A PACD Mini-grant, Tree Vitalize, and Delaware County Council came together to fund this riparian buffer tree planting project. A total of 103 trees and shrubs were planting along Darby Creek. Natural Lands Trust, PECO Energy, Villanova University, and Community Service Workers provided the volunteer labor. The Conservation Planting Trailer was a big asset to help make this project run smoothly. — in Upper Darby, PA.
Archive for the ‘Water Management’ Category
Saturday September 15, 2012 – Saturday September 15, 2012
7701 Martins Creek/Belvidere Highway
Description:
Martins-Jacoby Watershed Association
Time: 9AM
Day: Saturday, September 15th
Location: Lower Mount Bethel Township Welcome Center located at 7701 Martins Creek/Belvidere Highway, Bangor, PA 18013.
Martins Jacoby Watershed Association is hosting a volunteer day on the grounds of the Lower Mount Bethel Welcome Center. As a member of SEPA RC&D Council the Watershed Association is taking advantage of the free use of the SEPA RC&D Conservation Planting Trailer for this event. Volunteers will get to help install blue bird boxes, tree protectors to prevent deer damage and assist with butterfly garden maintenance. After lunch, which will be provided by PPL, volunteers will be led on an interpretive nature hike on nearby trails.
To register, please contact John Mauser at 610-498-2126.
TOWNS COLLABORATE TO IMPROVE STORMWATER CONTROL
Collingdale, PA – June 2012 – In December 2011, four Eastern Delaware County communities signed an agreement forming the Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative with the goal of improving control of stormwater and reducing pollution by operating as a single unit.
Collingdale, Sharon Hill and Yeadon Boroughs and Upper Darby Township joined to form the Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative to jointly undertake state-mandated stormwater related activities and projects. By acting as a unit, the towns expect to improve compliance with state requirements, avoid duplication, and reduce costs.
Stormwater runoff is a significant problem in the eastern part of Delaware County due to dense development and old, sometimes crumbling, piping and infrastructure.
In May, the members of the Collaborative appointed a Coordinator with experience in environmental education and state programs dealing with control of stormwater runoff. The coordinator’s responsibilities include overall program management, planning and coordination, budgeting, community outreach, report preparation, compilation of grant applications, and development and oversight of public educational events and projects.
The Collaborative’s initial project involves working jointly with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commision to apply for a PennVest grant to plant 1,000 trees in areas selected by the member communities in 2013. Tree coverage in urbanized areas greatly reduces stormwater runoff and improves water quality. Additional joint projects are planned for this summer.
The member communities hope to continue to forge such relationships, finding that working together as a group they are able to accomplish projects that, if working alone, would be impossible due to size and budget constraints.
While a large part of the Collaborative’s operation is presently funded by grants, the group needs to enlist additional municipalities in the Darby Creek watershed to remain financially viable in the future. The communities of the Collaborative therefore invite all boroughs and townships in the Darby Creek watershed to join the group and take advantage of these economies of scale to reduce compliance costs and improve water quality in their community.
Interested municipalities are welcome to attend the next Collaborative meeting on July 11th at 3:30PM at Collingdale Borough Hall. For additional details or to arrange a meeting contact Jamie Anderson, Coordinator at jamiea98@yahoo.com or call 484-326-6248.
The goal of the Conservation Planting Trailer is to assist groups and organizations in restoring the region’s ripa
rian buffers and other environmentally sensitive areas by loaning them the necessary tools and equipment to plant native trees, shrubs, and flowers. These efforts will also help improve water quality in streams, ponds, and wetlands. It will also create beneficial habitat for wildlife and aquatic life.
A common problem facing community conservation groups is not having the right tools, or not enough of them, to prepare the sites and do the planting. The Southeastern PA Resource Conservation and Development Council Conservation Planting Trailer will provide groups with the shovels, rakes, planting bars, augers, pruners, etc. necessary to do projects in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton. With the right tools provided, more buffers will be restored, a greater number of plants will be planted, fewer tools will be broken from misuse, and volunteers will be safer.
