Easygrants ID: 18810 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NFWF/Legacy Grant Project ID: 0603.09.018810 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants 2009 - Submit Final Programmatic Report (Activities) Grantee Organization: Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council Project Title: Agricultural BMP Implementation in the Pocono Region (PA) Project Period 08/31/2009 - 08/31/2011 Award Amount $150,000.08 Matching Contributions $54,105.00 Project Location Description (from Proposal) The project will be targeting the following watersheds in Columbia and Montour Counties: Fishing Creek, Chillisquaque/Limestone Creek, Briar Creek, Roaring Creek, and Catawissa Creek Watersheds. Project Summary (from Proposal) Work with landowners to implement agricultural best management practices in tributary watersheds of the upper Susquehanna River. Project will establish and restore 30.5 miles of forested and grassed riparian buffers, enhance or restore 93 acres of wetlands, improve 75 acres of pastureland, install 10,000 feet of livestock exclusion fencing, construct 5,000 feet of stabilized laneways, install four watering systems, and reduce pollution loads to the Susquehanna River by 280 tons of sediment, 14,706 pounds of nitrogen, and 284 pounds of phosphorus. Summary of Accomplishments The projects key accomplishments include 9 landowners within the key watersheds implemented BMP’s to improve the quality of the local watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay. A total of 9 landowners received technical and financial assistance through this project to account for 68 BMP’s implemented on those 9 farms. The amount of BMP’s completed was greater than expected and they included the following as a direct result of this project: 2.66 miles of riparian buffer established, 8.24 acres of wetland enhanced/restored, 17,220 feet of fence installed, 26,790 ft2 of stabilized laneway/heavy use area, and numerous other beneficial outcomes. With the incorporation of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s in-kind match as committed and reported by them, the total contributory amounts for riparian buffers and wetlands allowed the RC&D Council to exceed the amounts initially estimated in the grant application. Lessons Learned The landowners were selected and required to submit a deposit for participation to show intent & sincerity. Conservation/Resource Management Plans were to be completed in the next 2-3 months, with the majority planning by NRCS, who became inundated with Farm Bill programs that the NFWF planning became secondary. This caused delays with plans and implementation. NRCS had agreed to do the engineering designs, but was unable to dedicate the manpower to the project. NRCS realized they could not assist in the original capacity intended, but were able to work through a licensed engineer on staff with the Columbia County Conservation District to get some of the designs completed. Landowners were eager, but got busy with their farm work and things become delayed. Landowners were given ample opportunity to comply and work with this timeline, but ultimately if they showed continual non-progression they were removed from the project and the next highest scoring landowner was given the opportunity to participate. This approach resulted in two landowners selected to participate not being able to stay on track and being disqualified from the project. This in turn delayed the next landowners in line from getting the project information and the partners being able to work with these new Page 1 of 16 participants timely. Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Acres of additional cover crops planted annually Value at Grant Completion 42.5 acres Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Other Activity Metric Value at Grant Completion 15 watering systems Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Other Activity Metric Value at Grant Completion 17,220 ft of fence installed Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Other Activity Metric Value at Grant Completion 26,790 square feet of stabilized laneway/heavy use Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Other Activity Metric Value at Grant Completion 44.88 tons of soil Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Lbs. of phosphorous reduced from entering the waterways Value at Grant Completion 36.06 pounds of phosphorus Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Lbs. of nitrogen reduced from entering the waterways Value at Grant Completion 725.9 pounds of nitrogen Conservation Activities Describe and quantify the primary activities according to the metrics of the grant and explain any descrepencies between activities conducted during t Progress Measures Acres of wetland habitat improved Value at Grant Completion 8.24 acres of wetland enhanced/restored Page 2 of 16 Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Final Programmatic Report Narrative Instructions: Save this document on your computer and complete the narrative in the format provided. The final narrative should not exceed ten (10) pages; do not delete the text provided below. Once complete, upload this document into the on-line final programmatic report task as instructed. 1. Project Description. Briefly describe your project, including a description of the problem your project is trying to address, the project’s objectives and strategies, as well as the project location, and a characterization of the watershed and the relevant characteristics of the community’s natural resources, population, and economy. The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council and its partners have accomplished the project titled, “Linking Agricultural BMP’s & Livestock for Watershed Health” in 2010-2011 through the Chesapeake Bay Small Watersheds Program. The RC&D Council took on this project in order to assist landowners with implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to reduce soil erosion and negative impacts to environmentally sensitive areas ultimately reducing the amounts of sediments and nutrients entering local watersheds that are contributing to degrading the Chesapeake Bay. The RC&D Council and its partners targeted the following watersheds within the 10th and 11th Congressional Districts in Columbia and Montour Counties: Fishing Creek, Chillisquaque/Limestone, Briar Creek, Roaring Creek, and Catawissa Creek Watersheds. This project was a priority for the RC&D Council and its partners because it will assist landowners that may not qualify for other Federal, State, and local conservation programs, while helping these landowners address the creation of forested and grassed riparian buffers, wetland enhancement or restoration, and assisting with soil and nutrient reductions to the local watersheds and Bay. All of the watersheds listed as part of this project have large amounts of the watersheds currently in agricultural production. The Fishing Creek and Chillisquaque/Limestone Watersheds have specifically been identified by each of the Columbia and Montour County Conservation Districts due to the amount of agricultural impacts to each of those watersheds in particular. The project also relates to local and regional watershed goals by several agencies and organizations which include the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Chesapeake Bay Tributaries Strategy, and the Pennsylvania State Wildlife Action Plan as prepared by the PA Game Commission and PA Fish & Boat Commission, and Lower West Branch Susquehanna Rivers Conservation Plan. Through this project the partners will work with landowners to implement AG BMP’s such as installing forested riparian buffers, enhancing or restoring wetlands, fencing livestock out of environmentally sensitive areas, establishing stabilized livestock laneways, installing watering systems, and improving pasture systems to reduce the amount of soil and nutrients that are entering local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay as non-point source pollution. This project will extend the reach and amplify the impact of several local conservation partners that are working on similar projects. The overarching project objectives are for the project partners to work closely with landowners in the Fishing Creek, Chillisquaque/Limestone, Briar Creek, Roaring Creek, and Catawissa Creek Watersheds that have some environmental issues on their properties that need attention and remediation through AG BMP’s. The BMP’s that will be proposed to be implemented will reduce water quality degradation into the respective watersheds. More detailed project objectives