The
State Conservation Commission's (SCC) Dirt and Gravel
Road Maintenance Program provides funding and training
to local road owning entities to mitigate sediment pollution
to streams originating from dirt and gravel roads. The
program was enacted into law in April 1997, as Section
9106 of the PA Vehicle Code. The program annually
apportions $4 million to county conservation districts
who administer the program at the local level. The Conservation
District works with local road-owning entities to develop
a work plan to correct verified pollution problems on
unpaved roads. Municipalities are required to attend
a two-day Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance (ESM)
of Dirt and Gravel Roads Training every five years to
be eligible to apply for funding.
The
Armstrong Conservation District receives allocations
from the SCC on an annual basis. Through the guidance
of a local Quality Assurance Board (QAB), a prioritization
rating system has been developed to rank incoming applications.
The QAB uses this system to recommend to the
Conservation District Board of Directors which projects
should be funded each year. The Conservation District
works with applicants to develop plans for projects,
assists with the logistics of project work whenever
possible. The Conservation District tracks all
records of projects and maintains an inventory of all
completed and current work sites using a GIS system.
Project inspections are done prior to work starting,
during construction and when site work is completed.
How
to Apply for a Grant
•
To be eligible for funding an employee of the municipality
must have attended an Environmentally
Sensitive Maintenance Training within the last FIVE
YEARS .
•
Municipal Officials are recommended to meet on-site
with the conservation district staff and agree on corrective
actions that are appropriate, affordable, and feasible
for the project.
•
A one-page Grant Application is to be completed describing
work that will be done during the project. The
applicants are to calculate cost figures for the project
expenditures and in-kind services.
•
Once the application is submitted the QAB reviews all
applications and recommends eligible applications to
the Conservation District Board of Directors for funding.
•
The Conservation District Board of Directors discusses
and votes on applications in an open public meeting.
•
Once the Board of Directors award a grant, a one-page
contract with a signature sheet is prepared for the
grantee. The contract has attachments regarding
information about the Dirt and Gravel Program and awarded
Grant:
•
Attachment A - Grant Application
•
Attachment B - Work
Plan
•
Attachment C - General Contract Provisions
•
Attachment D - Dirt & Gravel Roads Program Statement
of Policy
•
Attachment E - Quality Assurance Board Standards
•
Attachment F - Schedule of Payments
•
Attachment G - Project Performance Report
•
When the contract is signed by the applicant and District
Manager, the municipality will receive 50% of the awarded
grant to cover the cost of materials or any advance
expenditures to expedite the project.
•
Work can begin anytime after the contract is signed.
Work done before the contract is signed cannot be paid
for under the contract. The
grantee has one year to complete the approved contract.
If unable to complete in one years' time, the
grantee may request in writing for a one year extension
on the project. Projects must be completed to be eligible
to participate in future grant application rounds.
Educational
Grants
The
Armstrong Conservation District is co-sponsoring an
Environmentally Sensitive Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance
Workshop on April 17 & 18, 2012. The training
will be held at the Distant Fire Hall in Distant, PA.
Training is available at no cost to representatives
of any public agency involved in the Pennsylvania Dirt
& Gravel Road Program.
More
information about the Dirt and Gravel Road Program can
be found at the Center
for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies or by contacting
the District at 724.548.3425.
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