Environmental enrichment activities in Huntingdon County attracted funding for important agriculture/riparian buffers and Dirt & Gravel Road projects during 2021, reported Celina Seftas, Huntingdon County Conservation District manager.
During a recent district reorganization meeting, via Zoom, Seftas announced that grant money from federal and state funding sources brought in $231,750 for agriculture and riparian buffer enhancements. The district also received $354,750 in state monies earmarked for Dirt & Gravel/Low Volume Roads improvements.
“We have more work to do in 2022, but the conservation district was helpful in seeing several environmental enhancements completed last year,” remarked Seftas. “The focus of the projects has been on farmland restoration and preservation as well as Dirt & Gravel Road projects which is helpful for many municipalities across Huntingdon County.”
Heading the list of farmland restoration and preservation activities last year involved the Robert and Susan Campbell Farm, in Franklin Township. As the result of those improvements 226 acres of farmland has been permanently preserved preventing future residential development and enrolling the acreage in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation program.
Calling the Cambell Farm restoration and preservation project a “feature accomplishment” in 2021, Seftas listed the following improvements: installation of 900-ft. of erosion control and fish habitat structures, 240 native trees and shrubs planted and installation of 890-ft. of streambank fencing.
Key project partners in the project were the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Conservancy, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Farmland Preservation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
In other achievements last year, the conservation district provided technical assistance and site inspections for several agricultural and land use activities as well as the continuation of farmland conservation and the monitoring of 23 stream sites for water quality.
Community cleanup activities also involved the conservation district (“Keep Huntingdon County Beautiful” program.) Seftas said that 84 community volunteers were involved in the cleanup activities. She noted that 1,649 tires were collected and recycled and 1,660 pounds of trash and 15 tires removed from the Juniata River.
The state-funded Dirt & Gravel Road program involved 1.9 miles of qualifying low volume roadways across the county. The program is especially popular with rural municipalities, Seftas said.
Looking to 2022, several projects are on the drawing board including the continuation of farmland restoration as well repairs to the Minersville acid mine discharge (AMD) treatment system located in Carbon Township.
This year, the conservation district expects to implement a Huntingdon County Wide Action Plan as outlined in earlier editions of the newspaper.
Turning to other reorganization matters the conservation district retained the following officers for 2022: Huntingdon County Commissioner and conservation district chairman Jeffrey Thomas; vice chairman Russell Kyper; and treasurer Dennis Johnson.
Other board members include Alicia Palmer, Hesston; Michael Mowrer, Petersburg; Andrew Harpster, Spruce Creek; and Jama Hampson, Neelyton.
Seftas announced that in November 2021 a new staffer joined the conservation district: Carey Lightner, a Dirt & Gravel Road technician.
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