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ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2016

BRADFORD COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT Stoll Natural Resource Center - 200 Lake Rd., Suite E - Towanda, PA 18848, Telephone (570) 265-5539 ext. 6

WHO WE ARE:

Conservation Districts in Pennsylvania have their roots firmly planted in a rich

past, and their eye s focused on a productive future. Created under the Conservation District Law, Districts

are the local unit of St ate government that provides the link between you,

the citizens, and the multitude of local State and federal natural resource

management programs. A Boar d of Directors, appointed by the

County Commissioners from nominations received from County- w ide organizations, serve as your

voice. A staff of professionals provides information, technical assistance,

financial assistance and educational programs and support at the direction

of that Boar d.

D I S TRI C T D I RE CTO RS Keith Heimbach Chairperson Alvin Herman Vi c e Chairperson Bruce Chase

Secretary/ T reas ure r Daryl Miller

County Commis s ione r Joshua Ford Scott Lackey Anthony Ventello

D I S TRI C T MA N A GE R / ED I TO R Cathy S. Yeakel

DISTRICT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST Michael W. Lovegreen E DUCA TI O N C OO RDI N A T OR Daniel Rhodes D I S TRI C T E N GI NE E R Robert Sweppenheiser

A G TEA M LEA DE R Nathan Dewing

A G RES OU R CE S PE CI A LI S T Miranda Nevill e

A G RES OU R CE S PE CI A LI S T Kevin Brown

A G LAND PRESERVATION Amy Kneller

TE CH TEA M L E A DE R Joseph Quatrini

C O NS E RV A TI ON TE CHNICIAN. Brad Cummings

N A TU RA L RES O U R CE SP E C I A L IST Jonathan VanNoy

N A TU RA L RES O U R CE SP E C I A L IST Ian Lathrop

N A TU RA L RES O U R CE SP E C I A L IST Theresa Flynn-Belles

DIRT & GRAVEL ROAD SP E C I A L IST Kristin Pepper

DIRT & GRAVEL ROAD SP E C I A L IST Timothy Robson

A D MI NI S T RA TI V E AS S I S TA N T Jane Carman

A C CO U N TS S UPE RV I SOR Janet MacWhinnie

SE CRE TA RY Kyleen Dinelli

A SS O CI A TE DI RE CTO R S Thomas Elliott Warren Singer J ames Lacek John Chapman Neal Halstead Roger Madigan John Sullivan

THE MISSION of the Bradford County Conservation District is

to lead, educate, and empower people to manage

resources wisely.

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Manager’s Message

2016 celebrated the 60th year for the Bradford County Conservation District! The Conservation District has seen many changes since its start in 1956 and there is no doubt that the District will continue to change in the years to come. With change comes new excitement, new programs and new challenges as well. This year we were confronted with an important decision that has received quite a bit of media coverage. This decision was our choice not to participate in the Chesapeake Bay Technician Program. This program was asking us to take a regulatory approach toward our farmers, one that has never been a role of the Bradford County Conservation District in the past 60 years. It was the decision of our Board to not change our stance and continue serving our farming community as we always have. We are here to help farmers get into compliance in a voluntary capacity. We are leaving the regulatory compliance up to the regulators and will be here to help farmers who need it. As we made this decision, we have received many phone calls thanking and supporting us for it. Along with denying the regulatory role, we lost $113,000 of funding which has made our budget a lot tighter than it has been in the past, but we will get through it. We successfully revised our Strategic Plan which is available for viewing on our website (www.bccdpa.com). With that we developed a new vision and mission statement along with new goals for the next 5 years. We will continue to update this yearly to stay current with the needs of our customers. This year we put our annual seedling sale online for the first time. Now orders can be made through our website and paid with a credit card. In addition, a new sign was erected at the entrance of our office so that people know where we are located. We continue to receive funding support from our local gas companies for our educational programs such as the Envirothon and Green Career Day, and new in 2017 we will be celebrating our first Bradford County Earth Day. We will again be at the Troy Fair this year, please look for us in the Exhibit Hall by Gate #3. We will have T-Shirts for sale, educational materials, interactive exhibits and someone will be there to answer your questions. As always our mission is lead, educate, and empower people to manage resources wisely. The Board and Staff of the Conservation District are what keeps the strength of this organization going and without them we would not be able to provide such professionalism and expertise in the programs we promote.

Yours in Conservation,

Cathy S. Yeakel

Cathy S. Yeakel District Manager

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2016 FINANCIAL REPORT

Jan - Dec 16

2016 Budget

2017 Budget

Income

CDFAP 288,623.74

295,365.00

289,577.00

Contracts 1,998,653.24

1,987,349.00

2,409,329.00

Delegated 169,611.66

126,000.00

126,000.00

Donations 10,842.50

7,500.00

8,000.00

Events Income 4,685.00

1,000.00

2,000.00

Fees 92,681.65

30,000.00

30,000.00

Interest 20,266.36

4,000.00

10,000.00

Reimburseable Expenses 310.16

Rent 45,504.00

45,504.00

56,430.00

Sales 31,125.60

15,000.00

15,000.00

Total Income 2,662,303.91

2,511,718.00

2,946,336.00 Cost of Goods Sold

Sale Purchases 20,114.94

12,000.00

15,000.00

Total COGS 20,114.94

12,000.00

15,000.00

Gross Profit 2,642,188.97

2,499,718.00

2,931,336.00

Expense

Administrative Costs 28,119.76

18,000.00

18000

Advertising and Promotions 4,335.33

6,000.00

6,000.00

Auto Fuel & Maintenance 3,591.98

3,000.00

5,000.00

Building 59,751.03

60,000.00

100,000.00

Contract Agreements 1,455,660.30

1,333,410.00

1,828,990.00

Contributions 2,000.00

1,000.00

1,000.00

Directors Expenses 1,744.15

5,000.00

5,000.00

District Projects 10,759.52

176,908.00

32,946.00

Dues & Subscriptions 2,618.30

3,000.00

4,000.00

Education 5,090.28

5,000.00

5,000.00

Equipment 64,066.85

10,000.00

20,000.00

Events/Workshops 9,397.36

4,000.00

4,000.00

Insurance 1,139.00

1,400.00

1,400.00

Operating Expenses 7,737.42

10,000.00

10,000.00

Salaries & Benefits 775,862.36

815,000.00

840,000.00

Staff Development 8,685.58

6,000.00

8,000.00

Telephone/Internet 929.98

2,000.00

2,000.00

Travel 28,779.65

40,000.00

40,000.00

Total Expense 2,470,268.85

2,499,718.00

2,931,336.00

Net Income 171,920.12

0.00

0.00

2017 AFFILIATE MEMBERS Tom Root Construction, Gillett Richard and Stephanie Manchester Valley Energy Citizens & Northern Bank Cummings Lumber Co., Inc. Barefoot Pellet Company Solid Ground Services, Inc. H. Rockwell & Son, Inc. Shaffer’s Feed Service, Inc. Bristol Excavating, Inc. Canton Building Supply, Inc. Growmark Strong Excavating, LLC Henry Dunn, Inc.

