the road less traveled

Attendees watch installation of 15' pipe during second "Stream Crossing Boot Camp"
Newsletter of the Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads at Penn State
APRIL 2019
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Westmoreland County
4/24-25

Susquehanna County
5/8-9

Franklin County
5/21-22

Lackawanna County
7/10-11

7/15

Centre County
TBD: target in July

Warren County
8/20-21

Crawford County
9/4-5

Centre County
9/24-26

Tioga County
10/8-9


Armstrong County
10/23-24

Montour County
10/30-31

Chester County
11/19-20

Q & A
Q
What happens if a Conservation District does not meet their spending requirements for June of 2019?

A
Because the 5-year agreement between Conservation Districts (CDs)
and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) is ending on 6/30/19, funding from this old contract must e spent before 6/30/19.  At their March meeting, the SCC approved the following actions for CDs who do not meet these spending requirements:

CDs with "old" money committed but not spent by 6/30/19:  CD will have FY 2019-20 allocations will be reduced by amount of unspent funds.

CDs with "old" money not committed by 5/24/19:  CD will not be eligible to receive an allocation for FY 2019-20.

Additional Notes:
- All funds withheld due to the above conditions will be redistributed to CDs who have met their spending requirements for FY 2019-20
- DnG and LVR spending requirements will be considered separate of each other (CD could meet both, one or the other, or neither)
- No funding will be "taken" from CD,  and CDs will be eligible for future allocations once future spending requirements have been satisfied.





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


Stream Crossing Boot Camps

Session 1: April 9-10, Installation of 6' pipe
     20 Conservation District staff attended the first ever "Stream Crossing Boot Camp" in State College two weeks ago.  They discussed all aspects of stream crossing replacements including surveying, slopes, grade controls, structure selection, bankfull determination, policy and permitting, and more.  This session also featured the live installation of a 6' arch pipe that was delivered and installed in one piece, complete with endwalls, headwalls, and baffles.
Attendees visit the installation of 6' pipe during first boot camp.


Session 2: April 16-18, Installation of 15' pipe
     16 Conservation District staff attended a second stream crossing boot camp last week. This session saw the active installation of a 15' plate arch pipe (to replace a 5' pipe) with significant in-stream grade control work.  After some difficulties stemming from an unexpected bankfull flow event from weekend storms, the new structure was successfully installed on 4/17.
     Based on the feedback received, the "Stream Crossing 
Boot Camps " were a great success.  A special thanks to the Center and Trout Unlimited staff who worked to develop and deliver the trainings.  More information and resources, including site pictures, training pictures, and the handouts and presentations used in the training, will be available soon on the Center's website at:  https://www.dirtandgravel.psu.edu/education-and-training/stream-crossing-boot-camp  
  
Attendees visit the 6' pipe to be replaced (left) and bypass (right).
DGLVR Administrative Manual      

     The DGLVR Administrate Manual, last approved by the State Conservation Commission(SCC) in 2017, is in the final stages of an update for 2019.  The Program's advisory work group has discussed the proposed changes multiple times, and the entire manual was sent to all Conservation Districts in March for comment.  The manual is currently undergoing a legal and policy review at the PA Department of Agriculture.  Pending this review, the manual update may be brought to the SCC for approval as soon as their May 14th meeting.
Unpaved Road Assessments 

     The term "assessment" refers to the process of driving and inspecting unpaved roads to identify sections that are impacting water quality to make "worksites".  Conservation Districts are, and have always been, free to edit their worksite inventory and add or correct these worksites at any time.  Three one-day assessment trainings were held in the fall of 2018 for conservation districts.  Additional assessment training(s) will likely be held later in 2019.  Districts with questions about the assessment process should contact the CDGRS.  
CD Spending Reminder for 2019      

     The Program's GIS tracking system currently  contains nearly $40 million of projects under active contract.  With weather warming rapidly, the next two months will be crucial for many Conservation Districts to meet their spending requirements to spend out funding from their old 5-year contracts.  Conservation Districts should contact Roy Richardson or Justin Challenger at the SCC if they have questions about spending requirements and/or the status of their county, and CDGRS staff with requests for project assistance. 
In Other News...
this recurring feature highlights related topics outside the Program.

Arkansas Unpaved Road Program Established          
Center staff conduct a grading demonstration during a multi-day workshop held in Arkansas in 2010.

     Over the past decade or so, the CDGRS has maintained a relationship with The Nature Conservancy and other entities that are trying to emulate the successes on PA's DGLVR Program in Arkansas.  CDGRS staff have visited Arkansas several times to hold classroom and field trainings, and personnel from Arkansas have been frequent visitors at trainings and workshops here in Pennsylvania.
     In March, Arkansas Senate Bill 377 was passed to establish a dedicated annual allocation of $300,000 to the Arkansas Unpaved Roads Program.  The Program is using this as "seed money" and hopes to attract over $1,000,000 a year in other state, federal, and private funding to supplement their efforts.   Loosely modeled after the PA DGLVR Program, the Arkansas Program also focuses its efforts on long term environmental benefits by funding projects to improve drainage and decrease sediment pollution to local  waterways.

Congratulations to our friends in Arkansas in obtaining dedicated funding to formally establish this Program  after years of hard work.

Additional Information:

Center for Dirt & Gravel Road Studies | | [email protected] | http://www.dirtandgravelroads.org

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