Pocono Northeast RC&D Council
1300 Old Plank Road
Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433
December 7, 2006
Call for Projects/Request for Proposals
To: Interested landowners within the Fishing Creek and Wapwallopen Creek Watersheds in Columbia
and Luzerne Counties.
For: Prepare conservation plans for the property along with the installation and implementation of
conservation and best management practices to improve water quality, forest stand improvement, and
wildlife habitat
Background
The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council is a 501c3 nonprofit
organization whose mission is to enhance and improve the ecological, cultural, and economic
characteristics of the Pocono Northeast RC&D Area through projects and programs that promote the
management, protection, and sustainable utilization of the Area’s resources. The RC&D Council area
encompasses the ten counties of: Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Montour,
Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne. As a result the RC&D Council strives to improve the
environment and conditions of these areas.
The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council has received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation to support landowners with the implementation of conservation practices and best management
practices within the Fishing Creek and Wapwallopen Creek Watersheds in Columbia and Luzerne
Counties. The project will work with landowners to prepare a conservation plan for their property. Once
the conservation plan has been prepared, the project partners will provide technical guidance to the
landowner to implement practices such as the establishment of warm and cool season grasses, forest stand
improvement and management, tree/shrub planting, and wetland creation or enhancement. Landowners do
not need to implement all of the aforementioned practices on their property to participate with the program.
Landowners interested in participating with this program will be required to attend one of two workshops
held during the end of January, and submit a project application to the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council.
The applications will be due February 2, 2007. The applications will then be scored and ranked according
to environmental need and benefits (water quality improvement, erosion protection, wildlife habitat
improvement, etc.). Landowners that have been selected will then be notified and confirmed that they will
participate with the program. Landowners that will participate with the project will be required to provide
a 25% match component (cash, labor, materials, etc.) towards the implementation of this project.
Implementation work on this project will need to be completed by the Fall of 2007.
Goals & Objectives of the Project
 Provide education and outreach to landowners on conservation practices that improve or enhance
water quality, forest stand improvement, and wildlife habitat
 Assist landowners with the development of conservation plans for their property to ensure
enhancement of water quality, forest stand improvement, and wildlife habitat
 Establish 25 acres of conservation cover utilizing native warm and cool season grasses
 Perform 60 acres of forest stand improvement and management which include the practices of
invasive species removal and timber stand improvement (TSI)
 Establish 25 acres of tree/shrub establishment for water quality and wildlife habitat improvement
 Enhance or create 12 acres of wetlands for water quality and wildlife habitat enhancement
Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4
Fax: 570-281-5379
Email: pnercd@ptd.net
Pocono Northeast RC&D Council
1300 Old Plank Road
Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433
Project Information
Landowners willing to participate with this project will be required to attend one of the two scheduled
workshops explaining this programs during the end of January 2007, and submit a “Project Application”
by the February 2, 2007 due date. Applications received after this date will not be considered for
participation with this project. The project applications will be ranked, scored, and reviewed by a panel of
individuals who will then select the top scoring applications. Those landowners will then be contacted and
notified that they have been selected to participate with this project. Those landowners will then be
required to sign an agreement/contract with the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council to participate with the
project. Landowners selected to participate with the project will be referred to as “project participants” in
the rest of this document.
Project participants agree to allow one of the project partners to prepare a conservation plan for the
property for the implementation/installation of conservation practices. The landowner also agrees to
adhere to the specifications within that conservation plan on their portion of the property where the
practices will be located. Specifications include but are not specifically limited to seeding rates, tree/shrub
spacing, designs, etc. The project participant will allow their portion of the property where conservation
practices will be implemented/installed to be open to the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council and project
partners for data collection, evaluation, inspection, and monitoring of the conservation practices. The
project participants will also allow access to the property for the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council to host
educational field trips and training sessions associated with this project.
Project participants will receive a maximum award of funding for the implementation/installation of the
conservation practices associated with this project. The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council, through a US
Fish and Wildlife Service Grant, will provided up to a maximum of 75% of the costs associated with the
implementation/installation of the conservation practices. The project participant will be required to
provide 25% of the costs of the project. The grant funding is on a reimbursement basis, therefore invoices
by the project participant must be submitted to and approved by the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council
before the grant funding can be released to the project participant. Grant funding may take up to 30-90
days to be reimbursed back to the project participant. The grant funding will only be allowed to be spent
on conservation practices approved through this project.
