Agriculture and Timber Harvesting

Agriculture

Farming and forestry are regulated somewhat differently that other earth disturbance sites. Agricultural plowing and tilling for crop production is exempt from NPDES requirements. The farmer is required to have implemented a written agricultural erosion and sediment control plan that meets the requirements of Chapter 102.4 (a) which include:

· cropland must be treated to eliminate ephemeral or classic gullies

· cropland must be treated to tolerable soil loss (T) over the crop rotation.

A current Conservation Plan prepared by NRCS or a private consultant is often the document that meets this requirement but other type plans may meet these requirements.

Any earthmoving on a farm that is not directly connected to the planting and harvesting of a crop is regulated under Chapter 102 regulations in the same manner as any other earthmoving activity. For example, if a new building was to be built, the same requirements related to E&S and NPDES would apply as if the building was built by a non farmer.

Timber Harvesting

Timber harvesting operations also need an erosion and sediment pollution control plan prepared and implemented that results in minimized erosion during the timbering operation and stabilizes the site after the completion of the harvest.

DEP regulations require that any logging operation that will disturb over 25 acres of land during the course of the harvest must obtain an Erosion and Sediment Control Permit. Since normal operations disturb about 10% of the area harvested, this permit is normally not required until the size of the timbering operation exceeds 200 acres. For more information, contact the Conservation District.