Plainfield Township Environmental Advisory Council 2014 Year End Report On December 13, 2006, the Plainfield Township Board of Supervisors passed Ordinance #315. The Ordinance provides operating procedures and powers for the Environmental Advisory Council. The Council advises other local government agencies, including, but not limited to, the planning commission, park and recreation boards, and elected officials, on matters dealing with protection, conservation, management, promotion and use of natural resources including air, land and water resources located within its territorial limits. The Board of Supervisors appointed seven residents to serve on the Council. The 2014 members were: Chairman Terry Kleintop, Vice-Chairman Robert Cornman, Supervisor Jane Mellert, Robert Simpson, Robin Dingle, Bruce Rabenold and Don Moore Meetings are held at the Municipal Building on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 P.M. Additional meetings are scheduled as necessary. The meetings are open to the public. The Plainfield Township EAC met on the following dates in 2014: January 6 February 10 March 2 April 17 May - cancelled June 16 July cancelled August 12 & 20 September 9 October 2 November 6 December 4 A quorum of members was present at each meeting. A majority of the meetings had several interested Township residents in attendance. Minutes were prepared and adopted by the EAC for each meeting. The EAC has the following responsibilities: 1. Identify environmental problems; 2. Recommend plans and programs to the appropriate agencies for the promotion and conservation of the natural resources and for the protection and improvement of the quality of the environment within the area of the Municipality; 3. Make recommendations as to the possible use of open land areas of this Municipality; 4. Promote a community environmental program; 5. Keep an index of all open areas, publicly or privately owned, including, but not limited to, flood prone areas, swamps, and other unique natural areas; 6. Advise the appropriate local governmental agencies in the acquisition of property, both real and personal; 7. Undertake such environmental tasks as requested by the Board of Supervisors of Plainfield Township.
During 2014 the EAC reviewed and/or were involved in the following: Land preservation with the Northampton County Farmland Preservation and the Local Municipal Partnership Program Northampton County received twenty-eight (28) Farmland Preservation applications for 2014. Eight (8) applications were submitted by seven (7) Plainfield Township landowners. Out of the eight (8) applications, four (4) applications qualified for the County/State preservation program and two (2) qualified for the County/Municipal preservation program and two (2) did not meet the criteria. All qualified landowners signed to move forward with preservation. On January 7, 2014 the Northampton County Farmland Preservation Board reviewed the Resolution from Plainfield Township committing $385,000 of the.25 percent of the 2013 earned income tax funds collected, for the State of Pennsylvania matching program. The request was denied due to Plainfield Township s having a remaining Municipal Partner program fund balance. The fund balance was carried over from 2013 into 2014. In October of 2014 letters explaining the preservation program and encouraging landowners to apply to for the 2015 preservation program were mailed out by the Township. Plainfield Township submitted a resolution to Northampton County to commit $350,000 of the.25 percent of earned income tax funds collected, for the State of Pennsylvania matching program. The resolution noted that the commitment is contingent upon Northampton County continuing to fund $750,000 for farmland preservation in the 2015 County Budget. Flood Plain Ordinance Reviewed and recommended approval of the flood plain updates as required by the State of Pennsylvania. Utility Right of Way Little Bushkill Creek stream side plantings within the Met Ed and Williams/Transco pipeline right of ways Williams Pipeline/Transco - Stream Side Riparian Buffers In 2012, Terry Kleintop, Chairman of the EAC and Matt Glennon, President of the Bushkill Stream Conservancy met with Roy Ramsey Jr. the District Manager for Transco Pipeline. They walked along the stream banks at the pipeline crossings of the Little Bushkill watershed. Different types of trees for planting along the stream bank were reviewed. The information will be included in the study of the Little Bushkill Stream. The EAC reviewed information regarding the proposed plantings and worked with a Boy Scout that would like to plant live tree stakes in order to earn an Eagle Scout Badge. The tree stakes were not planted during 2014. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) - Streets, ditches, drainage, swales and culverts. The annual report was submitted by Keystone Consulting Engineers in June of 2014. Contents of the MS4 report were discussed by the EAC
In August the EAC Secretary submitted a chart to the EAC, Board of Supervisors and Keystone Consulting Engineers. The chart lists strategies for distributing educational material to the public. MS4 information was emailed to the Pen Argyl Area School District. The material will be reported on in the school newspaper the Green Echo. On December 4, 2014, Kevin Horvath from Keystone Consulting Engineers gave a public presentation on MS4 requirements. Little Bushkill Stream Due to high fecal coliform counts the stream was listed as impaired for recreational use by the Department of Environmental Protection in 2012. The Little Bushkill Creek Restoration Plan prepared by URS Corporation was sent to Megan Bradburn, PWS Wetland Ecologist and Gary Walters at the DEP for their review. 2014 Keystone Coldwater Conference February 21-22, 2014 The conference was hosted by the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited in State College, PA. The conference was titled Coldwater Resources: Current Practices in Conservation, Protection, and Restoration Kristy Hoffman from URS Corporation gave a presentation titled Addressing Recreational Use Impairment in a Pennsylvania Trout Stream. The presentation was based on the Little Bushkill Creek Restoration Plan prepared by URS Corporation during 2013. The EAC presented a report to the Board of Supervisors in February 2014. The report gave recommendations for steps to move forward with the Little Bushkill Creek Restoration Plan. DEP Growing Greener Plus Grant In February 2014 notification was received that the grant was approved in the amount of $46,942. The Township match is 15%. The EAC discussed the process to move forward with utilizing the grant funds in 2014.The completed contract for the grant was mailed back to the DEP on February 28, 2014. In order to