MIDDLEBURG — Any Snyder County farmer interested in having necessary plans to follow PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations can apply with the Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) to help pay for development or update of a manure management plan (MMP), nutrient management plan (NMP), agricultural erosion and sedimentation (Ag. E&S) plan, and/or NRCS style conservation plan.

All farms are required to develop and implement a written plan that covers their operation under the current regulations to maintain compliance. This will also help farmers thinking of seeking financial assistance from the SCCD, USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and other programs to improve their operations.

Eligibility for plan writing financial assistance programs vary. One program excludes concentrated animal operations (CAOs) and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), while others do not. Two programs only cover operations that lie within Middle Creek or Mahantango Creek Watershed within Snyder County. A third program only stipulates that the farmer did not participate in a past DEP cost share planning program. Check with the SCCD for program details.

Additional information is available at the SCCD Office, 10541 Route 522, Middleburg or by reaching out to Lauren Cheran, Program Administrator, at 570-837-3000, extension 2 (programadmin@snydercd.org) or Barry Spangler, Ag. Conservation Technician, extension 5 (agtech@snydercd.org).