The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it will hold a webinar at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, to discuss the implementation of Act 162.

On Oct. 23, 2014, Governor Tom Corbett signed H.B. 1565 into law, creating Act 162. The act changes what projects are subject to the mandatory riparian buffer requirements in Chapter 102. The webinar will provide an overview of DEP’s proposed implementation of the act, including buffer equivalency demonstrations and offsetting guidance.

The webinar is geared toward, but not limited to, county conservation districts, developers, transportation engineers and mining operators.

Act 162 will go into effect on Dec. 21. DEP plans to issue interim technical guidance related to the equivalency demonstration and the offsetting guidance in advance of the effective date. These guidance documents will concurrently go through the public participation process.

Preregistration is required to participate in the webinar. To register, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click on the webinar button. The webinar will be recorded and posted on the DEP website for future viewing.

To learn more about Act 162, visit www.dep.state.pa.us, keyword: Act 162.

For more information, call 717-787-3411.

Media contact: Amanda Witman, 717-787-1323

Revised District Application & New Expedited Review Program

The Montgomery County Conservation District Board of Directors, at the October 20, 2014, Board of Directors meeting, passed a resolution adopting revisions to the “Application for Chapter 102 and/or NPDES Permit Review.”  As well, a resolution was passed to implement an “Expedited Review Program.”  These changes will be EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2015.

Any application received after 2:00 pm on December 31, 2014, will be required to submit a project using the new application form.  The instructions and fee schedule have been revised to reflect the increasing requirements of implementing the Chapter 102/NPDES program.

The new application form and Expedited Review Policy will continue to be available on the Chapter 102/NPDES Program page of our website.

Questions pertaining to the revised “Application for Chapter 102 and/or NPDES Review” and the “Expedited Review Program” may be directed to the District Manager, Gus Meyer, at (610) 489-4506 x 22.

The Watershed Congress Organizing Committee is now accepting proposals for presentations for the 2015 Watershed Congress along the Schuylkill River, to be held Saturday, March 14.  Submissions are due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, October 31, 2014.  All applications must be submitted online here.

For more guidance on submitting a session proposal, read the full Call for Presenters, or contact Chari Towne.

Find more information about the Watershed Congress.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is accepting TreeVitalize grant applications to cover the costs of planting 10-100 community and street trees.  For more information, contact Barley VanClief at 215-988-8793 or bvanclief@pennhort.org.

The  Conservation District is partnering with Penn State Extension and others to bring the Master Watershed Stewards Program to Montgomery County!   The program provides extensive training in watershed management to educate and empower volunteers who want to help improve the health of our streams and rivers.  If you have a keen interest in the environment, a willingness to learn, and a strong desire to make a difference, you can become a Master Watershed Steward.

>See more

>Apply today!