make a decision on how to proceed with the Little Bushkill Creek Restoration plan labor rates were obtained from Hanover Engineering and The ELM Group, Inc. The ELM Group submitted a standard rate chart and a Municipal rate chart. In March 2014, the EAC recommended The ELM Group to continue the work on a watershed management plan. The Board of Supervisors reviewed the recommendation and approved a contract using municipal rates with The ELM Group, Inc. At the March 6, 2014 EAC meeting the outfall investigation was discussed with Chris Noll, the SEO at Keystone Consulting Engineers. A quote for the work was reviewed and approved by the Board of Supervisors in March. The ELM Group prepared a draft report and map of the sampling locations for the EAC and Board of Supervisors review. Meetings were held with landowners in order to access their property for stream sampling. A mailing regarding the ongoing study of the stream was sent out to property owners along the stream. Due to a tributary of the Little Bushkill Creek coming down from the Wind Gap area and high counts of fecal coliform bacteria being found in the stream, the Borough of Wind Gap was asked for a liaison to attend meetings regarding the study of the Little Bushkill Creek. Wind Gap Council member Joseph Weaver and
Wind Gap Municipal Authority member Ralph Stampone were assigned the Liaison positions. On June 19, 2014, EAC members Terry Kleintop and Robin Dingle attended the Board of Supervisors meeting to discuss additional grant opportunities, MS4 requirements and the ACT 537 plan. A 2014 DEP Growing Greener Plus Grant application was submitted on July 11, 2014. The grant application is requesting $103,212 with a 15% match of $31,300 for a total of $134,512. In August the EAC and Board of Supervisors reviewed a technical memorandum from the ELM Group and the outfall investigation report from Keystone Consulting Engineers. Little Bushkill Creek ELM Group Stream Testing Update started the September sampling last In September a quote was requested to conduct an investigation of the remaining 10 outfalls along the creek. SEO Chris Noll from Keystone Consulting Engineers provided a quote of $1,000-$1,400. The quote was approved by the Board of Supervisors. The EAC reviewed the draft Little Bushkill Creek Watershed Management Plan in November and sent the draft with the recommended changes to the Board of Supervisors for their review. On December 4, 2014 Matt Bennett from the ELM Group gave a public presentation of the Little Bushkill Creek Watershed Management Plan. Megan Bradburn, DEP Water Specialist, members of the Plainfield Township Board of Supervisors, Plainfield Township EAC, a Wind Gap Municipal Authority member, the Pen Argyl School District Biology Teacher, PAASD students and other interested parties attended the meeting. A Coldwater Heritage Implementation Grant A grant application due on December 19 th was considered for submission. The discussed purpose for the grant is to study the Trout populations on the Little Bushkill. The grant amount is $5,000 total. The grant study will cost approximately $10,000. Due to a lack of time and funding sources, at this time, the application was not submitted. Grand Central Road Bridge In September the EAC reviewed two designs submitted by Keystone Consulting Engineers for the replacement of the Grand Central Road Bridge. The Township submitted an application for a Monroe County LSA Grant to replace the bridge. Wildlands Conservancy (The Lehigh Valley s Nonprofit Land Trust) Christine Dettore the new director of the Wildlands Conservancy and Christopher Strohler a Conservation Planner attended the September EAC meeting. The services that the Wildlands Conservancy can offer were discussed. Information can be provided on (BMP) best management practices for interested landowners; they can assist with developing stricter regulations on buffers and riparian corridors and developing an Official Map. An Official Map can be a good tool to use to show a future plan including an extension of the Township recreation trail. The Conservancy provided the following maps to the Township: Appalachian Trail Connection, Historical Land Protection Map, Lehigh Valley Trails Inventory, Plainfield Township Conservation Priorities, Upper Lehigh Cluster Map
Northampton County Open Space Coordinator Bryan Cope attended the September EAC meeting. Northampton County now allows less public access requirements on environmentally sensitive preserved land. (An example is not allowing public access during hunting season on a preserved property in Williams Township) The County is trying to get funding for the land from Stockertown to Jacobsburg for the trail. Bryan reported that there are six (6) trail gaps within Northampton County that need to be continued, there are plans to develop a 911 Memorial Trail, and Wind Gap would like to become an Appalachian Trail Gap community in order to bring in tourism. AECOM (Transcontinental Gas Pipeline) In August and September contact was made with AECOM. The company had plans to come in off Getz Road to conduct the anomaly investigation. Questions were asked regarding how the property would be accessed, if the company would provide property owner compensation in order to obtain easier access onto the easement, how the stream would be protected during the investigation. The Board of Supervisors sent a letter to Karen Olson that split rail fencing repairs are needed along Church, Rupple, Getz and 200 yards South of Sandt Roads. Draft Transitional Buffer Yards in the Farm and Forest Zoning District Ordinance In October, Kevin Harwick reviewed the draft Ordinance with the EAC members. The subject of the requirements for a Transitional Buffer Yard Ordinance was addressed at a Planning Commission meeting. If adopted the proposed requirements are for the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) and would only effect new development coming in. Buffer yards would be required for all developments submitting a Land Development or Subdivision Plan. Minor subdivision plans would be exempt. After the EAC completes the review of the draft it will go back to the Planning Commission. If the proposed ordinance is voted through the planning commission then it will go to the Board of Supervisors for review and passage. Regional EAC meetings were held by the EAC members from Bushkill, Lower Mount Bethel, Plainfield, Moore and Upper Mount Bethel Townships. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, located at 961 Marcon Boulevard, Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18109 hosted meetings that were attended by members of the EAC s in the Lehigh Valley. Report submitted by Jane Mellert on 12/29/14. Minor revisions were incorporated on 1/8/14 after review by the EAC members.