The following listing is a breakdown of the allowable costs per conservation practice as part of
this project:
75% cost share up
to a maximum per
acre cost of:
Conservation Practices
Conservation Cover
Forest Stand Improvement &
Management
Tree/Shrub Establishment
Wetland Enhancement/Creation
Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4
Establishment of native grasses (warm and cool
season)
$
200.00
Invasive species removal
Timber stand improvement
Establishment of trees/shrubs
Structural improvements/implementation
Non-structural improvements/implementation
$
$
$
$
$
130.00
150.00
525.00
1,200.00
375.00
Fax: 570-281-5379
Email: pnercd@ptd.net
Pocono Northeast RC&D Council
1300 Old Plank Road
Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433
Conservation Cover
Establishment of native grasses (warm and cool season grasses) costs include but are not
specifically limited to site preparation, fertilizer, spraying, seed, and seed placement.
Establishment and seeding rates will be specified within the conservation plan prepared.
Forest Stand Improvement & Management
Invasive species removal includes but is not specifically limited to the physical, mechanical, and/or
biological removal or control of invasive species.
Timber stand improvement includes but is not specifically limited to stand thinning, and timber
harvesting for specific results (wildlife habitat, herbaceous openings, shelterwood, etc.).
Tree/Shrub Establishment
Establishment/installation costs of trees/shrubs will include but are not specifically limited to site
preparation, seedlings, shelters, and installation. Installation will be required of 100 trees/shrubs
per acre, 2-3 year old seedlings, and all species will be native with a composition of 60% trees
(40% deciduous & 20% coniferous) and 40% shrubs, and shelters for each seedling.
Wetland Enhancement/Creation
Structural wetland enhancements/creation will include but are not specifically limited to site
survey, layout, preparation, and grading; water control structure; etc. Engineering will be provided
for this aspect of the project. Services/items that will not be funded as part of this project will be
permitting costs, consultant fees, and/or water to supply the wetland, if required.
Nonstructural wetland enhancements/creation will include but are not specifically limited to
physical, mechanical, and/or biological removal or control of invasive species; wetland planting;
and/or other improvements/enhancements that are not structural.
Project participants must supply a minimum of 25% match towards the total amount of funding provided
through this project for the implementation of the conservation practices that will be installed on the
landowners property. For example, if a landowner installs 10 acres of conservation cover at $200 per acre,
then the amount of practice will be $2,000. The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council will provide 75% of the
practice which will be $1,500 and the landowner will be required to provide the 25% match of $500 for
the practice. Using the same example, if the landowner installs 10 acres of conservation cover but costs
$400 per acre for a total of $4,000 for the practice, the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council will provide 75%
of the practice up to a maximum of $200 per acre. Therefore the RC&D Council will provide the
maximum of $2,000 for the practice and the landowner will be responsible for the remaining $2,000 (or
50%) for the practice.
Project participants will be responsible for contracting with a third-party contractor to install or complete
the conservation practice on their property. The landowner will be required to provide three (3) written
price quotes for the installation of the practice to the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council before any work is
completed. The Pocono Northeast RC&D Council will then review the price quotes, and give the
landowner permission to proceed. If the landowner is going to be completing some or all of the work for
installing the conservation practices, the landowner will be required to use the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) Custom Rates for the work being completed. The NASS Pennsylvania Custom
Rates can be found at: http://www.nass.usda.gov/pa/custrate.htm
Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4
Fax: 570-281-5379
Email: pnercd@ptd.net
Pocono Northeast RC&D Council
1300 Old Plank Road
Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433
The landowner will be responsible for supplying the Pocono Northeast RC&D Council with receipts and
documentation of any and all work completed as part of this project for the Council’s records and for the
grantee’s records. This includes any and all actual invoices, but also any and all invoices and
documentation for in-kind match as well.
Project participants will maintain the conservation practice being installed through this program for a
period of no less than 10 years.
Tentative Project Schedule
January 23, 2007- Mandatory workshop for interested Luzerne County participants at Dorrance Township
Municipal Building, 6:30-8:30 PM
January 24, 2007- Mandatory workshop for interested Columbia County participants at Columbia County
AG Center, 6:30-8:30 PM
February 2, 2007- Final day for receiving Project Application/Call for Projects
February 12, 2007- Participants notified of selection to participate with this project
March 16, 2007- Project partners complete conservation plans for landowners
March-April 2007- Selection of contractors & RC&D Council review and approval
May-August- Install projects
For local information, contact the Columbia County Conservation District at (570)784-1062 ext.5 or the
Luzerne County Conservation District at (570)674-7991.
Please direct any other questions to, and send any and all project application materials and correspondence
to:
Project Coordinator
Pocono Northeast RC&D Council
1300 Old Plank Road
Mayfield, PA 18433
Tel: 570-282-8732 ext. 4
Fax: 570-281-5379
Email: pnercd@ptd.net