Histands Farm & Home Service Joe Hunt & Associates, Inc. Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. Mountain Lake Electric/Construction, Inc. T-M-T Gravel and Contracting, Inc. Agri-Door, Myerstown Wysox Sand & Gravel, Inc. Brubacher, Bowmansville PS Bank, Wyalusing Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. Hardenstine’s Excavating Judsons, Inc., Columbia Cross Rds Hanover Engineering Associates, Inc. Robert M. Vlajic

2017 Committees Ag. – Scott Lackey (Ch), Keith Heimbach, Daryl Miller,

Josh Ford, Mike Hanawalt, Mark Madden, Ron Harris, Tom Elliott, and Kim Gridley, Staff Advisors: Nate Dewing, Kevin Brown

Building & Grounds – Bruce Chase (Ch), Daryl Miller, Anthony Ventello, Mike Hanawalt, Staff Advisor: Cathy Yeakel, Joe Quatrini, Kevin Brown

Dirt & Gravel Roads Program – Daryl Miller (Ch), Mike Hanawalt, Jeremy Yohe, Tom Elliott, Staff Advisors: Joe Quatrini, Mike Lovegreen, Kristin Pepper, Ian Lathrop, Tess Flynn-Belles

District Operations/Employees – Keith Heimbach (Ch), Al Herman, Bruce Chase, Staff Advisor: Cathy Yeakel

Donations/Memberships – Cathy Yeakel (Ch), Scott Lackey, Daryl Miller

Education & Youth – Bruce Chase (Ch), Joshua Ford, Dan Rhodes, Tess Flynn-Belles, Joe Quatrini, Kristin Pepper, CathyYeakel

Equipment – Keith Heimbach (Ch), Bruce Chase, Joshua Ford, Staff Advisor: Cathy Yeakel

Erosion & Sedimentation Pollution Control – Bruce Chase (Ch), Anthony Ventello, Mike Hanawalt, Staff Advisors: Cathy Yeakel, Joe Quatrini, Brad Cummings, Tess Flynn-Belles

Executive Council – Al Herman (Delegate), Cathy Yeakel (Alternate), Bruce Chase (2nd Alternate)

Lifetime Achievement Award – Cathy Yeakel (Ch), Mike Lovegreen

Manchester Scholarship Award – Bruce Chase (Ch), Keith Heimbach, Cathy Yeakel

Public Relations and Outreach – Al Herman (Ch), Cathy Yeakel, Tess Flynn-Belles, Dan Rhodes, Miranda Neville, Kristin Pepper, Chad Gadsby, Amy Gilbert

RC&D – Bruce Chase, Cathy Yeakel (Alternate) Strategic Planning – Cathy Yeakel (Ch), Scott Lackey,

Daryl Miller, Anthony Ventello, Joe Quatrini, Kevin Brown, Mike Lovegreen, Dan Rhodes

Watersheds, Waterways & Wetlands – Al Herman (Ch), Scott Lackey, Anthony Ventello, Warren Singer, Mike Hanawalt, Kim Gridley, Staff Advisors: Mike Lovegreen, Joe Quatrini, Tess Flynn-Belles, Brad Cummings, Ian Lathrop

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2016 OBJECTIVES CRITICAL NATURAL RESOURCE ISSUES

1) Handle at least 90% of all farmer requests for assistance with Agricultural Best Management Practices within 6 months of their request, and provide advanced nutrient management services to farm operators through agronomic crop management services.

2) Have a comprehensive plan to preserve Agricultural Communities in coalition with organizations of similar intent. 3) Provide evaluation, design and funding support to watershed groups for stream rehabilitation as requested. 4) Providing technical and organizational development assistance to Bradford County Watershed groups. 5) Develop an informational and educational strategic plan to increase public awareness by 50%. 6) Develop a comprehensive plan, with organizations of similar interest, to educate loggers and landowners on

proper timber management. 7) Provide technical, informational, and educational assistance to protect the County’s natural resources from

impacts of natural gas resource development by developing cooperative relationships with gas industry representatives.

8) Provide natural resource management assistance to 100 new farm/ag clients per year. 9) Be a current source of agricultural odor issue information and assistance.

CRITICAL OPERATIONAL ISSUES 1) Develop a maintenance plan for Stoll Natural Resource Center with annual inspection. 2) Develop and maintain a stable, professional and adequate staff to address County needs. 3) Evaluate and review public assessment system for all District services. 4) Find the financial resources to meet the identified critical needs, continue improving accounting system, and

develop long term fiscal management objectives. EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL

1) Close cooperation with the public, local officials, units of government and businesses. 2) Continue active involvement in, and inspection authority for, State Erosion and Sedimentation Program (Chap.

102); encourage adequate DEP Regional Office technical, compliance, and enforcement support. 3) Public Education of the importance of erosion control. 4) Encourage conservation on the land through Cooperator program and Cooperating Agencies. 5) Continue participation in Dirt and Gravel Roads Program.

EDUCATION AND YOUTH 1) Education of youth in forestry conservation. 2) Conservation education in County schools through competitions, outdoor labs, field days, newsletter,

committee guidance, etc. 3) Public education of conservation practices accomplished in Bradford County 4) Support youth groups dedicated to conserving natural resources. 5) Continue Manchester Memorial Scholarship. 6) Work to educate target groups as to availability of District resources in identification of environmentally

sensitive areas and pertaining regulations. 7) Develop a reliable funding base for environmental education activities. 8) Continue plan and develop Beers Family Wetland Education Area. 9) Develop strategy to Tell the Story of Agriculture. 10) Increase energy conservation awareness and develop Volunteer Energy Corps. 11) Seek partnership to develop an educational summer camp series.

DISTRICT IMAGE AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 1) Keep the public informed of the District’s accomplishments. 2) Involve agencies, their families, and individuals interested in conservation in the District’s activities. 3) Enter state and national contests for recognition of accomplishments. 4) Review District Awards/Recognition Program.

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5) Maintain and expand District road sign coverage. 6) Seek methods to improve District staff visibility.

LAND USE 1) Actively encourage sound land use management. 2) Conserve/Protect agricultural land. 3) Public awareness of the importance of forests to Bradford County. 4) Greater use of Soil Survey. 5) Support conservation measures and activities of Cooperating Agencies. 6) Work for solid waste management. 7) Assist and educate the public in the value and proper management of wetlands and provide input to State on

local conditions. 8) Continue Chap. 105 delegation program. 9) Promote enhancement of wetland resources. 10) Participate in river conservation planning for watersheds. 11) Promote proper floodplain management through education of municipal officials and participation in

DCED Floodplain Outreach Program. 12) Explore opportunities for agriculture’s role in energy and energy conservation.

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 1) Better water quality through proper management. 2) Promote proper utilization of soil amendments. 3) Promote proper stormwater management. 4) Actively participate in Chesapeake Bay Project. 5) Promote proper management and development of water impoundments. 6) Work with homeowners on proper use and management of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and other household

wastes. 7) Continue working with interested landowner to establish Bio-Solids site. 8) Seek solutions to water quality influences for Stephen Foster Lake. 9) Participate in Nutrient Management Delegation Program.

