A $274,405.00 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Growing Greener Watershed Protection Program will build on Lancaster Farmland Trust’s (LFT) previous work in the Mill Creek Watershed.
In 2014, Upper Leacock Township engaged LFT to explore a strategic, cost-effective method for water quality improvement in an unnamed tributary of the Mill Creek. LFT conducted assessments on all farms in the designated area and, using the information gathered, developed a set of recommendations for additional practices that should be implemented. If implemented on strategic farms, these recommendations would result in maximum load reductions and significant progress toward meeting the township’s pollution reduction goals.
A grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation in 2015 led to the implementation of 18 new terrain-specific conservation practices on two farms with impressive nutrient and sediment reductions for the Mill Creek Watershed. The third farm in this project did not receive enough funding for completion. This new grant from DEP will complete the work started for this patient farming family and put an additional 13 conservation practices into the ground. This critical funding will also support the assessments of all 182 farms in Upper Leacock Township, 30 new agricultural erosion and sediment plans (Ag E&S plans) and/or manure management plans, and conservation practices on additional farms in the Mill Creek Watershed.
Provided by Lancaster Farmland Trust
