOCIATION
Our watershed technician is now looking for part- organizations that promotes the value of these gardens. The $4,000 grant we helped the Kiskiminetas nerships and funding to implement the improvements, In 2020, we plan to purchase some mature plants Watershed Association apply for in 2018 was received which will repair about 2,000 feet of stream. to add to our pollinator garden and provide informa- and used to make improvements to a primitive tion for visitors about it. canoe access point along the Kiskiminetas River in East Vandergrift Borough Park. We received a $3,000 environmental education mini-grant from the Pennsylvania Department of We continued to provide support to area trails Environmental Protection to develop a pollinator and watershed associations during the year. garden on our campus. GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE Pollinators – bees, butterflies, birds, and more – are vital to the lifecycle of many agricultural crops that Our watershed technician and AmeriCorps ser- we depend on for food, medicines, and fiber. vice member helped accurately locate mile markers A previously disturbed area near the tree-lined on the Great Allegheny Passage by walking it with a entrance to Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park was pre- surveyor’s wheel. pared for planting in 2019, and a mix of regionally They started near West Newton and ended just past native wildflower seeds was sown. Kennywood Park, a distance of some 10 miles, plac- As water quality in the Kiskiminetas River improves, the ing survey markers and flags as they went. number of recreational canoeists and boaters grows. To We also became a member of Westmoreland Pollina- provide better access to the river and reduce erosion, we tor Partners, a newly formed group of more than 15 area worked with the local watershed association to install a hard-surface ramp to the water. 15 The money from the Western Pennsylvania Con- installed along the Five Star Trail. was agriculture and the environment – knowledge servancy and volunteer effort helped to transform One sign is located near the Youngwood train and technology to feed the world. a grass trail to the river into a less-erosion-prone station (near the bat boxes) and the other, closer to As part of the event, students also heard a presen- crushed stone path, make some small upgrades to the South Greensburg (near the bluebird boxes). tation by the District’s West Nile virus technician on parking lot, and install several signs. mosquitos – including how they are monitored, con- trolled, and ways to reduce their habitats – as well as SEWICKLEY CREEK Some 100 high school students from 10 area preventative measures to take to protect against tick- WATERSHED ASSOCIATION high schools participated in the 2019 Westmoreland County Envirothon on April 29 at Twin Lakes Park borne diseases. For Sewickley Creek Watershed Association, our in Greensburg. visual communications specialist designed and pro- Topics in the academic competition included 2019 Technical Assistance duced two large informational signs explaining the forestry, soil and land use, aquatic ecology, wildlife, benefits of the bat boxes and the bluebird homes and a current environmental issue, which this year by Program
Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control ...... 1,087
Stormwater ...... 724
Stream Encroachment ...... 460
Watershed Restoration ...... 128 Agriculture ...... 82
Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Roads...... 82
Forestry ...... 37
Total Technical Assistance ...... 2,600 First-place winners in the 2019 Westmoreland County Envirothon were the Yough Senior High School team of (l-r) Drake Croushure, Mason Brunson, Alex Kohuth, Tyler Trayter, and Cameron Hopkin. Kneeling is the team advisor, Greg King. 16 SCIENTIFIC MONITORING
019 was the fourth year of our pioneering efforts to gather real-world data on the ef- fectiveness of conservation measures. 2 All the sensors we had installed to monitor best management practices and area streams were live and running during the year, continuously providing data from sites in Youngwood, Murrysville, Mount Pleasant, Hempfield Township, and other locations around the county. Scientific field data is one of the newest tools we have to promote the benefits of conservation. We are gathering real-world information on how conservation measures, such as this stormwater basin in Murrysville (left photo), function. We also In the field, we did some planned maintenance, are gathering data on how area streams behave, which will help municipalities deal with issues such as flooding. replacing three data loggers with updated hardware, and physically relocating some of them above histor- with: Cherry Creek as it flows through Westmore- Mosquitos breed in water. ic flood levels. land County Community College, Sherrick Run as No humans in Westmoreland County tested posi- Volunteers from Trout Unlimited, the Loyalhanna it flows near U.S. Route 119, and a section of Jacobs tive for West Nile virus during the year. In 2018 and Watershed Association, and the Sewickley Creek Creek near Bridgeport Dam. 2017, one person in our county tested positive. Watershed Association helped us replace sensors and Each site will be monitored for a total of five years, relocate some of the data loggers to locations where with monitoring ongoing at Cherry Creek through Although our West Nile virus technician did not they are less vulnerable. 2021, Sherrick Run through 2022, and Jacobs Creek encounter any birds in need of testing during her through 2022. work in 2019, we continued our partnership with Our conservation programs technologist has been We will begin monitoring the Acme Dam project Wildlife Works, Inc., a wildlife rescue service in working with Python, a programming language, to (see page 7) in 2021. Because it is a wetland, moni- Youngwood, as an additional way to monitor our help parse the enormous amount of conservation toring of this site will continue for 10 years. area for West Nile virus. data we are receiving from our field monitors and to The organization agreed to take a swab sample of translate it into a meaningful narrative. Our West Nile virus technician regularly collected any bird we brought in. These samples would then be Currently, we are receiving information on rainfall, mosquito samples at 65 locations throughout the tested by the Pennsylvania Department of Environ- electrical conductivity, stream depth, and soil mois- county during the mosquito season (early May – early mental Protection. ture every five minutes from our sensors in the field, October). West Nile virus maintains itself in nature by cycling resulting in several thousand points of data each day. She forwarded these samples to the state Depart- between mosquitoes and certain species of birds. If We are very happy with the quality of the moni- ment of Environmental Protection, which tested an infected mosquito bites a bird, the virus amplifies toring program we have invested in and the support them for the West Nile virus. within the bird. Then, if an uninfected mosquito available for it. Of the Westmoreland County samples tested, only bites the same bird, it becomes infected. three were positive for the virus. In 2018, 98 samples We continued to monitor three of the PennDOT collected from our county tested positive, most like- When notified of a potential breeding ground for mitigation projects we have recently been involved ly due to the extremely wet weather that summer. mosquitoes – such as a residential swimming pool
17 that is filled with water but not being maintained – our West Nile virus technician worked with the local municipality to remedy the situation. In all, she responded to and helped resolve 23 of these situations.