DISTRICT OPERATIONS AND PERSONNEL 1) Secure equipment necessary for the proper operation of the District. 2) Continue personnel training & evaluation for better management of District Program & cooperating agency offices. 3) Involve individuals and local businesses in the District’s conservation program. 4) Enhance the professionalism and leadership skills of District Directors and staff. 5) Organize tours of local industries utilizing natural resources. 6) Evaluate potential for increased efficiency of District record keeping/data storage through GIS, e-mail, web

page, digitized electronic data management, etc. 7) Evaluate ongoing maintenance needs of Stoll Natural Resource Center. 8) Each District committee meet at least once a year. 9) Establish expectations and review job description for each staff position. 10) Develop funding contingency plan, including fees. 11) Implement conservation measures to make District “Greener”. 12) Increase District’s ability to assist with Energy Issues. 13) Formalize the structure for a Volunteer Corps. 14) Secure professional personnel as needed.

LOCAL, REGIONAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL ACTION 1) Keep abreast of legislation, projects in conservation, and support the National and State Associations of

Conservation Districts by regularly attending conservation meetings and voicing the District’s opinions on legislation, etc. that affect our natural resources.

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2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Conservation Planning, Education, and Outreach Conservation planning is the foundation of our work with farmers in Bradford County. 2016 saw a continued focus on one-on-one assistance to help farm operators develop conservation plans, including manure management and erosion control plans. In 2016, staff helped farmers complete 4 nutrient management plans to meet NRCS standards, and 41 manure management plans. Four “Open Door Days” were held for farmers to walk in on their own schedule and leave with a completed plan. It is our goal each year to connect with as many people as we can to educate them on the importance of managing their land so that it benefits their crops, animals, and the environment. One role we play in nutrient management is to help our local animal owners understand what is actually required of them by law. Through nutrient management planning, many come to realize what is good for us and the environment is also the best for the animal. Animals enjoy good pasture, lush grass, no mud, and maybe even a small structure to get into when the weather is really bad. These plans are also good protection for the owner. If the plan is filled out and managed correctly, when there is a concern, the plan will actually help protect the producer from bogus claims. Some of these plans lead to funding assistance for implementation. We used several methods in 2016 to reach producers in Bradford County including a farm tour, training workshops, meeting presentations, walk-in days at the Stoll Center, and direct farm calls. Within the next couple years we will hope to get to every animal owner in the County and help them understand what is required of them, and maybe make their animals a little more comfortable in the end too.

Conservation Engineering One of our key services is engineering survey and design of conservation practices that farmers and land managers are wanting to install. Bradford County continues to provide top notch engineering design for these practices. In 2016 we produced 11 design packages for 10 farms containing 87 conservation best management practices (BMPs).

Conservation Practices on the Ground Providing construction quality assurance during the installation of conservation practices allows us to certify their installation. This can be important to help the landowner be sure planned work is installed correctly, and also for insurance purposes, real estate value, assurance to lending institutions, assuring the proper use of public funds, and to comply with state and local regulations. The Conservation District worked with contractors and landowners to provide this quality assurance for the installation of 60 conservation practices on 19 farms in 2016. Practices included concrete manure stacking areas, concrete heavy use area protection projects, liquid manure storage tank, roof runoff diversion, surface water diversion, cattle laneways, reinforced access roads, stream buffers, fencing, milkhouse wastewater treatment, tree planting, and vegetated filter areas. Wysox Creek Watershed Initiative Wysox Creek Watershed Association continued to gain momentum in improving their watershed from bottom to top. Fueling their efforts in 2016, was a $700,000 PA Growing Greener Grant through Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to implement restoration in the stream corridor, riparian zone and agricultural upland. They are now full steam ahead with a major, watershed wide

AGRICULTURE – 2016 Accomplishments

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conservation advance. The focus of this work is in Parks and Bullard Creek watersheds but will also extend into the remaining parts of Johnson Creek and the Wysox Creek main stem. The Conservation District’s leadership also helped secure dedicated funds for this watershed effort from the USDA NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in the amount of approximately $950,000. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund has also provided $224,000 for BMP implementation in these watersheds and $200,000 to support the technical services of the Conservation District.

Agricultural Land Preservation 2016 was a good year for the Agriculture Land Preservation Program. The program received 23 applications, representing 5033 acres. We ran into roadblocks with 2 top ranked farms that eventually withdrew their applications from the program. We did encumber funds for 2 farms that will be completed in 2017. Since the program started in 2001, we have preserved 14 farms in the County, protecting 3742 acres and investing over $3.1 million. The mission of the Bradford County Agricultural Land Preservation Program is to protect viable agricultural land, preserve farming heritage and opportunity for the future through the purchase of agricultural conservation easements. The funding for this program comes from a mix of State and County funds. The State funds are derived from a 2 cent tax per pack of cigarettes sold in PA, while the County contributes funds from Clean and Green rollback taxes collected each year. There are four minimum requirements for the program: Land must be located in a duly recorded Agricultural Security Area (ASA); At least 50% of the property’s soils are available for agricultural production and are of Land Capability Classes I through IV; 50% of the property’s total acreage must be in current use as harvest cropland, pasture or grazing land; Farms must be contiguous acreage of at least 50 acres in size or contiguous to a property which already has a perpetual conservation easement in place.

Crop Management Services Crop Management services continued in 2016. For $7 per acre, farms subscribed to services including soil sampling, crop planning, fertility planning, crop scouting, tillage decisions, nutrient recommendations, harvest recommendations, soil health recommendations, record keeping and more. Seven farms subscribed for 1,731 acres in 2016 and the service will continue to grow.

Soil Health Initiative Connecting Soils to Profits Conference Soil health awareness among Bradford County farmers continues to rise. The second, annual Connecting Soils to Profits soil health seminar was held on March 16th at the Wysox Fire Hall. Featured speakers were David Brandt, Jim Hoorman and Jay Fuhrer. David Brandt is a no-till farmer of 1150 acres in Fairfield County, Central Ohio, and shared his journey of regenerating the soils of his farm when he began no-till farming in 1971 and using cover crops since 1978. David was also working with Ohio State University (OSU) on reducing input costs of fertilizers and herbicides using various cover crops which improve soil health. He is also working with the regional NRCS soils lab in Greensboro, North Carolina on the benefits of cover crops to improve soil health. Jim Hoorman is an Assistant Professor and Extension Educator with OSU Extension. He discussed the use of cover crops to increase soil organic matter to improve soil health by tying up soil nutrients (N-P), increase water infiltration, improve soil structure, and decrease soil erosion. Jay Fuhrer is with the NRCS Soil Health Division, and shared how the soil-food web can improve crop yield and grazing land. 92 people attended the 2016 seminar. A third Connecting Soils to Profits seminar is planned for 2017 to continue this valuable educational effort.

