County Wide Action Plan
Forty-three of Pennsylvania’s counties contain waterways that drain to either the Susquehanna or the Potomac rivers, which flow into the Chesapeake Bay. Clean water efforts at the county level are the foundation of Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan (Phase 3 WIP). Of these, 34 counties are currently in the process of implementing Countywide Action Plans (CAPs).
CAP implementation looks different for each county, but all have common needs for committed partners and effective communication. The Community Clean Water Action Plan Coordinator continues to play a critical role in implementing the CAPs. In order to meet the 2025 deadline identified by EPA, rapid implementation of Best Management Practices is needed.
To support this rapid implementation, DEP developed the Chesapeake Bay CAP Implementation Block Grant. The purpose of this program is to provide a mechanism to fund the implementation of CAPs developed at the county level to maximize specified nutrient and sediment reduction goals established as part of Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 WIP. During the development of the Phase 3 WIP, one of the main barriers or challenges the counties identified was the multiple application processes that had to be followed to receive state or federal funds. Through this Block Grant, multiple state and federal funding sources can be focused through one agreement to a lead county agency to implement the CAP.
Our CAP Program
A Riparian Forest Buffer (RFB) is an area beside a stream that is planted with trees that grow best in the wet ground near streams. These RFBs provide a variety of benefits including reducing nutrient runoff, reducing erosion, increasing ground infiltration of water, soaking up excess water, providing food and habitat for many animals, and much more!
The main objective of the program is to pay for planting and maintaining riparian forest buffers along streams to reduce erosion and nutrient runoff while providing the landowner with financial compensation in areas that qualify for the incentive payment.
Buffer Incentive Program
A one-time, lump sum payment will be paid to the landowner for the acres of buffer planted up to 50-ft wide from stream edge as long as the total buffered area is on average equal to or greater than 35-ft wide. The payment will be calculated as follows: $300 per acre per year for 20 years (lump-sum paid up front).
- Buffer Acres to date: 24.38 Acres
- Amount allocated to the program to date: $1,061,274.93
Questions?
For more information or questions, or to submit an application, contact Dakota Thompson at dthompson@nccdpa.org or call 570-495-4665 ext 308.
