DEP Chesapeake Bay Implementation Plan Update: 86% Of Phase 3 Milestones Are On Track

On February 19, the Department of Environmental Protection reported 86 percent of its Phase 3 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan milestones are on track.

Progress on each milestone is reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the public on DEP’s Tracking Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Progress webpage and was included in DEP’s February Chesapeake Bay Program newsletter.

At the state level, staff have been working across state agencies and with state action leaders to first devise strategic paths for reaching nutrient reduction goals using existing funding, staff, and resources. 

Reviews of state regulations, funding, staff, and agency level organization has led to some changes that will increase the state’s ability to more effectively accomplish state-level work and support county-led efforts. 

When gaps are identified in areas where the state has the power to address them, steps are being taken to do so.

Much of the early effort has focused on working with local stakeholders at the county level to create and implement Countywide Action Plans (CAPs). 

Participation in the creation and implementation of a CAP is completely voluntary, but it comes with technical and financial support to encourage stakeholders at the county and local level to get involved, and it focuses on cleaning up local waterways.

Click Here for a more detailed summary of steps taken.

Among the other items reported are--

-- NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants due March 15;

-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership, Buffer Grants due April 14;

-- NFWF Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants due April 22;

-- EPA, NFW Fund $1.2 million in projects in PA portion of Bay Watershed;

-- DCNR submitted an application to the NFWF Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grant Program for riparian buffer work and other measures;

-- Still time to register for DCNR’s Virtual Riparian Forest Buffer Summit March 10-11;

-- Summary of how DCNR grants support water, wildlife and people in Chesapeake Bay Watershed;

-- Spots still open for NFWF All-Bay Agriculture Network Forum starting Feb. 22;

-- General update from DEP on Tier 1-2 and Tier 3-4 counties; and

-- General updates for Adams, Bedford, Centre, Cumberland, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York counties.

[PA Chesapeake Bay Plan

[For more information on how Pennsylvania plans to meet its Chesapeake Bay cleanup obligations, visit DEP’s PA’s Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan webpage.

[Click Here for a summary of the steps the Plan recommends.

[How Clean Is Your Stream?

[DEP’s Interactive Report Viewer allows you to zoom in on your own stream or watershed to find out how clean your stream is or if it has impaired water quality using the latest information in the draft 2020 Water Quality Report.]

(Reprinted from the February DEP Chesapeake Bay Phase 3 WIP News.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)

NewsClip:

USA Today Editorial: Pennsylvania Must Stop Killing The Chesapeake Bay

Related Articles:

-- CFA Accepting Applications For Act 13 Watershed Restoration, Mine Reclamation, Sewage, Flood Mitigation, Recreation Grants 

-- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Accepting Applications For Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants

-- DCNR Blog: DCNR Grants Support, Water, Wildlife And People In PA's Chesapeake Bay Watershed

-- Lebanon Valley Conservancy, Landowners Worked Together To Plant 1,500 In 2020 As Part Of Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership

-- Members Of PA Veteran Farming Project Adopt Sustainable Farming Methods, Including Planting Forested Stream Buffers In Tioga, Wyoming Counties 

[Posted: February 19, 2021]  PA Environment Digest