Berks Conservation District Hosts Forested Riparian Buffer Showcase April 26

On February 14, the Berks County Conservation District announced it will hold a Forested Riparian Buffer Showcase on April 26 starting at Noon at the Berks County 4H Center, 1206 County Welfare Road in Leesport.

Please join them for a presentation on how landowners can prevent pollution from going into nearby rivers and streams, a self-guided tour and refreshments.

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) program pays farmers and other landowners to conserve and enhance their land. Over 12,500 landowners in Pennsylvania have received payments since the program began.

A one-half acre demonstration Forested Riparian Buffer was established near the Berks County 4-H Center in partnership with Berks County Master Watershed Stewards, Berks County 4H, County of Berks, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Stroud Water Research Center.

The buffer was planted 65 trees and 10 shrubs in a 50-foot-wide strip next to the stream. The species planted include: Silver Maple, Allegheny Serviceberry, River Birch, Redbud, Persimmon, Eastern Red Cedar, Common Ninebark, Sycamore, White Oak, Pin Oak, Red Oak, Black Locust, and Black Willow.

This planting will filter nutrients from runoff, trap sediment, cool water temperatures and stabilize the stream bank.

The Conservation District was awarded a $3,000 mini-grant through the CREP Program Outreach Program Office administered by the PA Association of Conservation Districts to support this project.

BCCD is using these grant funds and demonstration Forested Riparian Buffer to promote the CREP Program and its environmental benefits.

“With this funding, anyone who owns land next to a waterway will be invited to find out if they are a candidate to get paid to conserve and enhance their land,” said Dean Druckenmiller, Berks County Conservation District Manager. “Over the next three months, we plan to educate landowners on the CREP Program and to help those already enrolled in the program with maintenance issues.”

Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided to the PA Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

For more information, visit the Berks County Conservation District webpage or call 610-372-4657.