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Other Soil Health Education Soil health is an ongoing focus for the Conservation District. Along with our partners from NRCS, we are continually looking for ways to demonstrate how good soil health can help our local farmers, the land, the crops, and the water quality in our local streams. We have a tendency to over use the words “soil health”, but if you understand what it is able to do for you, you will understand why we are so excited about it and want to talk about it all the time. The amount of soil dwelling microbes and the processes they perform is pretty amazing. They help with water infiltration, organic matter decay (which is the process that makes nitrogen available to the growing plants), underground networks that help the growing plants get the nutrients from the ground that they need (mycorrhiza), etc. Because these are all functions that you can’t actually put your hands on, we have to find ways to prove that they work and that they are worth your time. We continue to use rainfall simulators to communicate these concepts. They show how undisturbed ground handles rainfall differently than ground that has been conventionally tilled year after year. It is a very simple set-up that has some dramatic results. On conventionally tilled soil where there is no structure, few earthworm and other critter channels, and fewer root channels, the rainfall will be almost all runoff. Very little water will actually infiltrate the ground. And what comes with runoff? Erosion, sediments, suspended nutrients from manure and fertilizer, pesticides, etc. It is all there. And what do you miss with runoff? You do not have all that water collected in the ground for later use by the plant, possibly during a drought when it really needs it. What happens when you run this same experiment on ground where it has not been disturbed? This would include no-till for cropping ground, but also any ground that is not disturbed at all (lawns, forest, fallow ground, etc.). Rainfall that lands here will be allowed to infiltrate at a much higher rate than land that has been worked. All the structure is still there, and the rain is allowed to flow into it. Think of what that does for you, particularly in a drought situation. It is all there and available to the plants. Now, logical thinking would say that now the ground is extremely wet and not able to be worked or driven on. Often that is not true. Because the soil has structure and the water was allowed to infiltrate to deeper depths, and the structure is there to resist destruction; you can actually drive on it, or work it even earlier. And most of the difference seems to be through the winter and early spring. For runoff and flooding problems, this is when it is the most crucial to have infiltration. Imagine how much less flooding we would have if most of the ground could infiltrate 7”-10” of water before even a drop runs off, versus it running off almost immediately. We are still experimenting with different soils and different crops and different times of the year. If you have a soil that you would like to try this on, give us a call. We would be as interested in seeing the results as you would.

2016 Outstanding Cooperator of the Year Award Each year, the Bradford County Conservation District selects a farm operator that has demonstrated an outstanding record of conservation stewardship in cooperation with the District. In 2016, the Bradford County Conservation District presented the award to Ralph and Myra McNeal. On November 10th, 2016 the McNeal’s were honored at the BCCD’s annual appreciation dinner, held at the Towanda Country Club. Ralph and Myra own and operate a 7th generation dairy farm, which is also a Century Farm in Towanda Twp., as well as a custom planting and harvesting business. They have worked closely with the Conservation District and partnering agencies to install Best Management Practices in an effort to keep clean water clean and promote healthy soils. Installing a heavy use area protection (HUAP), a waste storage facility, a manure transfer system, silage leachate treatment system, and roof runoff collection, the McNeal’s have shown their dedication to conserving natural resources. The McNeal family is also proud to be in their 6th generation of business with their farm market and produce store, Farmer Fred’s in Towanda, PA. Their participation in a

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new crop scouting service offered by the BCCD has also shown they are constantly looking for new ways to improve their crops and land. In addition to being long standing supporters of the Conservation District, Ralph and Myra are both members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau; Myra is currently an advisor to the Farm Service Agency County Committee (and a past chairperson), and a member of the Leroy Baptist Church. Thank you to the McNeal family for their continued involvement and support of the Bradford County Conservation District.

Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Compliance Efforts 2016 marks a significant shift in a long standing partnership between the Bradford County Conservation District and Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection. Since 1988 PA DEP has provided funding for BCCD to hire technicians to help farmers plan and implement conservation practices. In 2016, DEP asked conservation districts to add to their activities, inspecting farms for compliance with PA regulations. Believing this to be a misstep, BCCD proposed to support a DEP inspection effort by ramping up technical assistance to help farmers comply with regulations. DEP refused the proposal and pulled support for these two critical technical staff positions. Loss of this foundational funding has been a hindrance, but not a deterrent and finds BCCD with renewed focus on sound conservation planning, BMP implementation, and real time natural resource improvement. For more background on this issue, visit the Conservation District web page. BCCD believes that its strength lies in trusted partnerships with land managers and remained committed in 2016 to investing in them.

Special Projects and Events Greenseeker- optimizing nitrogen supply We continue working with new technology to find its usefulness to Bradford County farms. One of these is called the Greenseeker - a new type of chlorophyll meter to measure the nitrogen need of a corn plant. Traditional chlorophyll meters require a regimented protocol for sampling fields and getting usable data. It has to be a certain leaf, and a certain distance from the center of the plant, and it requires a fair amount of time to collect all the sample points. Then there is a fairly lengthy mathematical equation in the end of the process to get you to a point of knowing whether you need to apply nitrogen or not. There are other ways to get nitrogen recommendations, but many are labor and time intensive (soil sampling). The Greenseeker’s claim to fame is that you can walk up and down the rows at a normal pace and the unit will take and calculate the readings as you go. This allows you to take a very large number of readings/samples in a very

(L to R) Nate Dewing – Ag Team Leader BCCD, Cathy Yeakel – District Manager BCCD, Myra and Ralph McNeal, Secretary Russell Reading, PA Dept. of Ag. (Photo Credit: Nicole McCrone – PA Dept. of Ag, Office of the Secretary)

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short period of time. It is a lot faster than many, or maybe all, of the other ways of getting nitrogen readings. It is fast enough that there are units set up to do real-time readings and apply nitrogen to the crop at variable rates as the operator drives across the field. This, if proven to accurately determine nitrogen needs, would be by far the best way we have to apply all the nitrogen that we need, but not over-apply any at the same time. Under-application will cost the producer yields and profit. Over-application is a huge environmental concern and is costly to the producer. Therefore, we are continually working to find the answer to applying just the right amount of nitrogen. Greenseeker data was gathered in 2015 and work continued in 2016. 2016 Farm Mishmosh Tour – Field Day The Farm Mishmosh Tour was back again for 2016 on April 19, visiting three farms in the UIster area of central Bradford County. The Conservation District sponsers this educational day to give farmers an opportunity to see practices neighbors have implemented and consider how they can make similar improvements at home. We were hosted on April 19th by the Paul Robbins family, the Nick Ball farm and CR Diary, owned and operated by Ryan and Corin Shores. One of the things we help with, we call BMP’s. This stands for Best Management Practices. In order to show as many different BMP’s as we could, we hit an area where there are several diverse farms close together. These operations included a mid-size, tie stall dairy operation; a mid-size beef operation; and a larger, free-stall dairy operation. All these operations were committed to helping to improve water quality in their communities. Practices at these farms included liquid manure storage, gravity manure flow from barn to storage, pumping manure to storage, pushoffs to scrape manure directly into the storage, a dry manure stacking area, a concrete barnyard to prevent manure runoff and allow manure collection, surface water control keeping clean water clean and a number of other conservation practices. Eight farmers attended the tour.