2019 was the first full year we monitored the pop- ulation of blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, in Westmoreland County. It also was the first time that nymphs, in addition to adults, were collected. From May through August, our West Nile virus technician collected samples each week of the nymph population at two recreation sites in two different municipalities. As part of the West Nile Virus program, our technician set mosquito traps (left photo) and collected tick specimens In October, she collected adult ticks from four such (right photo) in various locations throughout Westmoreland County. Collections from both efforts were sent to the locations. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for analysis. All samples were forwarded to the state Depart- ment of Environmental Protection for testing. Cleanways and Recycling. waterways. Ticks collected in the summer were tested for evi- Area citizens took advantage of the reduced re- Plus, while the tires are lying on the side of the road dence of three common diseases that may be caused cycling fee and brought nearly 650 scrap tires for or in a back yard, they collect water – rain and melt- by a tick bite: Lyme disease, human babesiosis, and recycling to this special April event, an increase of ing snow – making them a favorite breeding ground human granulocytic anaplasmosis. more than 35% over 2018. for mosquitos. Adults collected in the fall were tested for Powassan Scrap tires can cause pollution problems when In fact, just one tire can be home to hundreds of virus and Borrelia miyamotoi. the oils and chemicals and heavy metals they contain mosquitos, increasing the threat of West Nile virus The nymphal stage of the blacklegged tick causes break down and then leach into the soil and nearby and other diseases that mosquitos may carry. the most tick-borne illness in Pennsylvania. Part of Discounted Its always the reason is the tick’s small size – about the size of nice to buzz Education is a key focus of the West Nile virus a poppy seed – which makes it harder to discover on past the old program, and our technician provided information Tire Recycling Fees neighborhood. the human body. at five community events during the year. At the time thisSaturday, publication was May going 9,to press,2020 She made presentations and talked one-on-one with results of the Westmoreland County tick samples Bring your old tires to the citizens at the Westmoreland County Envirothon, Earth were still pending. Day at Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, the Conserva- The blackleggedWestmoreland tick was almost nonexistentCleanways in tion School sponsored by the Westmoreland County Pennsylvania in the 1960sRecycling but now Centeris the state’s Sportsmen’s League, the Westmoreland Fair, and a dominant tick species.355 Pleasant Unity Mutual Road meeting of members of Trout Unlimited. Greensburg, PA 15601 She also was interviewed by the Tribune-Review For the second year from in 8:30a row, a.m. we untilsponsored noon a for a feature article on the program, and the differ- special tire recycling event with Westmoreland ence between mosquitoes and crane flies.
Clean up the earth, one tire, hundreds of mosquitoes at a 18 time! The tire recycling event is a collaboration between West- moreland Cleanways and Recycling and the Westmoreland Conservation District’s West Nile Virus Program. From 8:30 a.m. until noon, every waste tire you bring to the Westmoreland Cleanways Recycling Center will be accepted for $1 off the regular fee (e.g., passenger/lite truck tires off rim will be only $2 instead of $3.) Please note: Groups cleaning up tires from illegal dump sites MUST register with the 2020 Great American Cleanup of PA to receive free tire recycling on May 9. Businesses are not eligible for the recycling discount. istrict
Cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted! Westmoreland Conservation District Monitoring Sites Stormwater Program PennDOT Mitigation Projects*
Stream Gauges (4) Long-term Monitoring (4)
Best Management West Nile Virus Program Practice Monitors (7) Gravid Traps - West Nile Virus Surveillance (55) Rain Gauges (4) BG Sentinel Traps - Zika Weather Station (1) Surveillance (16) Tick Specimen Collection - Tick-borne Illness Surveillance (6)
*Acme site monitoring to begin in 2021
19 ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
he budget allocation we received from West- mitigation projects, each for a total of five years. In to help fund a staff position. moreland County in 2019 was the same as 2021, we will begin monitoring the PennDOT miti- it was in 2018, while the state’s contribution gation project at Acme Dam, and that work will con- We implemented a number of recommendations Tincreased very slightly due to the formula it uses to tinue for 10 years because it is a wetland. from the audit we conducted in 2018, including in- determine the amount allocated to each county from As these projects have increased in size and cost, stituting a procedure in which our District manager the Act 13 (Impact Fee) imposed on unconventional the District has received more money for monitoring reviews and signs off on the vendor list (quarterly), as gas wells. them. well as on each payroll semi-monthly. We plan to draw this money over a period of years Additionally, our Board chairman reviews and Private foundation grants, year-end donations, and signs off on our District manager and assistant Dis- sponsorships in 2019 helped us undertake a number 2019 Westmoreland trict manager’s credit card invoices. of important initiatives (see pages 26-27). Conservation District Funding We instituted these additional internal controls in For instance: donations from the Communi- by Source our ongoing effort to ensure that our accounting and ty Foundation of Westmoreland County and the auditing practices are comprehensive and strong. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy allowed us to enhance a boat launch area in the Borough of Bolivar Westmoreland County’s new Comprehensive (see page 14). Plan was officially adopted by the commissioners in A year-end fundraising appeal, an initiative we late December 2018, and in 2019 our board passed a began in 2017, raised some $7,800 from individuals, resolution supporting it. organizations, and small businesses. The Comprehensive Plan establishes broad goals Money raised through this effort will be used to keep our county a vibrant place to live and work. to plant trees and native understory shrubs in Ann The plan identifies seven core objectives, and 38 Rudd Saxman Nature Park and several specimen strategies for making them happen. It also identifies trees at the arboretum on our conservation campus partners who can help implement the strategies. The (see page 29). District is the implementation partner for the strategy to “Improve & Sustain Water Resources.” Sponsorships, largely provided by businesses, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania....36% We were able to achieve some of the key actions helped us to produce our annual report and conser- toward this strategy during 2019, including much of Westmoreland County...... 29% vation directory, as well as to host the Envirothon the work we did toward finalizing and adopting the and Partner Breakfast (see page 29). Review Fees...... 24% Integrated Water Resources Plan (see pages 9-10) Peoples Natural Gas, for instance, continued to and our initial efforts toward resolving flooding in generously sponsor our annual awards reception. Grant Administration...... 6% the Sulphur Run (see page 7), Crabtree Creek (see page 8), and Jacobs Creek watersheds (see page 8). Grant Awards...... 2% We established a separate, restricted budget ac- count for the funding we receive to monitor miti- Workshop Fees...... 2% In 2018, the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Manage- gation sites (see page 17). ment at Robert Morris University helped us undertake Sponsorships...... 1% Currently, we are monitoring three PennDOT