The Conservation Planting Trailer is an innovative conservation project. SEPA RC&D Council Members may use the trailer for free. Join the Council today and enjoy the benefits of membership.
Key Documents for use of the trailer can be downloaded by clicking on the document name.
SEPA RCD Trailer Towing Instructions
SEPA RCD Equipment Use Agreement
Three ma
jor goals of the project are:
- Increase environmental restoration and community plantings in the region
- Increase the number of volunteers who participate in planting projects
- Provide volunteers with safe and proper tools
Three expected outcomes of the project are:
- More of the region’s riparian buffers and environmentally sensitive areas will be stabilized and restored
- People will feel better by investing their time and energy to protect and improve their community and the region’s natural resources
- Other groups, organizations, businesses, and agencies will be inspired to donate for environmental restoration projects because of the availability of the conservation trailer
This project will help meet several of the goals listed in Pennsylvania’s Nonpoint Source Management Program Update and the Watershed Restoration Action Strategy for the State Water Plan.
Conservation Planting Trailer Sponsors:
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Chester Delaware Farm Bureau
Bronze Sponsors
The Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative (EDCSC) seeks proposals from consultants with a background in the NPDES II/MS4 Stormwater Management Program to serve as a part- time coordinator for a group of municipalities jointly undertaking several components of the MS4 minimum control measures (MCMs). Assistance to be provided is outlined in the request for proposal. Work will commence upon consultant selection and subsequent execution of a contract.
Proposals are requested no later than 4:00 p.m., EDT, Monday, April 9, 2012, and should be submitted to: George Kobryn, Chairman Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative c/o Southeastern PA Resource Conservation & Development Council (SEPA RC&D), P. O. Box 539, Silverdale, PA 18962-0539
You may request a copy of the RFP by contacting the SEPA RC&D Council by phone at 877-610-6603, or via email at chairman@separcd.org.
To down load the RFP click here.
Eastern Delware County Stormwater Colaborative Members
On Thursday, December 1, 2011, Eastern Delaware County municipalities celebrated an exciting milestone. The Boroughs of Collingdale, Sharon Hill, Yeadon and Upper Darby Township were recognized for signing on Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative Inter-governmental Agreement. Elected Officials formally adopted the agreement at public meetings in November. The four municipalities were recognized by the Southeastern PA Resource Conservation and Development(RC&D) Council, Project Sponsor, the County and other partners for their joint initiative across municipal boundaries to manage stormwater and comply with Pennsylvania’s stormwater permit requirements.
The Collaborative municipalities will be able to more efficiently and economically address stormwater problems and comply with DEP stormwater permit requirements. Through this partnership, the four municipalities will work together to conduct required training programs for municipal staff and contractors, host education and outreach events, enlist involvement from residents and other constituents, take advantage of economies of scale for educational publications and other permit related activities.
Collectively, these practices and programs will help prevent water pollution and protect streams like the Darby Creek from Degradation that can result from uncontrolled and polluted stormwater runoff. The four municipalities are the first members to sign the agreement and formalize their commitment to work together to undertake regulatory requirements to prevent water pollution in the Darby Creek Watershed.
Southeastern PA RC&D Council has led this effort over several years. The project focused on urbanized communities in Delaware County to formalize joint municipal stormwater management activities.Karen Holm, Southeastern PA RC&D Board Member and Delaware County Planning Department Manager said “I am encouraged by the dedication shown over the many months of working together to prepare and inter-governmental cooperative agreement; it signals readiness among municipalities to work together to more efficiently address the challenges of storm water management. Starting in 2012, the Collaborative will be well positioned to conduct combined training events and education projects for the four partners. This collaboration will help member municipalities meet their permit goals and obligations in a more cost -effective manner, avoid inefficiencies that can occur under the municipal permit, and present a more unified and consistent educational messages to communities and constituents.”
Funding for this innovative project has been provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The William Penn Foundation. The Southeastern PA Resource Conservation and Development Council, a regional nonprofit organization helped organize the collaborative and obtained the grant funding for this unique project. The Delaware County Planning Department and the Delaware County Conservation District have been actively involved in organizing and assisting the Collaborative with assistance and participation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