Concrete manure storage tank with ramp

Push-off into concrete manure storage Rock Lined Waterway

Roofed barnyard and manure stack under construction

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Wyalusing Elementary Agricultural Education Field Day - May 2016 Eight fourth grade classes from Wyalusing Elementary got plenty of fresh air and sunshine participating in the Educational Field Day. The Conservation District helped organize stations on many aspects of the agriculture industry including forest, dairy, and swine production. Students get hands on experience and connect with food production. CREP Stream Buffer Maintenance Outreach Funding from the PA Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) allowed Sullivan and Bradford County Conservation Districts to work together to hire a summer Forest Technician intern to help landowners with maintenance of CREP forest riparian buffers. PACD provided $5,000 while Sullivan and Bradford County Conservation Districts each provided $1,000. The Technician worked through the summer meeting with landowners to provide education about making buffers successful and helping with maintenance of trees and tree shelters. Seventy six (76) landowners received assistance with a total of 877 acres of buffer. Manure Management Education Grant PACD funded manure management education in 2016 with a $1,500 mini-grant. These funds were used to support manure management planning workshops at the conservation district office and to purchase soil sample kits that were given to farmers to help with development of nutrient management plans. Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention Education Grant PACD funded additional education efforts in Bradford County with a $1,600 mini-grant. These funds allowed us to offer the Spring Farm Mishmosh BMP tour, and continue education activities for nitrogen management in crop production. This grant is meant to facilitate adult education about preventing non-point source pollution to Pennsylvania waters.

Statistics Summary Nine (9) on-site nutrient management status reviews were conducted. Twenty five (25) education and outreach events were sponsored or participated in, reaching approximately 1,604

individuals. Outside of special events and programs, 110 individuals were provided nutrient management related information

and/or service through one-on-one contacts. Engineering planning evaluations were completed on 7 farms. Eleven (11) engineering design packages were completed containing 87 BMPs. Sixty (60) agricultural conservation practices installed with conservation district assistance Two (2) 590 nutrient management plans were written by District staff. One (1) Act 38 nutrient management plan was approved Thirty two (32) Manure Management Plans were completed by farmers with assistance from District staff Three (3) complaints were received, and investigated. Nineteen (19) requests for assistance were received, primarily for conservation and nutrient management

planning. 155 construction inspections for Ag. BMP’s (Best Management Practices) were conducted by District staff in

cooperation with NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service). Agricultural team members participated in twelve (12) conferences and professional training sessions. Agriculture Team staff participated in, or helped facilitate, 13 events including:

Bradford/Tioga Equipment Show FFA Speaking Contest Wyalusing Elementary 5th Grade Ag Field Day NFWF Ag Networking Forum Our Farms to Your Arms in Canton FFA State Soils Contest Farm Mishmosh Tour – Field Day Connecting Soils to Profits Conference

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Beef Workshop – PSU Extension (4) Public Manure Management Workshops Troy Fair Histands Farm and Home Open House Rovendale Ag Open House Farm Bureau Breakfast Riparian Forest Buffer Networking Forum Buffer Webinar presentation C&N Bank Ag Forum Manure Hauler/Broker Training Athens Career Day Wyalusing Elementary Envirothon Tunkhannock School Elem. Field Day Pasture Nitrogen Management field meeting Troy School Ag Day Northeast School Ag Day Towanda School Ag Day Act 38 Nutrient Management Training (Canton)

The Bradford County Conservation District, in cooperation with our partners, completed construction of 12 stream rehabilitation projects in 2016. As a result, 0.48 stream miles were stabilized, and approximately 1,500 tons of sediment, 3,700lbs of N (nitrogen), and 1,500lbs of P (phosphorus) were prevented from entering Bradford County waterways. In addition to the work in Bradford County, BCCD assisted Otsego Co., NY with construction of 3 stream projects and Tioga Co., NY with the design of 7 stream projects. A variety of aquatic habitat improvement and stabilization practices were utilized including: rock rip-rap, rock stream barbs, and stacked rock walls. The success of these projects was aided significantly by partnerships formed between BCCD, Federal, and State agencies. Funding sources included State and Federal grants and State special project funds and can be categorized as follows: County Stream Initiative / DEP Special Projects As in previous years, the Bradford County Commissioners partnered with the Conservation District to allocate funds for the Bradford County Stream Initiative. The Conservation District provided design, permitting and construction assistance to landowners whose homes, businesses, or utilities were threatened by severe stream bank erosion. Additionally, a $70,000 contribution was provided by DEPs Special Project fund to support the effort. With this combined money, 6 stream rehabilitation projects were completed that helped landowners throughout the County recover from damage due to stream bank erosion.

WATERSHEDS – 2016 Accomplishments

Before After

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Upper Susquehanna Coalition The Upper Susquehanna Coalition (USC) has also continued to utilize the District’s expertise to provide support to its watershed program as a member of the USC stream team and as the lead for stream project evaluation and design. In 2016, design assistance was provided to Tioga County, New York through a newly established engineering agreement with USDA-NRCS. This new agreement allowed stream designs to be completed by USC member staff with engineering review being provided by NRCS engineers for federally funded projects. Seven stream rehabilitation projects were designed through this program in 2016. Additionally, BCCD assisted Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District with the implementation of three stream rehabilitation projects that were designed the previous year. BCCD also assisted Tompkins, Cortland, and Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation Districts with watershed assessment and volunteer training for data collection and reporting. BCCD has been an integral part of the USC over the years, and looks forward to continuing a productive working relationship while bringing applicable programs to the residents of Bradford County. Wysox Creek Watershed

The BCCD continued with its efforts to improve water quality in the Wysox Creek Watershed. Building on previous accomplishments, four stream rehabilitation projects were constructed on Bullard Creek and two on Parks Creek in 2016. Funding for these projects came from DEP through a Growing Greener grant (in a partnership with the Wysox Creek Watershed Association) and from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund. BMPs included rock rip-rap and forested riparian buffer establishment.

Before After

Before After

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Before

Before

After

After

Before After

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The following tables are a breakdown of stream/watershed related accomplishments for 2016:

Statewide Lake Monitoring

As in years past, BCCD contracted with DEP to assist in assessing the water quality of local lakes. Lake assessments were completed on three lakes in Bradford County; Stephen Foster Lake, Rockwell Pond, and Sheppard’s Pond. In-situ field data was collected at two stations three times throughout the year: Spring, Summer, and Fall on Rockwell Pond and Sheppard’s Pond; monthly throughout the growing season from April to November on Stephen Foster Lake and the constructed wetland. A maximum depth was attained and temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, and conductivity were recorded at one meter intervals throughout the profile at each station. Water samples were collected for lab analysis (TP, TN, TSS, TDS, and Alkalinity) at one meter from the surface and one meter from the bottom (when lake depths allowed). Additional samples were

Stream Length (ft) Sediment Savings (Tons/yr)

Lbs Nitrogen Saved

Lbs Phosphorus Saved

Parks Creek 495 286 715 286Parks Creek 270 234 585 234Bullard Creek 355 154 385 154Bullard Creek 145 42 105 42Bullard Creek 100 17 43 17Bullard Creek 325 563 1408 563

Stream Length (ft) Sediment Savings (Tons/yr)

Lbs Nitrogen Saved

Lbs Phosphorus Saved

Gulf Brook 240 21 53 21Satterlee Creek 255 69 173 69Murray Creek 100 11 28 11

UNT to Terwilliger Creek 100 32 80 32UNT to W. Branch Tomjack 55 4 10 4

UNT to N. Branch Sugar 100 34 85 34Totals 2,540 1,467 3,668 1,467

Accomplishments for Wysox Creek Watershed Association

Accomplishments for County Stream Initiative

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collected and analyzed to gather information on metals, organics, chlorophyll a, and plankton communities. Secchi depth was also recorded.

