1. Pennsylvania Riparian Forest Buffer Progress and Challenges

2. Pennsylvania’s Progress- 2014 20171.
Background
Pennsylvania’s Progress

3. Early Progress- Highlights
2014- Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Signed.
2015- Planning for PA State-Funded Buffer Grants, Program Development, Initial Partner/Agency Coordination.
RFB Advisory Committee Created, Prime Prospects Project Initiated, First Internal Buffer Summit Held.
2017- Riparian Forester and Coordinator Hired, NFWF Stream ReLeaf funded, PENNVEST commits funding for Multifunctional (potential income generating) buffers.
PA’s progress since 2014 might look different than other jurisdictions because we wanted to build a foundation for a comprehensive program designed to address some of the challenges associated with CREP. The idea was to provide multiple program options for landowners and test other funding mechanisms.
Details here regarding background information and how we got here/why we spend time differently in PA than other states may.

4. 2. Current Projects/Programs

5. PA-Specific Funding State-Funded Buffer Grants Two sources of funding
Two rounds per year
Pilot projects in planting phase currently
Insights on per acre costs
For Municipal and NGO Partners working with various landowners
Competitive Application Process
NFWF Stream ReLeaf Project
INSR Project Funded in 2017
Innovative Outreach
Gap-Filler Implementation Money for Forester and Partner Use
New RFB Forester Position
Advisory Committee Development
Capacity Building/Training

6. PA Riparian Foresters and Coordinator Work
CREP
NFWF Stream ReLeaf Project
PA Buffer Grants and Partner Projects
All of our main work so far falls under these three categories

7. PA Riparian Foresters and Coordinator Work: 2017-Present
NFWF Stream ReLeaf Project
PA Buffer Grants and Partner Projects
CREP
We’ve spent the past year doing a lot of capacity building- the NFWF grant has been a springboard for that, connecting us with partners, providing flexible funding, and adding staff capacity.
Capacity Building

8. PA Riparian Foresters and Coordinator Work 2018-Forward
CREP
NFWF Stream ReLeaf Project
PA Buffer Grants and Partner Projects
Moving forward, we plan to delve more deeply into the CREP world… our NFWF project is short-term, so over the next three years will eventually fade as we re-focus on implementing CREP acres and continuing to work with the PA Buffer Grant programs. CREP has been a smaller focus until now because of challenges…

9. 3.
Challenges

10. Communication Breakdowns
Making connections between federal, state, and local office personnel among various agencies
Understanding Existing Spheres
Who is already doing what, and where? Don’t want to step on toes!
Building Relationships
Introducing ourselves/explaining our purpose/gaining trust
Mention typical challenges everyone has- landowner interest, outreach efficiency, technical capacity, funding flexibility, limited funding, etc. That is why we have this program. We wanted to note on some larger road blocks from our first year- issues w/ communications between agencies and inter-agency communication assumptions we should not have made. Hurdles involving understanding who was already doing work where, where we were needed, and then simply the slow process of meeting each of the players in the buffer realm in PA, explaining who we were and that we wanted to fill gaps, not take over or duplicate efforts, and gaining trust of these partners so we can collaborate effectively. We were building a program from the ground up- has taken some time. We’re slowly overcoming these obstacles, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be future challenges…

11. Continuing progress made, ensuring program sustainability
Tracking
How do we keep track of CREP acres outreached vs. planned by foresters?
Maintenance
Understanding our role; splitting time between establishing acreage and ensuring survivability
Continued Funding
Continuing progress made, ensuring program sustainability
Perceived future challenges we’ll need to work through as we move forward- how to track/count our acres appropriately, how to deal with maintenance concerns while focusing on increasing new acres, all the while keeping the fact that week need to make sure our funding is continued so PA doesn’t stall on progress (and so we don’t end up unemployed!) in the back of our minds.

12. 4.
Future

13. Goals Maintenance Summit MFRFBs RFBAC Tracking Funding
Working w/ SCC to establish buffer maintenance BMP for tax credit reimbursement; other PA maintenance options.
Summit
Host state-wide capacity- building conference; assess options for future events.
MFRFBs
Continue to work with partners to develop pilot sites to test ability to produce crops in/profit from forest buffers.
RFBAC
Continue to host quarterly meetings to gain feedback from all buffer players in PA, work with Leadership Team.
Tracking
Work w/ DEP, PDA to explore options for multi-agency tracking mechanism also accessible by partners.
Funding
Ensuring future sustainable funding for positions and programs to guarantee progress is maintained and continues to grow; acreage continues to increase.
Service Foresters
Continue to develop tools, options for funding, and direction for Service Foresters related to buffer implementation.
Excited for the future- some of the other innovative work we have going on besides NFWF/related to that project…. Things we’re making progress on or plan to tackle more seriously over the next two years.

14. Thanks!
Any questions?
Our Contact Info: Matt Keefer: . Teddi Stark: Marah Fielden: Kelsey Miller: Marlin Graham: