Adams County Conservation District
2022 Annual Report
Our mission is to promote voluntary conservation and good stewardship of Adams County's natural resources.
Our vision is to be recognized, respected and trusted as the conservation leader of Adams County, enabling the people to sustain, use and conserve our natural resources through the 21st century, thus maintaining a balance and harmony between a profitable agricultural economy and other land uses for a quality of life that everyone can enjoy.
Adam McClain, District Manager
From the Desk of the District Manager
This year was a major milestone for the Adams County Conservation District (District) as we celebrated our 75-year anniversary. If you look around Adams County and know what to look for, it is easy to see all the good work that the District and our partners accomplished over those years. You can see farmers properly managing their nutrients and soil, municipalities maintaining their dirt and gravel roads to reduce sediment runoff, developers implementing proper soil erosion controls to minimize the impact of construction, and landowners planting trees (in the green tree tubes) all over the county. We have come a long way and still have a long way to go, but I am very proud of the Adams County community for all the cooperative work to protect our natural resources.
Unique to Adams County, the District is a division of the Adams County Office of Planning & Development. Even so, the District Board of Directors continues to be the District’s governing body and is ultimately responsible for establishing direction of the staff and its resources. In Adams County, the District is very fortunate to have a dedicated District Board of Directors and have supportive County Commissioners, that not only work well together, but also make informed decisions to collectively better serve the agricultural and natural resources needs of the residents of Adams County.
The Adams County Agricultural and Natural Resources Center, commonly referred to as the Ag Center, continues to be managed by the District and provides a one stop shop for residents to have all their local agricultural and natural resource agencies at one location. So, please feel free to stop in and learn more about the services and opportunities the tenant agencies and other tenant related groups can provide.
As you read through this annual report, whether we are highlighting an achievement or a challenge that we as a community need to overcome, I hope this report helps you understand how your local Conservation District works within our community to promote the voluntary conservation and good stewardship of Adams County’s natural resources.
Sincerely,
Adam McClain, District Manager
Conservation District Board of Directors
2022 District Operating Budget
Agricultural Programs
Agricultural Inspections
The Chesapeake Bay and Nutrient Management programs obligate the Conservation District to inspect farms for agricultural erosion and sediment control plans, and manure/nutrient management plans to determine whether these plans exist and are implemented. The District’s goal is to assist farmers gain voluntary compliance with state regulations.
Agricultural Outreach and Compliance
- 16 Nutrient Management Plans and Plan Updates reviewed
- Assisted with development and completion of:
- 8 Manure Management Plans covering 995 acres
- 2 staff written Act 38 Nutrient Management Plans covering 683 acres
- 2 Ag Erosion and Sediment Control Plans covering 199 acres
- Verified 16 Agriculture and Sediment Control Plans covering 1,398 acres
- Verified 48 Manure Management Plans covering 16,975 acres
- Reviewed 10 Nutrient Balance Sheets covering 2,436 acres
- Held Annual Soil Quality Meeting with 22 participants
- 4 articles written and published on agricultural issues
Agricultural Best Management Practices
The District assisted 19 operators on the design and installation of Best Management Practices to reduce soil erosion and nutrient runoff to improve water quality. Technical assistance on projects brought an additional $517,858 into Adams County.
The District provided assistance implementing:
- 6 diversions totaling 2,375 ft
- 17 cropland terraces totaling 6,555 ft
- 34 grassed waterways covering 22 acres
- 16 Rock Lined Waterway Outlets
- 26 subsurface drainage systems totaling 36,289 ft
- 7 water & sediment control basins
- 6,872 ft of underground outlet
- 60 ft of access road
- 2 stream crossings
Click, hold, and slide button left and right to view before and after photos of a stream crossing installed to provide a dedicated and stable area for grazing animals to cross a stream.
2022 Mosquito Season Review
- A surveillance trap was set in every municipality in Adams County
- 81 Larval Control Events
- 6 Adult Control Events
- 59 Catch Basin Treatments
- 70 BG Traps Set
- 352 Gravid Traps Set
- 177 Larval Dips
- 25,898 Mosquitos Caught
- 74 West Nile Virus Positives
This map is interactive. Click on each municipality to see the number of West Nile Virus positives in 2022.
Tick Surveillance Program
2022 survey collection results:
- 1 Nymph Deer tick
- 2 Deer Tick
- 13 Dog Ticks
Testing Result:
- 100% positive for Borrelia Burgdorferi for Nymphal ticks (Lyme)
Photo of different larval and nymphal stages of ticks
Watershed Activities
Install & Educate Program
Planted 600 trees with 1000+ students
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Projects Completed in Adams County
- 3.5 acres of lawn converted to forest
- 25 acres of riparian forest buffer planted
Adams County Planting Partnership
A partnership between the Adams County Conservation District, the Watershed Alliance of Adams County, and more than 500 local residents & organizations planted 23,063 Native Trees & Shrubs in Adams County with trees from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership
Adams County Countywide Action Plan (CAP)
- Applied for and received $269,728 in CAP Implementation Funds for 5 stream restoration projects, a manure storage facility, and 13,670 feet of streambank fencing.
- Partnering with Cumberland and Franklin Counties on a $500,000 BMP verification and implementation project, funded by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
- Partnering with Adams County Trout Unlimited on a $14,000 stream restoration/educational project on the Conewago Creek
- Continued working with existing partners to identify the resources needed to increase CAP implementation
- Forged new partnerships to increase CAP implementation
Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Road Maintenance Program
The goal of this program is to create a more environmentally and economically sustainable low volume road network through education, outreach, and project funding.
Two Dirt and Gravel Road projects were completed in 2022 with total grant funding of $173,686.93. Keller Road in Straban Township and Newman Road in Franklin Township.
Click, hold, and slide button left and right to view before and after photos of the stream crossing replacement along with a concrete reinforced highwater bypass on Keller Road.
Improvements at Newman Road included replacing and adding cross pipes, adding turnouts along the road to direct water away from the road along with re-crowning the road and the placement of driving surface aggregate on the surface of the road.
Two Low Volume Paved Road projects were completed in 2022 with total grant funding of $101,700.56. Basehoar Roth Road in Mount Joy Township and Bull Valley Road in Tyrone Township.
The Basehoar Roth Road project was a stream crossing replacement. Two round culvert pipes were removed and replaced with a concrete box culvert.
On Bull Valley Road, an underdrain in the roadside ditch was installed to carry the springs that discharge to the edge of the road. The roadside ditch was stabilized with stone.
Urban Erosion and Sediment Control
- 99 Erosion & Sediment Control (E&S) plans reviewed
- 21 complaints investigated
This photo depicts roof water discharge directly to storm inlet which discharges to stormwater basin. This water should be disconnected. Disconnection involves allowing the water to first flow across a pervious surface such as soil/grass thus promoting the water to be infiltrated to recharge our groundwater. In a perfect world, all runoff from impervious surfaces should first flow across a pervious area prior to being treated by other treatment bmps.
- 151 sites inspected
- 335 total inspections conducted
This photo depicts a sediment basin. A sediment basin is temporary facility which receives sediment laden water from an active construction site. In this basin, a skimmer is utilized. When the skimmer floats, it only allows the top surface of water to be discharged, which should have less sediment. Many of these sediment basins are later converted to stormwater only facilities.
- Outreach was distributed via press releases, email announcements, and the District’s web site
Rock Construction Entrance (RCE) – This best management practice (bmp) is utilized on almost every job site. The RCE requires a lot of maintenance and the lack of maintenance results in many complaints to the Conservation District. Excess soil tracked onto public roads not only is an environmental concern but also a safety concern. The state recently upgraded their specifications for this bmp to require the RCE be equipped with wash rack or extended from 50’ to 100’ in length.
- No enforcement referrals to DEP
Earth Disturbance in Acres
Permits Acknowledged
Awards and Recognitions
Outstanding Cooperator
The 2022 Outstanding Cooperator Award was presented to Josh Ramsburg (center) of Rock Creek Farms for their long-term commitment to conservation. Presenting the award are Carl Keller, Jr. (District) and Heather Bowers-Wivell (Natural Resources Conservation Service).
Farmer of the Year
Getty Acres received the Farmer of the Year Award for the extensive amount of conservation practices installed in 2022. Accepting the award from Carl Keller, Jr. (District) are Ed, Carl and Dan Wilkinson.
Conservation District Staff
75 Years of Conservation
Adams County Office of Planning and Development Update
The Office of Planning and Development also includes the Comprehensive Planning, Rural Resource, and Geographic Information Systems Divisions. The goals of staff in these divisions include promoting economic development, strengthening communities, and protecting resources, all while striving to enhance quality of life for residents and conserving the uniqueness of Adams County.
Comprehensive Planning
A core function of the Office of Planning & Development is the preparation of advisory reports regarding development proposals and various types of permit applications. Most of these reviews are required by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, while others are required by other components of state or federal law. See the chart below to see the number of each type of review conducted by ACOPD staff in 2022.
ACOPD also continued community planning efforts and directly assisted 7 out of 34 municipalities with various planning activities in 2022.
Rural Resources
The Rural Resource Division is responsible for administering the Adams County Agricultural Land Preservation Program. By the end of 2022, Adams County has preserved a total of 23,610 acres on 185 farms. In March of 2023, the County plans to preserve eight more farms totaling 810 acres.
The Division also administers the Parks, Recreation, and Green Space Grant Program. Projects in Conewago, Freedom, and Germany townships were completed utilizing funds from this grant program in 2022.
Transportation Planning
After an 18-month development process undertaken by Planning Department staff and the Adams County Transportation Planning Organization (ACTPO), the 13-member board adopted ONWARD2050, Adams County’s Long Range Transportation Plan. ACTPO also adopted the 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program in July 2022.
Grant Programs
ACOPD is responsible for administering several grant programs. In 2022, ACOPD assisted three recipients in securing $233,924 in Community Development Block Grant funding. Planning Department staff also worked with the Commissioner’s Office to develop the ARRF Grant Program with funds distributed to the county through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Other Accomplishments
- Worked with consultant Design Nine, the Commissioner’s Office, and a local Task Force to begin a Broadband Feasibility Study and a public survey.
- Began working to develop public engagement materials for an update to the historic preservation component of the County Comprehensive Plan
- GIS staff continued to update current data in order to achieve compliance with Next Generation 911 standards.