In May of 2016, volunteers from BCCD and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) replanted the constructed wetland at Stephen Foster Lake. Seven different species were planted, totaling over 800 individual plants including: floating pondweed, American waterweed, spatterdock, native white waterlily, pickerel weed, sweet flag and broad leaf cattail. These species were chosen for their ability to readily absorb nutrients and help with the filtering of the water that is being syphoned from the bottom of the lake. BCCD Emergency Stream Intervention Protocol Training With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Bradford County Conservation District held a two-day “Train the Trainer” session for Post Flood Emergency Stream Intervention on October 19th-20th. This protocol and training were originally developed for municipal equipment operators and contractors to provide environmentally-sensitive post-flood repairs to unstable streams. The program was designed to help decision-makers and emergency responders be more effective and efficient during the critical time immediately after flood waters have receded.

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The “train the trainer” session was held for staff from other Conservation Districts to enable them to put these valuable trainings on in their own counties. In addition to Conservation District staff, attendees included representatives from PA Department of Environmental Protection and Endless Mountains Resource Conservation and Development. The training was attended by 13 individuals from as far away as Allegheny County. BCCD staff will assist participating Conservation Districts with bringing the program to their counties in the future.

Pond Workshops

During 2016, the Bradford County Conservation District hosted 3 separate pond workshops reaching 72 individuals. BCCD staff gave an overview of pond maintenance and management. Dr. Timothy A. Block, the John J. Willaman Chair and Director of Botany at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania and co-author of the Aquatic Plants of Pennsylvania, spoke about aquatic ecosystems and how native aquatic plant species can often be perceived as “invasive” or “weedy”. Joann Dunlap from Cygnet Enterprises discussed different products, application methods, and options for treating aquatic vegetation. BCCD received positive feedback from attendees of the workshops and will be offering additional seminars in 2017. Looking Forward As in 2016, there will be a focused effort in 2017 to complete watershed projects in Bullard and Parks Creeks, which are sub-watersheds of Wysox Creek. These watersheds are of local and statewide priority due to the amount of sediment and nutrients that are released into the streams during storm events. BCCD will be engaging farmers and private landowners with property adjacent to these steams to assist them in stabilizing eroding streambanks and planting trees along the stream edge. Additionally, BCCD will continue to work with our local watershed organizations, County Commissioners, and Federal and State agencies to secure funding to assist residents throughout Bradford County with stream related issues.

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The Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Roads Program continues to provide significant funding to municipalities and other eligible road owning entities throughout Bradford County in order to achieve County and Statewide environmental milestones. Bradford County’s annual allocation for the Dirt and Gravel Roads Program is $1,375,000 ($1,100,000 for project implementation) and the Low Volume Roads Program allocation is $103,138 ($82,500 for project implementation).

Bradford County Conservation District (BCCD) received 43 Dirt and Gravel Road applications from 18 municipalities for projects to be constructed in 2017. These funding requests approached $3,200,000 (exceeding our allotted implementation funds) and applicants pledged more than $602,000 in in-kind equipment, materials, and labor – that’s roughly 18% of the funds requested.

BCCD received 6 Low Volume Road applications from 6 different municipalities. The funding requests were over $388,000 which also exceeded our allotted implementation funds. Applicants pledged over $194,000 in in-kind contributions which is approximately 50% of the funds requested. One low volume road project was completed on Mutts Road in Litchfield Township which addressed approximately 3,300 feet of roadway drainage issues.

With the Dirt and Gravel Road FY2015 funding allocation, 4 sites were completed in 2016 addressing approximately 2.3 miles of road; which in turn, provided significant environmental improvements to local water resources. Drainage and road base improvements were completed on 6 additional projects; however, the final stabilization and Driving Surface Aggregate placement will take place in 2017. Furthermore, 7 sites that were extended from 2014-2015 were also completed in 2016 which addressed an additional 3.8 miles of road.

Techniques or Best Management Practices (BMPs) installed to achieve program goals included: raising the existing road profile to promote sheet flow and prevent water from concentrating on the road surface; establishing vegetative ditch linings to reduce scour and filter sediment and nutrients; addition of cross culverts to reduce volume of water treated in ditches; and addition of headwalls and endwalls to prevent excessive erosion at culvert inlets and outlets, to name a few. The following table is a breakdown of dirt and gravel road related accomplishments for 2016:

Dirt and Gravel Road Activity

2016 Total To Date

Number of Completed Projects

11 119 Number of Potential Contracts for 2017

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Total Grant $$ in Completed Contracts

$1,034,376.67 $ 4,941,305.87 Total $$ Provided by Townships

$ 174,195.02 $ 1,773,899.31

Project Statistics Sq. Ft. Road Surface Stabilized

579,564 4,159,840

Sq. Ft. Road Ditch Stabilized

208,038 1,227,225 Sq. Ft. Ditch Outlet Stabilized

10,132 95,394

Sq. Ft. Road Bank Stabilized

8,529 251,100 Sq. Ft. Stream Stabilized

15,770 53,719

Number of Stream Culverts Replaced

1 35 Ft. of Stream Culverts

44 1,276

Number of Cross Pipes Added

39 417 Ft. of Cross Pipes

1,610 17,393

Sq. Ft. Vegetative Management

289,237 1,237,800 Sq. Ft. Geotextile Fabric

3,744 422,409

DIRT, GRAVEL, AND LOW VOLUME ROADS PROGRAM – 2016 Accomplishments

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Low Volume Road Activity

2016 Total To Date Number of Completed Projects

1 2

Number of Potential Contracts for 2016

0 0 Total Grant $$ in Completed Contracts

$56,817.94 $139,328.34

Total $$ Provided by Townships

$45,905.90 $72,048.02 Project Statistics

Sq. Ft. Road Surface Stabilized

0 0 Sq. Ft. Road Ditch Stabilized

27,056 27,914

Sq. Ft. Ditch Outlet Stabilized

2,722 7,915 Sq. Ft. Road Bank Stabilized

2,930 4,430

Sq. Ft. Stream Stabilized

2,930 4,130 Number of Stream Culverts Replaced

0 0

Ft. of Stream Culverts

0 0 Number of Cross Pipes Added

3 5

Ft. of Cross Pipes

120 220 Sq. Ft. Vegetative Management

29,700 31,300

Sq. Ft. Geotextile Fabric

0 0

The following photos are from four Dirt and Gravel projects in Leroy, Smithfield, Litchfield, and South Creek Townships where drainage was improved by: adding cross-pipes with appropriate headwalls, endwalls, and inlet and outlet protection, shaping and vegetating ditches, and restoring the road profile to promote sheet flow and prevent water from remaining on the driving surface.

Before and After

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Before & After Road Fill

Box Culvert installed by Township on their own during Dirt and Gravel Project

Reclaimed eroded field and constructed an Off Right of Way Diversion Ditch

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Before and After Daylighting and Raising Road Profile

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2016 was another productive year for our delegated Chapter 102 and 105 programs. We are thankful for all who have partnered with us this past year. Related to the Chapter 102, Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control and Stormwater Management Program, our staff conducted 72 plan reviews involving 676 disturbed acres, processed 12 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permits and 3 ESCGP-2’s, performed 439 non-complaint site inspections, acknowledged 22 NPDES Notice of Termination (NOT) applications, handled 20 complaints, led 17 educational outreach events involving 2275 participants and provided personal technical assistance to 1089 individuals.

