Dec 4, 2013 2 min read

The Greene County Conservation District is reminding farmers about recent changes to Pennsylvania’s Chapter 102 regulations for erosion and sediment control and storm water management.

The regulations, which the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) revised three years ago, require anyone conducting agricultural plowing or tilling activities, including no-till, or whose land contains animal heavy-use areas disturbing at least 5,000 square feet, to develop an agriculture erosion and sediment-control plan. The plan must cover all areas of the farming operation.

“An agriculture erosion and sediment-control plan can be written by the farmer and should be updated if conditions on the operation change,” said Laurel Rush, agricultural technician for the Greene County Conservation District.

In some cases, an already existing conservation plan, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office, may be used as long as it meets the new requirements, Rush said.

The plan is not required to be submitted for a formal review, but it must be available on the farm if requested by the DEP, she said.

A Chapter 102 agriculture erosion and sediment-control plan must include the following:

n A description of the plowing and tilling operations, including the crop rotation and identification of animal concentration areas on the operation.

n A list and description of best management practices already installed on the operation that are reducing soil erosion.

n An implementation schedule for planned best management practices.

n Maps including topographic features, field and property boundaries, buildings and farm structures, animal concentration areas and best management practices locations and soils.

The conservation district can provide resources and assistance to anyone with questions about the new regulations or who needs help writing a plan. For assistance, Rush can be called at 724-852-5278.