20
a comprehensive assessment of our information tech- solid-state computer has both the capacity and mem- that controls and monitors incoming and outgoing nology, including an inventory of our current capacity ory needed to work with very large graphic design network traffic. and identification of our needs. files and to process information quickly. This barrier helps prevent malicious outside forces Three of the top areas that emerged from that work In addition, we subscribed to Adobe Creative from hacking into our computer system. – the need for specialized computer equipment for Cloud, which gives access to that full suite of cre- Also during the year, we interviewed and selected two of our most-demanding computer users, and ative software for desktop and mobile devices, and a new information-technology consultant, upgraded the need to update both our website and firewall – includes file syncing and sharing, free storage space, to Windows 10, and hard-wired our Internet access, were addressed in 2019. and a number of other important functional benefits. making it more secure. We undertook a major redo of our website in 2019, with the goals of making it more responsive in When the county engineer estimated the cost of quickly providing the information visitors want, and our outdoor kitchen, based on a preliminary design more functional on both wide screen monitors and of the structure and the additional construction mobile devices. criteria required by the county, the cost proved to be Our plan is to have the new site launched in early significantly higher than our original budget. 2020. Consequently, we worked with the county archi- The last significant revision of the site was in 2011, tect to redesign the project, including making it more when we switched to the WordPress content manage- of an addition to an existing pavilion, rather than an ment system. all-weather structure. As we gather and process a volume of scientif- The county plans to put the revised, pavil- ic data from conservation sites, and provide more We were able to dramatically enhance the effec- ion-addition design out for bid in 2020, and we sophisticated in-house services, including GIS map- tiveness of our firewall, a network security system ping, website development, and preliminary project site design, the demands on our computer technology have escalated. Our conservation programs technologist drew from his experience and consultation with outside experts to identify the most relevant computer software programs needed for our work – including AutoCAD and an update to Adobe Creative Cloud – and the computing power needed to run them. From his recommendations, we invested in a new desktop workstation for his work. It has an Intel Xeon 16-core processor and one of the most advanced graphic cards available. These capabilities will help us with data analytics, multithread processing for GIS functions, and developing complex maps and draw- ings for projects. We also invested in a new computer workstation Renditions of the proposed outdoor kitchen, showing its position near the existing Eric Oesterling Pavilion on our for our visual communications specialist. This campus (left photo), and its features, which include a brick pizza oven.
21 SCH C SEPT. 16, 2019 SCH C SEPT. 16, 2019 The Conservation Farmer of the Year award was given to forest stewards Lewis and Kate Lobdell (left). Guests at the awards reception enjoyed a display of late 1940s Presenting the award were (l-r) District Board Members Ron Rohall and Bill Doney. automobiles. hope to have it completed by summer. ‘crops’ are trees and their goal is not food production service, as 91% of the woodland in Westmoreland To-date, we have raised $166,000, which we believe but a healthier and more diverse forest; one that sup- County is privately owned. should be enough for the revised project. ports native flora and fauna for the long term. The all-volunteer, non-profit Westmoreland Lewis and Kate have been farming, or in more Woodlands Improvement Association sponsors The final element of our plan to unify the campus traditionally used terms, stewarding, forest land in lectures, field trips, and workshops on the variety of frontage along the Donohoe Road – monument Ligonier, Cook and Unity townships for more than forest-related topics that members are interested in, signs – was completed at the end of the year. 20 years. and the public is always welcome to attend. Associate Director Reid Crosby assisted our staff They have been working toward their goal sys- The J. Roy Houston Conservation Partnership with the design and he manufactured the unique metal tematically, following the guidance of several Forest Award is sponsored by Peoples Natural Gas. signs for both Donohoe Center and GreenForge. Stewardship Plans prepared over the past 15 years by the District and a wildlife management plan prepared In addition to recognizing outstanding conserva- by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. tionists, our 2019 annual Awards Reception celebrated Lewis and Kate Lobdell were named the 2019 The Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement the 70th anniversary of the District. Conservation Farmers of the Year (Forest Steward) Association, a group of nearly 100 area citizens DJ Pete Highlands played music from the 1940s and the Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement who share an interest in caring for trees, forests, and and 1950s at the September event, and visitors could Association received the 2019 J. Roy Houston Con- woodlots, celebrated 30 years of helping private for- examine the 1946 and 1948 Nash automobiles in the servation Partnership Award. est owners be good stewards of these valuable natural parking lot. The awards were given at our annual Awards resources in 2019. Large, colorful posters documenting the District’s Reception in September. The group provides an important conservation milestone accomplishments and many partners over The Lobdells are a different kind of farmer. Their 22 EASY pretty& NOT very EXPENSIVE THINGS YOU can do to CONSERVE
that GREAT place: WESTMORELAND COUNTY
1949 - 2019
istrict
Helping people use resources wisely Published as a public service by the Westmoreland Conservation District. Celebrating 70 years of helping people use resources wisely.
The Westmoreland Woodlands Improvement Association received the 2019 J. Roy Houston Conservation We updated the popular conservation guidebook that Partnership Award. Accepting for the woodlands group were (l-r) Fred Lau and John Hilewick. Presenting helps people reduce, reuse, and recycle. It is available the award for the District were Board Members (l-r) Emil Bove and Kim Miller. in printed and digital versions. the past seven decades also were on display. William Mihalco, Robert Pore, John Turack, and She previously served for more than 33 years as tech- Peoples Natural Gas is the Award Reception’s major Keith Walters. nical programs administrator for the conservation sponsor. Each is appointed for a two-year term, expiring district and has extensive knowledge of the Penn- December 31, 2020. sylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Also to mark the District’s 70th anniversary, we up- Associate directors are nonvoting members of our regulations. dated, expanded and reissued the “Things You Can board. Larry is retired from the Pennsylvania Infrastruc- Do To Conserve Westmoreland County” booklet. ture Investment Authority (PENNVEST), and has Hard copies are available in the District office and Five new associate directors were appointed in been involved during his career with more than 1,000 an electronic version is available on the website, 2019: Jay Bell, Kathy Fritz, Larry Gasparato, William infrastructure projects, including those related to westmorelandconservation.org. Roberts, and Thomas Sierzega, Jr. water, sewer, stormwater, brownfields, and abandoned Jay is an owner of Bella Terra Vineyards, a 17-acre mine drainage. BOARD AND ASSOCIATES boutique winery in the Ruffs Dale/New Stanton area. William is community development director in In addition to his interest in viticulture/winemaking, Penn Township. He has a strong background in Reappointed to our board of directors during Bell has experience and interest in stormwater man- floodplain management, and is a member of the 2019 were Kim Miller (public director; four-year agement and woodland management (the Bella Ter- Pennsylvania Association of Building Code Officials, term), Fred Slezak (farmer director; four-year term), ra property includes trees that are several-hundred the American Planning Association, and the Associ- and Ted Kopas (county commissioner; one-year term). years old). ation of State Floodplain Managers. Kathy is an environmental services division Tom is recently retired as the district conservationist Reappointed as associate directors were Reid assistant at the Markosky Engineering Group, Inc. with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Crosby, John Hardiman, Larry Larese, John Lohr, 23 Natural Resources Conservation Service. He has outreach programs. Alyssa Harden, who had been with us in this been involved with soil conservation and several Justin is a 2014 graduate of Kent State University capacity for two years, was promoted to watershed conservation districts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, with a BA in architecture. technician. and Virginia for more than 40 years. And Kodie Rearick, who came on board in 2018 Associate board members are volunteer, non-voting and split her time between the District and the West- members of the conservation district’s board of moreland Land Trust, left to take a position closer directors. They are appointed to a two-year term. to her home. Kodie’s half-time position with the District was not filled. STAFF AmeriCorps is a federal program in which mem- bers spend up to a year volunteering with a nonprofit, District Manager Greg Phillips was appointed to school, or community organization. They can receive Tammy Woodward the Board of Directors of Food21, a nonprofit es- a student loan deferment, limited health benefits, tablished in 2018 to grow our regional food economy. Our erosion control specialist/compliance offi- and a monetary award for education in addition to His efforts with this organization are especially receiving on-the-job training in their field of interest. focused on bolstering local farms and agriculture, cer decided not to return to work after her materni- which was a founding principle of the conserva- ty leave in March. Thanks to an ongoing program Two interns joined us during the year. tion district and a key component of Westmoreland of cross-training, we were able to fill her position Hank Bradish, an environmental engineering ma- County’s recent Comprehensive Plan (see page 20). internally, promoting our former West Nile virus jor from Geneva College, spent his second summer To that effect, he is hoping to pilot several new program technician. with us, helping with the development of the Inte- agricultural initiatives in Westmoreland County – Subsequently, the virus monitoring position was grated Water Resources Plan and with the monitoring growing barley for the craft beer industry, a larger-scale filled internally by our former technical programs program. meat processing facility, and year-round growing secretary, and we hired Tammy Woodward from the Joe Maier, a biology major from the University of facilities. outside to fill the secretarial slot. Tammy brings a wealth of experience to the posi- Pittsburgh, was with us from January through May. tion, including related work with the Private Industry Joe created a Google map of area farmers’ markets, Council of Westmoreland/Fayette County, Hempfield helped with various events, and also helped with the Area School District, and Penn Center Management development of the Integrated Water Resources Plan. Corporation. In 2019, the first two District staff members graduated from and a third staff person began the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce’s Justin DeCarlucci Leadership Westmoreland Program. Our stormwater program was fully staffed in 2019, Our watershed program manager and erosion with the hiring of Justin DeCarlucci as conservation control specialist/compliance coordinator graduated programs technologist. in May from the nine-month program, which pro- He will provide technical support, including data motes greater awareness of our community, offers op- Alyssa Harden management, GIS mapping, and CAD design and portunities for networking, and fosters leadership skills. drafting. He also will manage the field monitoring Changes also occurred with our two Ameri- Our watershed specialist began the program in instrumentation for our technical, education, and Corps service member positions. September at a weekend retreat, and will attend one 24 full-day session each month through May of 2020. Financial Statement Our watershed technician completed the 55-hour Concise Statement of Financial Position core training for the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist Combined Funds - December 31, 2019 Program, a relatively new statewide program that ASSETS helps people learn more about their natural world. Cash...... $ 1,174,878 The 13-week training program covered a variety Grants Receivable...... $ 265,209 Capital Assets...... $ 175,032 