The entire staff of the

Bradford County Conservation District looks forward to continuing our good relationship with you during 2017 as we seek to

meet your Chapter 102 and 105 permitting needs.

CHAPTER 102/105 Programs – 2016 Accomplishments

Concerning the Chapter 105, Dam Safety and Waterway Management Program, our staff processed 44 General Permit (GP) 3’s, 12 GP-5’s, 14 GP-7’s and 12 GP-8’s, handled 25 complaints, performed 35 non-complaint site inspections, educated 855 people through 14 outreach events and offered personal technical assistance to 770 individuals.

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2016 was a great year for Bradford County Conservation District’s education program as new programs and ideas were developed and existing programs were expanded across multiple age groups to schools, private clubs/organizations, and members of the general public. The following is a compilation of our major educational efforts and accomplishments for 2016 and how they impacted the community. Bradford County Elementary and High School Envirothon 2016 was a very exciting year for the Bradford County Envirothon program, and the PA State Envirothon program as a whole. Competition at the County level event was steep as usual among the 18 teams, roughly 90 students, and six school districts that competed at the High School level. For the second year in a row, teams from Troy High School and North Rome Christian School finished first and second respectively at our County Envirothon event. The 2016 Bradford County Envirothon program additionally marked an important milestone in that it was the very first year in it’s history that a junior level Envirothon event was held. In April, roughly 120 Wyalusing 4th grade students competed in teams of five against each other to see which team might come away with the title of Wyalusing Elementary Envirothon Champion. Overall the students did a great job participating in this event, had fun and learned a lot about conservation and the outdoors. We plan on continuing this Junior Envirothon program in 2017 at Wyalusing and hope for the possibility to expand upon it in the future. FFA Soils and Land Use Contest Every year for the past several years, the BCCD education program has partnered with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and the PA State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), to plan, coordinate, and facilitate this annual contest for Bradford County’s FFA students. Much like the Envirothon, this competition highlights four main natural resource conservation topics including soils, wildlife, aquatics, and forestry. Unlike the Envirothon however, this contest goes much deeper within these topics, especially within the soil resource conservation topic, to get students to think more about and understand the complex physical characteristics of their lands and waters. Through

this more detailed analysis of the properties and capabilities of these local natural resources, students attain a much more complete understanding of how a landowner must use and manage these important resources wisely over time. In so doing, students make invaluable connections to the methods and reasoning behind the notion that using resources wisely protects the environment for future generations and serves to maximize the quality and potential of their land and water across a variety of agricultural, urban, commercial, residential, and forest/wildlife habitat uses over time. Roughly 65 students competed in 2016 from three different school districts.

EDUCATION – 2016 Accomplishments

Envirothon participants at the Brad. Co. High School level Envirothon aquatics station trying to ID a variety of fish, amphibians, and reptiles.

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Bradford County Youth Field Days Every year across Bradford County, the BCCD youth field days education program coordinates with a multitude of volunteers from local, State, and Federal agencies and from the general public to provide a ‘Conservation Day’ program for all of the County’s major school districts. During a typical conservation field day event held at the school or at a nearby park, several hands-on conservation/natural resource education programs are delivered to groups of students between 5th and 7th grades. During the course of the event, students rotate roughly every 30 minutes to the many different learning stations present. In the past, some of the many topics have included but are not limited to station titles like ‘live honey bee education’, ‘the energy bike-energy conservation station’, ‘bats of PA and the world’, ‘recycling relay races’, ‘the bayscape water pollution model’, ‘the woodmobile’, and ‘the use of flying drones for conservation’ among many

others. All in all, this program is designed to expose students to a range of exciting environmental resources, issues, and topics while also involving them in an activity that is extremely engaging and a very memorable learning experience. 2016 marked an exciting year for the youth field day program as BCCD was able to work toward expanding the Conservation Day education program model to include both Canton and Towanda elementary schools for the 2016 and 2017 calendar school years.

Bruce Chase from BCCD (left photo) leads his always awesome energy conservation and technology station while Mike Skurecki from the PA Game Commission (right photo) does a great program on fishing and water quality.

BCCD’s Joe Quatrini (lower left) leads an interesting station on using drones to accomplish conservation work. In the lower center photo, CREP outreach technician Austin Jelliff is shown facilitating a great activity highlighting the importance of forest resources and conservation. In the lower right photo BCCD Dirt and Gravel Roads Coordinator, Kristin Pepper, heads up the always exciting ‘salmon run’ activity designed to highlight the importance of understanding how human water use decisions within a river or watershed can have sometimes disastrous impacts on the water quality and wildlife (especially salmon) that live there.

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‘My Growing Tree’ This program seeks every year to instill environmental ethics and stewardship in young children and to get them, from an early age, to understand and value the trees and forests in their own communities. After reading students a forest conservation story like Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, they start to understand that human beings have a profound effect on the environment simply as a direct result of their choices to use resources wisely, or not. At the end of the program, each student gets a free tree seedling to take home and plant. Every year the student tracks the growth of their seedling in correlation with their own growth in height on their birthday. In 2016 BCCD partnered with Towanda Elementary School’s 4th grade for the first time in at least ten years to help facilitate this program for their students. Hopefully renewed program sponsorships in 2017 will continue to help BCCD expand My Growing Tree programming to include more school districts and students across the County annually. 4th Grade Monthly PSSA Science Education Presentation Assistance at Wyalusing Elementary School For the last several years now, the BCCD education program has continuously partnered with the Wyalusing Valley Elementary School 4th grade to put together monthly science presentations designed to provide more hands-on, supplementary learning opportunities to students on PSSA science testing topics throughout the school year. On an annual basis, topics such as watersheds and wetlands, animal adaptations, the plants and animals of PA, soils and agriculture, food webs & chains, and birds of prey are some of the many highlighted learning topic titles presented at these programs. Between the many dynamic learning lessons taught by the extremely engaging and successful teachers there with the Wyalusing Elementary School teaching staff and these supplementary monthly learning programs, it is no wonder why Wyalusing Elementary School’s science testing outcomes are some of the highest and brightest in the area! Overall, the entire Wyalusing 4th grade student corps benefit from these special topic environmental education programs monthly during the school year. Due to this program’s long standing effectiveness and success at Wyalusing Elementary, the BCCD education program is excited and honored with the prospect of expanding this program model to other schools in the County that have expressed an interest during 2017/2018 school years. Consequently, the future looks bright for this program and the services it will continue to provide to area schools. Bradford County Green Career Day Just like the name implies, Green Career Day is an educational program that is all about providing hands-on learning opportunities to high school students potentially interested in pursuing an environmental/outdoor oriented career after they graduate. This program is annually held at Mt. Pisgah State Park and has provided attending students with a great opportunity to learn about what to expect and how to prepare themselves for a job in everything from soil science, forestry, landscaping, environmental resource management, wildlife biology, fisheries, horticulture, sustainable energy, and many others. For the last several years, BCCD has assisted DCNR, who is the main official organizing and sponsoring agency for this program, with logistical support, planning, coordination and program facilitation duties at the State Park. In 2016 this program served many students coming from school districts from all over Bradford County and from schools spanning across the entire North Central region of the State. DCNR/BCCD Arbor Day/Earth Day Education This annual program done cooperatively between DCNR and BCCD at Athens Elementary School, essentially highlights the importance, beauty and value of trees and general environmental stewardship. Actually learning the physical process involved with the planting of trees and playing fun, but highly educational, games such as ‘maple seed mix-up’ teach students how difficult it can be for trees to reproduce on their own when they need a specific amount and type of sunlight, water, and soil within the places where the seeds randomly fall. Add several hungry deer, drought, a lawn mower, pollution, and bad soil, and students

