And What It Takes

Kevin Brown, Ag Resource Specialist, BCCD
The last two articles on this subject where about “what we do” and “how we do it”.  I have ran into a couple instances in just the last couple weeks where it has come up that the process we must go through apparently needs to be explained also.  I say all the time, “we work at the speed of government”.  For anyone who may be confused by what that means, it is painfully slow.  Nothing happens quickly.  We have people stop down on a regular basis and are like, “I need a facility for my animals, and I need it built in “x” timeframe”.  Um, that is not the way it works through this office.  First off, you need to have an environmental issue.  You need to be in a position of potentially polluting the Waters of the Commonwealth.  We can debate whether this is the way it should be done or not, but the fact is, this is the way the programs work.  The higher the chances are that it is polluting something, the better your chances of getting help.

Next is timeframe.  Unfortunately, it takes a long time to get through the system.  Once we know there is a problem, then we need to write management plans on how to fix it.  There will be Nutrients Management Plans to be written, as well as an Ag Erosion and Sedimentation Plans.  These plans take time, but they will explain what you can and can’t do, and what you need to do to get into compliance.  The funny thing is, both plans are required by law.  Some have them, and some don’t.  But if DEP stops, the first thing they will ask you for are these plans.  If you don’t have them, the problems start.  If you need them written, contact us.  Writing them is our job.

There are a couple different levels of planning and usually, to get financial help, the highest level is required.  If we need to get these plans written, it takes time.  Six months or more, potentially.  Then, you will be ranked against other operations.  This maybe only happens once or twice a year.  If your plan isn’t matched up with the ranking process timeframe, you could just miss it and have to wait until the next ranking.  When the rankings come out, where do you rank?  How much money is available to spend?  If you rank high enough that we have enough money to get to you, you are in luck.  If not, we do what projects we can get to, and then a whole different ranking happens next year.  You may move up, or even down, in the rankings.  By now a year or more has passed.  If you happen to rank high enough, a project is offered.  At that point, banks need to get involved, the project has to be engineered, contractors need to be contacted, it needs to get built, we need to do surveys and inspections, etc., etc.  Now you could be 2-3 years down the road since you originally contacted us. 

There is also a program out there called REAP.  A lot of time can saved by using the REAP program.  With REAP, you have to pay for the improvements yourself, and then you can apply for state income tax rebates to offset the costs.  The downside, you use your money to build.  The upside, you can get through the process a LOT faster.  However, you still must meet certain requirements.  Please contact us before starting any project. 

The process is a very long and drawn-out process.  It takes a lot of time.  Since it is dealing with the government, all the I’s need to be dotted, and the T’s crossed.  We help with all this, and it should be worth it in the end.  However, it is not “Hey, I need a facility built and I need it done in 6 months”.  That ain’t happenin’. 
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The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely.  You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.