THE CONEWAGO CREEK INITIATIVE Partners working together for clean water and healthy lands Matt Royer Director, Lower Susquehanna Initiative Agriculture & Environment Center Penn State Cooperative Extension Science. Policy. Partnerships.
THE CONEWAGO CREEK INITIATIVEPartners working together for clean water
and healthy lands
Matt Royer
Director, Lower Susquehanna Initiative
Agriculture & Environment Center
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Science.
Policy.
Partnerships.
Goal Build partnerships and pool resources to establish a “discovery watershed” for PA
Conewago Creek Collaborative Conservation Initiative A Targeted Watershed
• LOCAL– Conservation Districts – Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon
– Tri-County Conewago Creek Association
– Municipalities – S. Londonderry Township
– E-town College
– Residents
• STATE– Penn State
– PA DEP
– NRCS – PA
– Chesapeake Bay Foundation
– PDA
– PA DCNR
The Conewago Initiative
• NATIONAL– USDA NRCS
– US EPA
– National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
– Susquehanna River Basin Commission
– USGS
– USDA ARS
• PRIVATE SECTOR– ZedX
– ECC
Practices
People
Impact
Place
Conewago Initiative :4 Pronged Approach
The Watershed Community:THE most important partners of all
• Create a vision for the watershed• Build an action plan for getting there
BMP ImplementationAgriculture community
• Conservation District farm surveys• Conservation Districts, NRCS, local watershed
group, Cooperative Extension: point of entry and relationships
• Baseline compliance for every farm
BMP ImplementationNon-agricultural community
• Revise WIP to reflectall sources through help of Tetratech
• Develop program for homeowners, businesses, municipalities
• Address all sources, across sectors: A WATERSHED INITIATIVE,
NOT AN AG INITIATIVE
A Watershed Community
“The Conewago Watershed Community has envisioned a future that establishes the restored Conewago and its tributaries as a centerpiece of pride and a treasured asset in a rural landscape.
This vision includes a strong agricultural community and productive farmland, community recreation areas, and vibrant, well planned communities. Pristine landscapes will be protected while providing sustainable uses of natural resources, clean water and streams, and educational opportunities for generations to come.”
Funding for the Conewago Creek Initiative provided by:National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds