The
State Conservation Commission's (SCC) Dirt and Gravel
Road Maintenance Program provides training and funding
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. With the help
of a local Quality Assurance Board (QAB), the district;
works directly with applicants to develop plans for
projects, assists with the logistics of project work
whenever possible, track records of projects in the
county using a GIS system, through the QAB, develop
a prioritization ranking incoming applications, through
the QAB, decide which projects will be funded each year,
and conduct project inspections after site work is completed.
To
date, the District has awarded 29 municipalities with
contracts for Dirt and Gravel projects. There
have been 80
completed projects in 22 municipalities improving
29 miles of unpaved road with a total project cost of
$1,296,607.98 ($730,058.18 from Grant Monies and $566,549.80
from In-Kind Services). There are 20
projects under contract with $206,230.78 Grant Monies
committed in 19 municipalities covering11 miles of unpaved
roads. District Staff, along with local elected
officials, to date have identified 784 sites affecting
318 miles of dirt and gravel roads in 33 municipalities
within the County. Armstrong County consists of
28 townships, 16 boroughs and 1 city.
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 B- Dirt and gravel Road Maintenance Program
Statement of Policy
•
Attachment C- General Contract Provisions
•
Attachment D- Work Plan
•
Attachment F- Schedule of Payments
•
Attachment G- Project Performance Report
•
Once the contract is signed, the applicant will receive
50% of their 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.
Educational
Grants
The
Conservation District has made available in the past
$1,000 carbide tipped rotating toothed grader blade
grants and $300 geotextile filter cloth grants to aid
in their purchases. These grants are offered
to municipalities who have attended and Environmentally
Sensitive Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Workshop
within the last five years. Once the municipality
has been awarded and paid for a grant they cannot apply
for the same grant in future years. The municipality
may though apply for the grader blade grant if they
have only received the filter cloth grant or vise versa.
A list of municipalities that have been awarded these
grants can be downloaded
here .
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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