PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE COUNTY WIDE ACT 167 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN IN DAUPHIN COUNTY

Act 167, the Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Act, was passed in 1978.  Under this act, all counties are required to prepare Stormwater Management plans for the watersheds within their boundaries. These plans provide management standards for control of stormwater runoff from construction and land development projects.  The standards are intended to minimize the adverse impacts of increased stormwater runoff on water resources.     Dauphin County began preparing such plans in 1990 in response to a DEP mandate that a plan be prepared for the Paxton Creek watershed.  Several plans were prepared for individual or groups of watersheds in Dauphin County in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

In the mid 2000s, DEP began requesting that Act 167 plans be prepared on a county wide basis as opposed to watershed by watershed.  Dauphin County prepared a final county wide Act 167 plan that was approved by DEP in June, 2010.

After DEP approval of the plan, municipalities adopted local ordinances consistent with the County Wide plan.  This action is required under Act 167.  The model ordinance contained in the plan has been adopted by 37 of Dauphin County’s 40 municipalities.

Recently, the Dauphin County Conservation District has received several calls from municipalities and residents regarding the exemption criteria contained in the ordinance.  In short, the calls were regarding concerns that the ordinance placed an unnecessary regulatory burden on certain types of projects.    In response to the inquiries, an amendment to the exemption criteria was developed and, in response to municipal comments on the amendment, revised to address those comments.

As required by Act 167, a public hearing must be conducted for an original plan or an amendment, followed by county adoption and submission to DEP for approval.  Once DEP has approved the amendment, municipalities may select one of the three options, including an option to do nothing, and implement the amendment through local ordinances.

Below are two links.  The first, “CURRENT EXEMPTION”,  is the existing exemption criteria contained in the adopted ordinances.  The second, “PROPOSED EXEMPTION”, is the proposed amendment to the ordinance.

CURRENT EXEMPTION

PROPOSED EXEMPTION

NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

Click here for the 2013 CSP Producer Self Screening Checklist

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2013 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) will provide nearly $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres of enrollment this year.

"The Conservation Stewardship Program is different than other USDA financial assistance programs," said Vilsack. "CSP offers payments to producers who maintain a high level of conservation on their land and agree to adopt higher levels of stewardship. It's about conservation activities on the entire operation focusing on multiple resource concerns."

Vilsack explained that although applications are accepted all year, farmers, ranchers and forestland owners interested in CSP should submit applications by May 31 to their local NRCS office to ensure they are considered for this year's funding.

The voluntary program allows producers to go the extra mile in conserving natural resources while also maintaining or increasing the productivity of their operations.

Playing a significant part in conserving and improving our nation's resources, producers enrolled an additional 12.1 million acres in CSP last year, bringing the total number of acres to more than 50 million.

Many of the CSP enhancements improve soil quality, which helps land become more resilient to extreme weather.

Several other improvements are available for producers, including intensive rotational grazing, intercropping and wildlife friendly fencing.

Because of the extreme weather in 2012, more interest and participation in the cover crop enhancements is expected this year, according to NRCS experts.

A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if the program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship threshold requirements and payment types.

For the checklist and additional information, visit the CSP website

(http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/financial/csp/) or visit your local USDA NRCS office.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).