the road less traveled

This Clarion County road has been filled to eliminate ditches in an agricultural setting.
The Newsletter of the Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads at Penn State
June 2018
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
 
ESM Boot Camp #1
State College
7/10-12

State College
7/24-26
Snyder County
7/31

Montgomery County
8/1-2

York County
8/7

State College
8/8-9

Wayne County
8/21-22

Bedford County
10/2-3

Lycoming County
10/17-18

Clearfield County
11/7-8

Q & A
Do small "Mom & Pop" owner/ operator contractors need to pay themselves prevailing wage on applicable projects?

Yes.  This is a common question coming from small contractors, especially "mom and pop" operations.  The term "owner/operator" refers to contractors with no actual employees other than the owners of the business, who also perform all the work. The Department of Labor and Industry classifies owner/operators as "workers" and they are therefore subject to the same prevailing wage requirements as any other employee on applicable projects.  As a reminder, the prevailing wage threshold for DGLVR projects is $25,000 in total project value, which includes all materials, equipment, labor, and any in-kind material (in-kind equipment and labor do not count towards $25,000 threshold).


Center for Dirt & Gravel
Road Studies;
Larson Transportation Institute;
Penn State University
201 Transportation Research Building, PA  16802
Toll-Free 1-866-NO-TO-MUD
(1-866-668-6683)

The Center provides education, outreach, and technical assistance related to PA's Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Maintenance Program. 


 Support provided by:
PA State Conservation Commission


June 
Deadline for CDs
     Conservation Districts are reminded that June 30 marks the end of their current 5-year agreement with the State Conservation Commission.  All funding through the current agreement must be under contract by June 30, 2018 and spent by June 30, 2019.  In addition, any Conservation Districts with funding in Harrisburg are strongly encouraged to clear that money out by submitting replenishments by the end of June.  July 20 will be the last day paper replenishments are accepted, with future replenishments being automated and built into the GIS system. Please contact Roy Richardson (rrichardso@pa.gov) at the SCC with any question about these deadlines or the status of your district.
GIS Update for CDs

     The changes to the DGLVR GIS system to improve financial reporting are nearly complete and the system is undergoing some "beta testing" by a few Conservation Districts.  Updates to the system include the ability to record individual project payments, more detailed financial tracking, and automated replenishments.
     The current plan is to implement the system this fall for the first quarterly report for the period of July to September, 2018.  However, changes will start happening before that, so join one of the upcoming webinars to find out more.

Registration Open for DGLVR Bootcamps in July
 
     Registration is currently open for Conservation Districts wishing to attend one of the first DGLVR bootcamps in July.  These 2.5 day events will focus on basics of construction, surveying, and project layout.  They are intended as primers to the field components of the DGLVR program for conservation district staff, and are limited to 20 attendees in each session.  Dates and a link to more information and the registration page can be found here or in the left margin of this page.
Unpaved Road Assessments

        At their May 2018 meeting, the Policy and Planning Advisory Workgroup discussed the potential for Conservation Districts to conduct a voluntary "unpaved road assessment update" in 2018 and 2019.  An assessment refers to the process of field-identifying segments of unpaved roads that are contributing to stream pollution and creating worksites in the GIS system.  The over 17,000 worksites currently identified statewide came from assessments done in 2000 and 2007.  Several districts have expressed interest in updating their assessment.  Look for more information and potentially trainings about this assessment process later this summer and fall.
Position Open at Center
       
      The Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies recently posted a new position for a field technician.  This new position will function  similar to the Center's current field staff, focusing largely on providing training and technical assistance to other Conservation  Districts and municipalities in the DGLVR Program.  The complete announcement can be found here.  Please don't hesitate to share the announcement with others or to contact the Center with any questions .  Although there is no "closing" date on the position, the Center will begin looking at applications and making initial contacts the week of June 25.
In Other News...
this recurring feature highlights related topics outside the Program.

DGLVR Session and Tour at July PACD/NACD Meeting

     The PA Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) is hosting the Northeast regional meeting for the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) in Lancaster on July 16-18, 2018 (more info here).  The event is expected to draw hundreds of conservation professionals from conservation districts throughout the northeastern United States.
      As part of the meeting, the Center and SCC will be teaming up with PACD and the Lancaster County Conservation District to highlight the DGLVR Program.  These efforts will include a class session that provides an overview of the Program on 7/16, and a full morning field tour on 7/17 to a variety of completed and potential DGLVR sites around the Lancaster area.  Those of you who plan on attending, be sure to share your experiences with the DGLVR Program with those in attendance from other states.
     Special thanks to the Lancaster County Conservation District for sharing their sites with everyone.
   
  One of Lancaster's urban LVR projects that will be visited on the field tour.
Center for Dirt & Gravel Road Studies | | dirtandgravel@psu.edu | http://www.dirtandgravelroads.org

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