of topics, including botany, ornithology, entomology, Prepaid Expenses...... $ 16,030 and geology, with content focused on the specifics of Total...... $ 1,631,149 our location in Pennsylvania – the Appalachian forests. Classroom lessons and field trips made up the bulk LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS of this training. Current Liabilities...... $ 172,675 Our watershed technician is currently working Net Assets...... $ 1,335,236 Long Term Liabilities...... $ 123,238 to complete the other first-year requirements of the program – an additional eight hours of advanced Total...... $ 1,631,149 training and 30 hours of volunteer service – and Concise Statement of Activites expects to graduate in the fall of 2020. Combined Funds - Year Ending - December 31, 2019 To maintain Master Naturalist status, she will be SUPPORT required to attend additional training and provide Westmoreland County...... $ 671,685 volunteer service each year. State Grants...... $ 1,348,216 Administrative Services...... $ 289,980 OUTREACH Consulting, Planning & Fees...... $ 454,046 Room Rental/Interest...... $ 11,035 We emailed our events calendar and a quick Unclassified Operating Revenues...... $ 19,158 summary of conservation news four times during Grants & Contributions...... $ 205,515 the year. Special Projects/Intergovernmental...... $ 42,282 We also published and distributed a detailed Total...... $ 3,041,917 annual report. EXPENDITURES General Conservation...... $ 1,768,631 We hosted a Partner Breakfast again at the Specific Projects...... $ 1,142,704 Capital Outlays...... $ 68,350 conclusion of the year. Other...... $ 60,400 More than 80 of our conservation partners joined us Total...... $ 3,040,085 for this buffet breakfast and informal opportunity to network, share ideas, and plan for the future. Excess of Revenue...... $ 1,832 We created a number of posters for display at the event, Proceeds of Long Term Debt...... $ 33,913 Net Change in Fund Balance...... $ 35,745 showcasing various milestones and recognizing key part- Fund Balance - Beginning...... $ 1,186,432 ners over the 70 years since the District was founded. Prior Period Adjustment...... $ 69,486 The Partner Breakfast was sponsored by Fund Balance - End...... $ 1,291,663 Gibson-Thomas Engineering. 25 Above and Beyond Projects
To do conservation projects that are needed in Westmoreland County, but that are In addition to the numbered projects, there was one other “above and beyond” project “above and beyond” our funded, mandated duties, we seek out nontraditional sources – the Integrated Water Resources Plan – that is not numbered or shown on the map be- of funding. cause it is a countywide effort. This project also is listed below, and discussed in more This mainly involves applying for competitive grants from the state and federal govern- detail on pages 9-10. ments, and from foundations and organizations. How successful we are in winning these In the following list, all projects are funded by competitive grants (shown with the dollar grants is a major factor in determining how many “above and beyond” conservation amount of the award and the funding source), unless indicated otherwise by Consulting projects we can do.* Fee Project, Contract Project, or Private Donation. Sometimes, we also receive nontraditional funding from consulting fees or contracts * Most of these grants are awarded directly to the District. Some are awarded to a partner agency for “above and beyond” projects. that we work with on the particular project. In 2019, we had a total of $1,635,445 from all sources of nontraditional funding in-hand, ** Some of the “above and beyond” projects are multi-year efforts. and were using it to put 15 “above and beyond” conservation projects in place in our county.** These projects are shown as numbers 1 through 14 on the map on the next page.
(not numbered) 3 Westmoreland Heritage Trail 7 Rebitch Beef Farm* ‡ 12 Former Jeannette Glass Site* Integrated Water Resources Plan* Streambank Stabilization Agricultural Best Management Practices Channel Day-lighting Management of Water Resources Municipality of Murrysville Borough of Delmont Partnership with Westmoreland County Countywide $62,000 PA Department of Environmental $15,655 Growing Greener Industrial Development Corporation $300,000 Richard King Mellon Foundation Protection* City of Jeannette 8 Municipal Stormwater Basins* $40,000 PA Department of Conservation Consulting Fee Project: $20,000 1 Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park* Retrofits – Seven basins total** and Natural Resources* Stewardship Plan Development and Municipality of Murrysville 13 McQuaide Dairy Farm* ‡ $20,000 Westmoreland County Bureau of Implementation $64,620 Growing Greener Agricultural Best Management Practices Parks and Recreation Hempfield Township Salem Township 9 $29,500 PA Department of Conservation Pollinator Garden $80,000 Growing Greener 4 Idle Creek Boarding Stables and and Natural Resources Habitat creation Jeff Graham beef farm* ‡ 14 $15,000 Dominion Foundation Hempfield Township Kiskiminetas River* Agricultural Best Management Practices $ 3,000 Pennsylvania Department of Canoe Access $ 5,000 Community Foundation for Export the Alleghenies Environmental Protection Environmental Partnership Project with Kiskiminetas $22,965 Growing Greener Education Mini-grant Watershed Association East Vandergrift Borough 2 Bolivar 5 GreenForge Stormwater Improvements 10 Lowber Treatment System Boat Launch and Park Enhancements Trench drain, asphalt and permeable paving $4,000 Western Pennsylvania Iron Oxide Recovery and Trail Loop Conservancy Partnership project with the municipality Hempfield Township Lowber of Bolivar $125,000 Colcom Foundation* $171,000 Growing Greener* *Funding awarded in a prior year. Work $40,000 Community Foundation of $ 23,205 Adam Eidemiller, Inc. $ 6,000 Pennsylvania Environmental Council began, continued, or was completed in 2019. Westmoreland County* $ 500 Tresco Paving Corporation $ 4,000 Western Pennsylvania 11 First Presbyterian Church of Murrysville ‡ Funding awarded in a prior year. 6 Conservancy Acme Dam* and Murrysville Volunteer Fire Company* Implementation has been deferred until 2020. Wetland Improvements Stormwater Best Management Practices **Original grant was for six basins. Careful Chestnut Ridge Park Municipality of Murrysville management allowed us to retrofit seven. Contract Project: $481,000 PennDOT $103,000 Growing Greener mitigation funding
26 14
13 11 8 7 3 4 2
12 9 5 1
10
6
27 2019 Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Maintenance Projects
These projects are put in place under a standing District program. Money for this program is allocated to conservation districts by the State Conservation They are funded annually by the Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Maintenance Commission, based on the number of miles of dirt, gravel and low-volume roads in a given Program. county. The Pennsylvania legislature established this program to eliminate stream pollu- tion caused by water runoff and sediment from unpaved roads.
