Pocono Northeast RC&D Council

Pocono Northeast RC&D Council 1300 Old Plank Road Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433

December 7, 2006

Call for Projects/Request for Proposals

To: Interested landowners within the Fishing Creek and Wapwallopen Creek Watersheds in Columbia and Luzerne Counties.

For: Prepare conservation plans for the property along with the installation and implementation of conservation and best management practices to improve water quality, forest stand improvement, and wildlife habitat

Background The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to enhance and improve the ecological, cultural, and economic characteristics of the Pocono Northeast RC&D Area through projects and programs that promote the management, protection, and sustainable utilization of the Area’s resources. The RC&D Council area encompasses the ten counties of: Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne. As a result the RC&D Council strives to improve the environment and conditions of these areas.

The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council has received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support landowners with the implementation of conservation practices and best management practices within the Fishing Creek and Wapwallopen Creek Watersheds in Columbia and Luzerne Counties. The project will work with landowners to prepare a conservation plan for their property. Once the conservation plan has been prepared, the project partners will provide technical guidance to the landowner to implement practices such as the establishment of warm and cool season grasses, forest stand improvement and management, tree/shrub planting, and wetland creation or enhancement. Landowners do not need to implement all of the aforementioned practices on their property to participate with the program.

Landowners interested in participating with this program will be required to attend one of two workshops held during the end of January, and submit a project application to the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council. The applications will be due February 2, 2007. The applications will then be scored and ranked according to environmental need and benefits (water quality improvement, erosion protection, wildlife habitat improvement, etc.). Landowners that have been selected will then be notified and confirmed that they will participate with the program. Landowners that will participate with the project will be required to provide a 25% match component (cash, labor, materials, etc.) towards the implementation of this project. Implementation work on this project will need to be completed by the Fall of 2007.

Goals & Objectives of the Project  Provide education and outreach to landowners on conservation practices that improve or enhance water quality, forest stand improvement, and wildlife habitat  Assist landowners with the development of conservation plans for their property to ensure enhancement of water quality, forest stand improvement, and wildlife habitat  Establish 25 acres of conservation cover utilizing native warm and cool season grasses  Perform 60 acres of forest stand improvement and management which include the practices of invasive species removal and timber stand improvement (TSI)  Establish 25 acres of tree/shrub establishment for water quality and wildlife habitat improvement  Enhance or create 12 acres of wetlands for water quality and wildlife habitat enhancement Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4 Fax: 570-281-5379 Email: [email protected] Pocono Northeast RC&D Council 1300 Old Plank Road Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433

Project Information Landowners willing to participate with this project will be required to attend one of the two scheduled workshops explaining this programs during the end of January 2007, and submit a “Project Application” by the February 2, 2007 due date. Applications received after this date will not be considered for participation with this project. The project applications will be ranked, scored, and reviewed by a panel of individuals who will then select the top scoring applications. Those landowners will then be contacted and notified that they have been selected to participate with this project. Those landowners will then be required to sign an agreement/contract with the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council to participate with the project. Landowners selected to participate with the project will be referred to as “project participants” in the rest of this document.

Project participants agree to allow one of the project partners to prepare a conservation plan for the property for the implementation/installation of conservation practices. The landowner also agrees to adhere to the specifications within that conservation plan on their portion of the property where the practices will be located. Specifications include but are not specifically limited to seeding rates, tree/shrub spacing, designs, etc. The project participant will allow their portion of the property where conservation practices will be implemented/installed to be open to the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council and project partners for data collection, evaluation, inspection, and monitoring of the conservation practices. The project participants will also allow access to the property for the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council to host educational field trips and training sessions associated with this project.

Project participants will receive a maximum award of funding for the implementation/installation of the conservation practices associated with this project. The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council, through a US Fish and Wildlife Service Grant, will provided up to a maximum of 75% of the costs associated with the implementation/installation of the conservation practices. The project participant will be required to provide 25% of the costs of the project. The grant funding is on a reimbursement basis, therefore invoices by the project participant must be submitted to and approved by the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council before the grant funding can be released to the project participant. Grant funding may take up to 30-90 days to be reimbursed back to the project participant. The grant funding will only be allowed to be spent on conservation practices approved through this project.

The following listing is a breakdown of the allowable costs per conservation practice as part of this project:

75% cost share up to a maximum per Conservation Practices acre cost of:

Conservation Cover Establishment of native grasses (warm and cool season) $ 200.00 Forest Stand Improvement & Management Invasive species removal $ 130.00 Timber stand improvement $ 150.00 Tree/Shrub Establishment Establishment of trees/shrubs $ 525.00 Wetland Enhancement/Creation Structural improvements/implementation $ 1,200.00 Non-structural improvements/implementation $ 375.00

Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4 Fax: 570-281-5379 Email: [email protected] Pocono Northeast RC&D Council 1300 Old Plank Road Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433 Conservation Cover Establishment of native grasses (warm and cool season grasses) costs include but are not specifically limited to site preparation, fertilizer, spraying, seed, and seed placement. Establishment and seeding rates will be specified within the conservation plan prepared.

Forest Stand Improvement & Management Invasive species removal includes but is not specifically limited to the physical, mechanical, and/or biological removal or control of invasive species.

Timber stand improvement includes but is not specifically limited to stand thinning, and timber harvesting for specific results (wildlife habitat, herbaceous openings, shelterwood, etc.).

Tree/Shrub Establishment Establishment/installation costs of trees/shrubs will include but are not specifically limited to site preparation, seedlings, shelters, and installation. Installation will be required of 100 trees/shrubs per acre, 2-3 year old seedlings, and all species will be native with a composition of 60% trees (40% deciduous & 20% coniferous) and 40% shrubs, and shelters for each seedling.

Wetland Enhancement/Creation Structural wetland enhancements/creation will include but are not specifically limited to site survey, layout, preparation, and grading; water control structure; etc. Engineering will be provided for this aspect of the project. Services/items that will not be funded as part of this project will be permitting costs, consultant fees, and/or water to supply the wetland, if required.

Nonstructural wetland enhancements/creation will include but are not specifically limited to physical, mechanical, and/or biological removal or control of invasive species; wetland planting; and/or other improvements/enhancements that are not structural.

Project participants must supply a minimum of 25% match towards the total amount of funding provided through this project for the implementation of the conservation practices that will be installed on the landowners property. For example, if a landowner installs 10 acres of conservation cover at $200 per acre, then the amount of practice will be $2,000. The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council will provide 75% of the practice which will be $1,500 and the landowner will be required to provide the 25% match of $500 for the practice. Using the same example, if the landowner installs 10 acres of conservation cover but costs $400 per acre for a total of $4,000 for the practice, the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council will provide 75% of the practice up to a maximum of $200 per acre. Therefore the RC&D Council will provide the maximum of $2,000 for the practice and the landowner will be responsible for the remaining $2,000 (or 50%) for the practice.

Project participants will be responsible for contracting with a third-party contractor to install or complete the conservation practice on their property. The landowner will be required to provide three (3) written price quotes for the installation of the practice to the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council before any work is completed. The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council will then review the price quotes, and give the landowner permission to proceed. If the landowner is going to be completing some or all of the work for installing the conservation practices, the landowner will be required to use the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Custom Rates for the work being completed. The NASS Pennsylvania Custom Rates can be found at: http://www.nass.usda.gov/pa/custrate.htm

Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4 Fax: 570-281-5379 Email: [email protected] Pocono Northeast RC&D Council 1300 Old Plank Road Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433

The landowner will be responsible for supplying the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council with receipts and documentation of any and all work completed as part of this project for the Council’s records and for the grantee’s records. This includes any and all actual invoices, but also any and all invoices and documentation for in-kind match as well.

Project participants will maintain the conservation practice being installed through this program for a period of no less than 10 years.

Tentative Project Schedule January 23, 2007- Mandatory workshop for interested Luzerne County participants at Dorrance Township Municipal Building, 6:30-8:30 PM January 24, 2007- Mandatory workshop for interested Columbia County participants at Columbia County AG Center, 6:30-8:30 PM February 2, 2007- Final day for receiving Project Application/Call for Projects February 12, 2007- Participants notified of selection to participate with this project March 16, 2007- Project partners complete conservation plans for landowners March-April 2007- Selection of contractors & RC&D Council review and approval May-August- Install projects

For local information, contact the Columbia County Conservation District at (570)784-1062 ext.5 or the Luzerne County Conservation District at (570)674-7991.

Please direct any other questions to, and send any and all project application materials and correspondence to:

Project Coordinator Pocono Northeast RC&D Council 1300 Old Plank Road Mayfield, PA 18433

Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4 Fax: 570-281-5379 Email: [email protected]