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Chesapeake Bay Program

The Bay Watershed encompasses 6 states and works its way across 64,000 square miles of land before pouring billions of gallons of fresh water into the Chesapeake Bay on a daily basis. This fresh water, carrying essential minerals and nutrients, mixes with salty ocean water creating an estuary with ideal conditions for plant and animal life. Our nation's largest and most productive estuary, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to over 15 million people and thousands of plant and animal species.Chesapeake Bay watershed from the Chesapeake Bay Program

As the water draining into the Bay works its way across the landscape, it picks up pollutants that adversely affect life in the Chesapeake Bay. Rain water carries soil, excess nutrients, fertilizers and pollutants from agricultural operations, streets, industries, lawns and construction sites, ultimately ending up in the Bay. Impacts from these various pollutants can adversely affect the vital species within the Bay and the natural balance of the Bay.

Now, more than ever, people within the Bay drainage region realize that what they do on the land directly affects the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Over the past fifteen years, various citizens, private groups, government agencies and businesses have been joining forces to clean up the Bay watershed. In order to restore and protect the resources of the Chesapeake Bay, all of us need to become better stewards of the land.

The Chesapeake Bay Program

The Financial Assistance Funding Program (FAFP), commonly referred to as the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Program, began in 1985. This voluntary program provides up to $30,000 of state funds per qualified landowner to implement certain agricultural best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs are designed as part of a comprehensive nutrient management program to address critical farm nutrient problems, reducing surface water and groundwater pollution.

Franklin County and the Bay Program

The Franklin County Conservation District first became active in the Chesapeake Bay Program in 1989. Since that time, 59 Landowner-District contracts have been signed; approximately 1.5 million dollars have been spent implementing Best Management Practices on county farms.

The Conservation District employs one Chesapeake Bay Technician to implement the Chesapeake Bay Program in the county. Working closely with other District Staff and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), these individuals implement nutrient management programs on farms with critical nutrient concerns. A combination of state and federal funding sources is provided to the District to administer the program.

The Conservation District provides farmers the opportunity to receive both technical and financial assistance to address nutrient concerns. Many of the services offered by the Conservation District are available through the private sector. However, for many operations, the costs incurred through the private sector are prohibitive. The services offered by the Conservation District give landowners the opportunity to address critical nutrient problems with reduced out of pocket expenses.

In the past, each new applicant was ranked based on the operation's potential to pollute the water resources within the Bay Watershed. Typically, the pollution concerns identified were a result of improperly contained and/or applied animal wastes.

Each participating landowner was required to implement a conservation plan addressing soil erosion concerns and a complete nutrient management program which included the BMPs deemed necessary to address nutrient pollution concerns. The proper design and implementation of these components are intended to protect the soil and water resources on the operation, while hopefully improving the farm's manageability and productivity. Ultimately, the goal of every Chesapeake Bay Project is to reduce the amount of nutrient pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay.

The Changing Bay Program

Although the Bay Program has been a success in Franklin County, 2004 has spurred significant changes in Pennsylvania's Chesapeake Bay Program. As part of the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement, PA has made a commitment to help remove the Chesapeake Bay from the Federal Clean Water Act's list of impaired waters by 2010. Although nutrient and sediment reductions can be attributed to existing efforts across the Bay Watershed, the current rates of reduction will not satisfy the target levels as defined by the 2010 goal.

The PA Department of Environmental Protection has developed a new Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy based on new scientific criteria. The PA Strategy, which includes new BMPs and approaches, is intended to boost nutrient and sediment reductions across the Bay Watershed in hopes of reaching the 2010 target. As part of the PA Strategy, Franklin County and other counties within the Bay watershed have developed county Bay Strategies intended to compliment the State Strategy.

The New Franklin County Bay Program and Tributary Strategy

The Franklin County Conservation District developed a new Bay Tributary Strategy in February of 2005. Based on existing county trends and needs identified, the following BMP’s were selected to serve as the foundation for the new Strategy:

1. Conservation Planning
2. Conservation Tillage
3. Cover Crops
4. Nutrient Management
5. Animal Waste System
6. Rotational Grazing
7. Erosion and Sedimentation Controls