7 DIRT AND GRAVEL ROADS 1 Rock Canyon Road Donegal Township Fourmile Run Watershed 4 6 2 Sugar Run Road Saint Clair Township Conemaugh River Watershed
LOW VOLUME ROADS 32 Berkley Road Ligonier Township Loyalhanna Creek Watershed. Funding for this improvement was allocated in 2018. Improvements were made in 2019. 8 2
4 Kunkle Road City of Lower Burrell Little Pucketa Creek Watershed
5 Thompson Road Donegal Township 3 Indian Creek Watershed
6 Taymer Drive City of Lower Burrell Little Pucketa Creek Watershed
7 Club House Drive Allegheny Township Allegheny River Watershed
8 Fourth Street and Walnut Street Extension 1 Bolivar Borough Conemaugh River Watershed 5
28 2019 Donors
Special Projects ASSOCIATE Richard Kacin, Kacin Companies $250 to $499 Bill and Kathy Mihalco Markosky BENEFACTOR Greg and Leanne Phillips $10,000 to $99,999 Pleasant Unity Supply John and Ann Starr Adam Eidemiller, Inc. Wetland Boot Camp Jay and Mary Lou Tarara The Community Foundation The Wilson Group DONOR of Westmoreland County DONOR Up to $249 a. r. glance Up to $249 Wayne and Eileen Baughman Penn State Cooperative Extension Deluzio & Company, LLP Laura Blood FRIEND Esken Landscaping Emil Bove $2,500 to $4,999 Fahringer, McCarty, Grey, Inc. Bill and Sandra Finley Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Lawrence Gasparato Victor P. Regola & Associates, Inc. Traci and Ken Halleck PARTNER James J. Stossel, MBA $500 to $999 Ron and Paula Korber Westmoreland Land Trust Tresco Paving Corporation Terrence Matty Larry and Diane Myers DONOR Annual Appeal Reverend Jeremiah T. O’Shea Up to $249 Nancy Page Justin DeCarlucci FRIEND Jim and Sarah Pillsbury $2,500 to $4,999 Gary Sefchok Sponsors Robert Pore Silvis Group Inc. PARTNER James J. Stossel BENEFACTOR $500 to $999 Sucevic, Piccolomini and Kuchar Engineering $10,000 to $99,999 Nevin and Judy Ulery Peoples Natural Gas Creekside Hill Farm Charles and Judy Duritsa PARTNER Lewis and Kate Lobdell Funds raised in this year’s annual appeal will $500 to $999 go toward planting trees and native shrubs in Adam Eidemiller, Inc. Western Pennsylvania Region of the Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park and several Antique Automobile Club of America Apex Energy specimen trees in the conservation campus arboretum. Aquatic Edge ASSOCIATE Gibson-Thomas Engineering $250 to $499 Pennsylvania Envirothon William and Donna Doney Smithfield Support Services Corp. Richard Herd
29 Thank you to our state legislators and county commissioners, who allocate funding every year for the District.
State funding supports many of the core conservation County funding has been instrumental in helping us attract programs we offer, including programs delegated to us by significant additional dollars for “above and beyond” con- BOARD OF DIRECTORS the state in agriculture, post-construction stormwater man- servation improvements throughout Westmoreland County Ronald J. Rohall agement, erosion and sedimentation control, and dirt, gravel, (see pages 26 - 27). Chairman and low volume roads. Charles Duritsa Vice Chairman Conrad Donovan Treasurer Kim Edward Miller Secretary Emil Bove, PLS William Doney County Commissioner Douglas W. Chew Pennsylvania State Legislators Westmoreland County Commissioners Paul R. Sarver Representing Westmoreland County Fred J. Slezak Rep. Bob Brooks Associate Directors Rep. Eric Davanzo Jay Bell Rep. Frank Dermody Bruce J. Corna, Jr. Rep. George Dunbar Reid Crosby Rep. Eric Nelson John Hardiman Karen Jurkovic Rep. Joseph A. Petrarca, Jr. Kathleen Fritz Rep. Mike Reese Lawrence Gasparato Rep. Ryan Warner Larry Larese Sen. James R. Brewster John Lohr Barbara D. McMillan Sen. Joe Pittman William Mihalco, PE Sen. Patrick Stefano Westmoreland County Commissioners Robert Pore Sen. Kim Ward Gina Cerilli, Esq., Sean Kertes, Douglas W. Chew William Roberts Theresa Gay Rohall Thomas Sierzega John Turack Keith Walters 30 STAFF Andrea Halfhill AGRICULTURE COMPLIANCE Ronald Rohall Gregory M. Phillips West Nile Virus Program Technician/ William Doney Fred Slezak District Manager/CEO Conservation Technician Daniel Griffith TECHNICAL PROGRAMS Anthony P. Quadro, Jr. Christie Sebek Anthony Quadro Andrew Blenko, PE, JD Assistant District Manager/Technical Plans and Permits Coordinator Paul Sarver Emil Bove, PLS Programs Director/Forester Fred Slezak Tammy Woodward Lucien Bove, PE Karen Barnhart Technical Programs Secretary COMMUNICATIONS Kevin Brett, PE Fiscal Administrator Educational Staff Mark Jackson John Campfield Sandra Dzendzel Karen Jurkovic Daniel Carpenter Janette Novak-Mitchell Director of Administration Janette Novak-Mitchell Robert Cronauer Education Program Coordinator Gregory Phillips Justin DeCarlucci Mark Jackson John Turack Christopher Droste, CESCO, CESCP Visual Communications Specialist David Uhrinek Kathleen Fritz ADVISORY COMMITTEES Sandra Donovan Lawrence Gasparato Receptionist/Administrative Assistant These committees are made up of DIRT, GRAVEL AND LOW Chelsea Gross community volunteers, District board VOLUME ROADS PROGRAM Andrea Halfhill Technical Staff members, associate board members, Robert Cronauer Alyssa Harden James W. Pillsbury, MS, PE and staff members. We very much Alyssa Harden Kathryn Hamilton, PLA Hydraulic Engineer appreciate all the volunteers who Ronald Rohall Donald Hixson, PE, PLS Kathryn Hamilton, PLA provide their professional expertise Paul Shaffer Brian Lawrence Landscape Architect/Stormwater Technician and give their time to help develop Chelsea Walker Suzy Meyer, RLA and sustain the District’s programs. Daniel Wilson Dan Mikesic Justin DeCarlucci William Mihalco Conservation Programs Technologist AGRICULTURE EROSION CONTROL Kim Edward Miller Christopher Droste, CESCO, CESCP Wayne Baughman COMPLIANCE Les Mlakar Senior Erosion Control Specialist Gisela Carmenaty Charles Duritsa Ken Murin William Doney Kim Edward Miller Janette Novak-Mitchell Chelsea Gross Daniel Griffith Anthony Quadro Gregory Phillips Erosion Control Specialist Dustin Heeter James Pillsbury, MS, PE Robert D. Cronauer Anne Hong FORESTRY Anthony Quadro Watershed Program Manager Kim Edward Miller Edward Callahan Jason Rigone Chelsea Walker Gregory Phillips Mike DiRinaldo William Roberts Watershed Specialist Jason Pontillo Tom Fitzgerald Ronald Rohall Robert Pore John Hilewick Christie Sebek Alyssa Harden Betty Reefer Anthony Quadro Thomas Sierzega Watershed Technician Laurel Rush Ronald Rohall Doug Siler Daniel Griffith Paul Sarver Tamira Spedaliere Nutrient Management Specialist/ Paul Shaffer GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Chelsea Walker Agricultural Conservation Technician Thomas Sierzega Emil Bove, PLS Tammy Woodward Fred Slezak Commissioner Douglas W. Chew Charles Duritsa 31 1949 - 2019
