Bradford County Conservation District
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Conservation Corner

A weekly blog for all things conservation

Managing Livestock This Winter

11/23/2020

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By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader
Conditions get tough for managing livestock in the winter.  It can be stressful for animals, farmers, and our natural resources.  Let’s consider steps to dramatically decrease cold snap stress.
If a farmer can cut the wind and give his animals a solid place to land their feet, our winter temps will cause little stress.  If relatively dry with a barrier against bitter wind, our animals like 15 degrees F, better than 90 degrees.


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Autumn Soil Preparations

11/8/2020

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By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader
We might first think of autumn as an end, but it also is a wonderful beginning.  Harvest has been a time both for wrapping up the growing season and preparation for winter, as canning cupboards steadily find empty jars being filled.
In farm management, October is considered the beginning of a crop year.  Steps taken in the fall prepare soil for the growing season ahead.  This is probably the best time for soil sampling.
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Earth Disturbance Permits, Flood Impacts

11/1/2020

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By: Jonathan VanNoy, Natural Resource Specialist
In 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency published regulations to reduce pollution through a new program; the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES, for short).  This new program took aim at reducing pollutants to waters of the United States.  In Pennsylvania, the NPDES program is administered by the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  In Bradford County, the Conservation District has a delegation agreement with DEP to administer the NPDES program at the County level.  This allows people applying for earth disturbance permits in Bradford County to submit NPDES plans to the Conservation District for review and approval, speeding up the permit process.  Today we are going to look at the NPDES program in Bradford County as it relates to earth disturbance and the resulting stormwater from construction activities.  Stormwater, simply put, is runoff from precipitation, snowmelt, surface runoff and drainage.


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House Calls

10/25/2020

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​By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader
Local farmers are receiving a new wave of “house calls” from Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  These calls create some anxiety, so let’s try to get some background on where they are coming from.


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Unlikely Riches

10/18/2020

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By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader
What is the value of a load of manure?  I often smile when I think about describing my work to people.  Writing manure management plans, designing manure storage facilities, taking manure samples, calibrating manure spreaders – sounds like a crappy job!  Working with farmers to improve management, stewardship, and profitability is actually pretty sweet.


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Grow Your Own Oak Tree

10/11/2020

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By: Tori Bristol, Dirt and Gravel Roads Specialist

Last week we talked about The Mighty Oak Tree, and this week we are focusing on how to collect and plant acorns to successfully grow them. “The best time to plant an oak tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today.” 


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The Mighty Oak Tree

10/5/2020

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By: Tori Bristol, Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Roads Specialist
The time of year has come during which, many of us might hear a sharp thwack! on the roof, followed by an increasingly quieter bump bump bump bump. Yes, the annual attack of the oak trees has commenced, signaled by the sound of acorns storming the roof. We all know that from tiny acorns mighty oak trees grow, but we should also add that those tiny acorns will also grow whitetail deer, squirrels, chipmunks, turkeys, crows, rabbits, opossums, blue jays, quail, raccoons, wood ducks, bear—more than 100 wildlife species eat acorns. 


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Riparian Management Pays

9/27/2020

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​By: Nathan Dewing, Agricultural Team Leader, Bradford County Conservation District
Life is drawn to water.  We all can relate to that.  Land bordering waterways and waterbodies is teaming with life.  Riparian is a term literally meaning “riverbank”, or land beside the water.  How we manage our riparian land has far reaching effects.  Therefore, the conservation district gives considerable attention to equipping landowners to manage them well. 
Current focus on the Chesapeake Bay watershed is opening many opportunities for landowners wishing to improve riparian areas, including grant funding, plant materials, and more.


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Nutrient Management Planning: An Overview

9/13/2020

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​An Excerpt from Pennsylvania’s Nutrient Management Program
Nutrient management traditionally has been concerned with optimizing the economic returns from nutrients used to produce a crop. More recently, nutrient management also has begun to address ways to minimize the negative impact of nutrients on the environment.
Programs such as the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Nutrient Management Act in Pennsylvania have focused attention on improving nutrient management on Commonwealth farms.


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BCCD Recognizes Outstanding Roadwork

9/6/2020

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By: Kristin Pepper, Dirt & Gravel Road Specialist, BCCD
 
BCCD participates in the state-wide Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program (DGLVR) which provides funding for environmental improvements and reduced long-term maintenance of our network of dirt and gravel roads. Since its formation in 1997, the program has helped Bradford County municipalities improve approximately 70 miles of dirt and gravel roads. Each year BCCD recognizes a handful of those municipalities that stand out above the rest in various categories.
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Bradford County Conservation District
Stoll Natural Resource Center
200 Lake Road, Suite E | Towanda PA 18848
Phone: (570)-485-3144

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