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start to see first-hand how and why it is so important for us to keep our lands and waters clean, both by curbing pollution and planting trees within the environmental conditions each species grows well in. Roughly 100 students participate in this program annually. Mt. Pisgah State Park Summer Camp Environmental Education/Hunter & Trapper Education Programs 2016 also marked a year where the Conservation District and Mt. Pisgah State Park had the opportunity to work collaboratively on a number of different successful environmental education programs. Over the course of the Summer and Fall, BCCD and DCNR worked together to facilitate several multi-day youth summer camp programs open to the general public and private organizations with titles such as ‘Outdoor Explorers Camp’, ‘Hide and Seeker’s Day Camp’, and others. Through these fun and interactive camp programs BCCD staff Education Coordinator, Dan Rhodes, along with DCNR Park Naturalist, Nicole Harris, delivered environmental education programming that encouraged learning about nature through discovery, curiosity, and through games and activities that connected participants to the outdoors in ways they couldn’t in most cases experience in a traditional school setting. We hope to continue on with these types and styles of programs for the summer of 2017 and relish the chance to continue to partner with DCNR again in the future with these and other types of programs. In 2016 BCCD also assisted with facilitating a successful hunter/trapper education program along with the Game Commission, DCNR, PA Trapper’s Association, and with the help of several valuable volunteers at the State Park. Binghamton University Archaeology Camp Programming

In July and August of 2016, BCCD Education Coordinator, Dan Rhodes, had the exciting opportunity to work directly with Binghamton University archaeology professionals in the facilitation of activities tailored to youth and adult

participants within their annual Public Archaeology Camp that sought to connect people with how and why natural resources of all types on the landscape were critical to the survival of ancient peoples in Bradford County. Through the fun challenge of making fire by friction, working with stone, natural plant fibers and tree bark to create primitive but waterproof containers, arrowheads, purified

drinking water and medicinal tea made from wild plants; participants had the chance to live the history they were digging up at a real excavation site near Sayre Riverfront Park along the Susquehanna River. Through these eye-opening challenges and activities, participants of all ages had the opportunity to realize that natural resources including plants, animals, minerals, water, soil and stone are actually just as important and valuable to us

today as they were to people hundreds of years ago. Connecting ourselves with these priceless resources needed for human life that are sometimes taken for granted, provided people participating in the activities with a newfound appreciation and respect for resources in their own backyards and communities and why it is so important to use those resources wisely for the benefit and continued existence of current and future generations of Bradford County residents!

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Wyalusing Chamber of Commerce/EMHR-Youth Leadership River and Watershed Education Program Encouraging and educating youth today so that they will become good leaders for tomorrow is what this program is all about. For the past few years, BCCD has teamed up with the Wyalusing Chamber of Commerce (WCC) and Endless Mountains Outfitters, to provide a valuable river education and watershed impact education program to youth participating in WCC’s annual leadership program. Among other exciting activities, students get the chance to paddle down the Susquehanna, learn about water quality issues and impacts in the watershed, and perform a rapid bio-assessment in Sugar Run to determine the general health and water quality of the river in this program. Furthermore, and probably most importantly, students learn that very often, solving environmental problems or any problems for that matter, in the world today takes an ability to see the big picture of how different people and communities are affected and connected to a problem so that as a good leader, they might seek to find solutions to problems that will create ‘win-win’ outcomes for the environment, economy, and community as a whole.

BRADFORD COUNTY STUDENTS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS

Two Bradford County college students were awarded Ernest Manchester Memorial scholarships by the Bradford County Conservation District and presented by Deb Manchester (daughter of Ernest Manchester), Richard (Son of Ernest Manchester) and Stephanie Manchester, who represented the Manchester Family.

Megan Sweppenheiser is currently a senior at Penn State University, majoring in Animal Science (Pre-vet) with a minor in Equine Science. Megan is from the Ulster area and graduated from Athens High School.

Monica Brown is a junior at Delaware Valley University, majoring in Biology with a concentration in Zoology. Monica is from the Rome area and graduated from the Northeast Bradford High School.

Both students were selected based on their academic area of study, as well as their records of accomplishments. The Manchester family set up the scholarship fund with the Bradford County Conservation District as a memorial for Ernest Manchester, who was a longtime advocate and supporter of the conservation of Bradford County natural resources.

(l to r) – Stephanie Manchester, Rich Manchester, Megan Sweppenheiser, Monica Brown, and Deb Manchester.

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IN MEMORY OF DEAN BEDFORD Dean Bedford passed away at 85 years of age on May 3, 2016. A lifelong dairy farmer, he was a valuable asset as a Director of the Bradford County Conservation District from 1960 (only three years after the first Directors were appointed) through 2001. He made significant contributions to conserving and protecting the rich natural resources of our County.

Following his service on the Board of Directors, he took on the advisory role of Associate Director. Over the years his influence reached out across the State, as he represented us at conferences and served on regional and State committees. He faithfully attended Board Meetings until his health would not allow it. We will always be indebted to Dean Bedford for his role in shaping and forming the Bradford County Conservation District into the force it is today in conservation and stewardship of our County’s natural resources.

Other Notable and Exciting BCCD education programs in 2016: • Provided a special topic education program to local Audubon chapter members and Che-Hanna Rock and

mineral club members on interpreting and learning from the ‘bird language’ used by local, commonly seen songbirds. Coordinated annual Manchester Scholarship awards ceremony. Manned a booth at the Sayre senior expo day at Lynch Bustin Elementary. Helped facilitate and design a major nature education sign to be installed on the new Diahoga walking trail

project along the Susquehanna River between Sayre and Athens. Helped coordinate and facilitate the planting of the very first blight resistant pure American chestnut seeds

in Mt. Pisgah State Park. These new trees, along with specialized management techniques in the park for Chestnuts, new educational displays and partnerships with other local organizations are the start of what will hopefully be a new major public education and conservation opportunity in Bradford County. Provided hands-on nature based resources and craft activities to students at the Towanda youth health fair. Planning, coordination and construction of the new BCCD building signs. National Archery in the Schools Certification completion PA forest steward training and certification program completion Beer’s Family Wetland Education area management plan research and writing Provided specialized wilderness therapy training to ARCC crisis center professionals

And a Special Thanks to Our Vital 2016 BCCD Education program sponsors!! Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association

Chief Oil and Gas PA Trapper’s Association

Southwestern Energy Tioga County Commissioners

Talisman Energy

Total people served through education programs in 2016: 5,364