istrict Conservation Through the Years Helping people use resources wisely
LEY K CR IC E W E E K
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N A O T I E T R IA S C H O ED ASS District helps to District issues its first 1972 1988 form the Sewickley 1994 formal strategic plan 1949 District becomes one of District implements the first Creek Watershed District relocates with like-minded under the leadership Westmoreland the first in Pennsylvania stormwater management Association. agencies into a new, agricultural of its volunteer board. Conservation to implement a soil erosion program offered by any 1991 and conservation service center, District founded. 1967 and sediment control conservation district in Donohoe Center. program. Pennsylvania.
1954 District publishes a 1992 “Program and Work 1987 District issues Plan” for its opera- District joins with the its second tions, an early version Allegheny County strategic plan. of a strategic plan. District to begin work on the region’s first 1971 watershed-wide 1990 District establishes District is the first stormwater manage- District helps to form the first “Environ- in the state to award ment plan, focusing the Westmoreland 1996 mental Information a project under the on the Turtle Creek County Agricultural District initiates first Center” in the state, new Landowner Watershed. Land Preservation public fundraising and its resources are Reclamation Program, Program to conserve campaign, raising available on loan to in which property and protect farmland. $40,000 from 50 donors all county residents. owners can reclaim for improvements to abandoned mine lands Ann Rudd Saxman on their property. Nature Park.
32 2010 J. Roy Houston, board chairman for 40 of the 61 1999 years the District has been in existence, passes away. District helps to We lose a treasured friend, reorganize the a trusted adviser, and one Jacobs Creek of the greatest champions Watershed conservation in Westmoreland Association. County has ever known. District creates first 2008 demonstration green Ron Rohall, a member of 2003 roof in Westmoreland District builds a coalition the District board since 1993, District issues its District creates County, and first demon- to address long-stand- ing flooding problems and vice chairman since third strategic From the Ridge to the River a conservation strated use of permeable 1998, is named chairman plan. educator position. concrete for sidewalks. along the Little Pucketa Creek in Lower Burrell of the District board. 1997 2006-2008 and New Kensington.
2001 District engages 2009 significantly more 2007 District launchs a major volunteers by stormwater management 2012 creating citizen project in Mount Pleasant The J. Roy Houston advisory committees Borough that ultimately Conservation Partnership creates 28 rain gardens on to support its District helps to launch the Award is established, technical programs residential, commercial, and thanks to Peoples Natural 2005 Westmoreland Land Trust. 1998 and organizational municipal sites. Gas, and given for the first efforts, such as District helps to develop time to the Westmoreland District breaks ground public relations. Westmoreland County’s County Commissioners, for a new $1.5 million first-ever Comprehen- Federal officialsallocate past and present, who education center/ sive Plan. more than one billion have provided consistent headquarters build- dollars to remediate support for the District’s ing, funded with historic coal mine programs. $1.29 million in pollution in Pennsylvania, private donations. thanks to effective lobbying J. Roy Houston is inducted by the District and its into the District’s Hall of partners. Honor.
33 2013 2017 2019 A five-year effort to improve water quality The District’s “Sustaining in the Stony Run Conservation” campaign is Watershed in Derry successfully closed out, Township – formerly raising some $1.7 million to Ten priority watersheds, help enhance client services, one of the highest in The District enters into representing about 50% of create practical conservation Westmoreland County a formal agreement Westmoreland County, are demonstrations, gather sci- in the amount of sediment with the Westmoreland totally or partially modeled to ence-based data, create a and nutrient pollution – is County Industrial Devel- The District assumes gather data for the county- county-wide Integrated Water A three-year effort to im- completed. opment Corporation in responsibility from wide water resources plan. Resources Plan, and build prove Ann Rudd Saxman Seven farms receive which that organization the state for review- Nature Park is completed. new partnerships. The first-ever AmeriCorps a total of nearly 40 takes over manage- ing post-construction Invasive plant species are ment of GreenForge, stormwater manage- service member joins the separate conservation The District assumes controlled on 12 acres, a further enhancing that ment plans, which are District’s staff. improvements. responsibility from portion of the treated area building’s operating required of any project the state for the is fenced to keep brows- independence from the that disturbs more than West Nile virus ing deer out, 400 native District. one acre of ground. monitoring program seedlings are planted in 2015 in Westmoreland protected tubes, and trail County. improvements are made.
2014 State-initiated changes to the Dorothy Stoner, a retired 2016 Dirt and Gravel Road Main- Unity Township dairy farm- The District takes the tenance Program become er who served on the Dis- first steps toward effective, adding significant trict board for 12 years and scientifically monitoring 2018 The first-ever, county- funding and increasing the as an associate director for existing stormwater A “Next Generation Farm wide Integrated Water number and/or types of mu- three years, is inducted management practices. Summit” is held to explore Resources Plan – sug- nicipal road improvement into the District’s Hall of Twenty sensors and emerging trends in agriculture gested best practices for projects possible. By improv- Honor. two rain gauges are and ways to make today’s managing our county’s ing roads, particularly those installed throughout farm operations successful. resources – is adopted near high-quality streams, this our eight-acre conserva- by the Westmoreland work improves water quality. tion campus. County Board of The Westmoreland County allo- Al Barnett, who Commissioners. cation for fiscal year 2014-2015 The final conservation for more than 25 is $423,000. The previous fiscal improvement in the years represented year allocation was $28,000. McGee Run Watershed area sportsmen 1949 - 2019 project – an innovative, to our board, was aerated composting inducted into the system – is installed on District’s Hall of istrict Honor. a horse farm. 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www.pusupply.comwww.pusupply.com PO Boxwww.pusupply.com 29 Pleasant Unity, PA 15676 Office:PO Box724 29-423PO Pleasant Box-7592 29 Unity, Pleasant Fax: PA 72415676 Unity,-423 -7572 PA 15676 www.pusupply.com Office: 724Office:-423Harry 724-7592 Kenney-423 Fax: —-7592 President 724 - 423 Fax: - 7572 724 -423-7572 PO Box 29 Pleasant Unity, PA 15676 NathanHarry Kenney KenneyHarry — Secretary— PresidentKenney / Treasurer — President Office: 724-423-7592 Fax: 724-423-7572 ADSNathan STORM PIPE KenneyNathan & FITTINGS — Kenney Secretary — / SecretaryTreasurer PRECAST / Treasurer INLETS & MANHOLES ADSHarry STORM Kenney PIPE & FITTINGS— President PRECAST INLETS & MANHOLES NORTH AMERICAN PVC PIPE NORWESCO PLACTIC TANKS Nathan Kenney ADS — STORM Secretary PIPE &/ TreasurerFITTINGS PRECAST INLETS & MANHOLES NORTH AMERICAN PVC PIPE NORWESCO PLACTIC TANKS www.pusupply.com PROPEX GEOTEXTILE FABRICS E & S MANAGEMENT MATERIALS ADS STORM PIPE & FITTINGSNORTH AMERICAN PVC PIPEPRECAST INLETS & MANHOLESNORWESCO PLACTIC TANKS PROPEX GEOTEXTILE FABRICS E & S MANAGEMENT MATERIALS PO Box 29 Pleasant Unity, PA 15676 COMPOST FILTER SOCK & MUCH MUCH MORE…. Office: 724-423-7592 NORTH Fax: AMERICAN 724-423COMPOST PVC-7572PROPEX PIPE FILTER SOCKGEOTEXTILE FABRICS NORWESCO & MUCHPLACTIC MUCH TANKS MORE….E & S MANAGEMENT MATERIALS CALL US FOR A QUOTE ON YOUR NEXT CONSTRUCTION OR MUNICIPAL JOB Harry Kenney PROPEX — President GEOTEXTILECALL USFABRICSCOMPOST FOR A QUOTE FILTER ON SOCK YOUR ENEXT & S MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS OR& MUNICIPALMUCH MUCH JOB MORE…. www.pusupply.comNathan Kenney — Secretary / Treasurer PO Box 29 Pleasant Unity, PA 15676 COMPOST FILTER SOCKCALL US FOR A QUOTE & MUCHON YOUR MUCH MORE….NEXT CONSTRUCTION OR MUNICIPAL JOB ADS STORM PIPE & FITTINGS PRECAST INLETS & MANHOLES Office: 724-423-7592 Fax: 724-423-7572 CALL US FOR A QUOTE ON YOUR NEXT CONSTRUCTION OR MUNICIPAL JOB Harry Kenney NORTH — PresidentAMERICAN PVC PIPE NORWESCO PLACTIC TANKS Nathan Kenney — PROPEXSecretary GEOTEXTILE / Treasurer FABRICS E & S MANAGEMENT MATERIALS ADS STORM PIPE & FITTINGS COMPOST FILTER SOCKPRECAST INLETS & MANHOLES & MUCH MUCH MORE…. NORTH AMERICAN PVC PIPE CALL US FOR A QUOTENORWESCO ON YOUR PLACTIC NEXT TANKS CONSTRUCTION OR MUNICIPAL JOB PROPEX GEOTEXTILE FABRICS E & S MANAGEMENT MATERIALS COMPOST FILTER SOCK & MUCH MUCH MORE…. CALL US FOR A QUOTE ON YOUR NEXT CONSTRUCTION OR MUNICIPAL JOB FAHRINGER, McCARTY, GREY, INC. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS
1610 Golden Mile Highway Monroeville, PA 15146 Phone (724) 327-0599 FAX (724) 733-4577 1949 - 2019
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J. Roy Houston Conservation Center 218 Donohoe Road, Greensburg, PA 15601 724-837-5271 • FAX: 724-837-4127 website: westmorelandconservation.org • email: [email protected]