Features Business/Policy Regulations State United States
PA manure management plan workshops

June 29, 2012 – Recently revised environmental regulations in Pennsylvania require all animal operations, large and small, to have either a manure management plan or a nutrient management plan. Even operations with one or two horses in their backyard are required to have a plan.

The number and density of animals will determine which plan is required. Farms exceeding the threshold of 8,000 pounds of live animal weight, and 2,000 pounds of live animal weight per acre need a nutrient management plan written by a specialist. Farms under this threshold are required to have a manure management plan, which can be written by the farm operator.

To help with this, workshops are being held for livestock owners to help them write manure management plans.

The workshops are limited in size so individual assistance can be provided in writing farm plans. Workshops consist of two sessions designed to help participants complete their farm plan and document the actions that they are taking to reduce sediment and nutrient loss from their farm. Components of the plan include recording best management practices used to store and apply manure, managing pastures to maintain dense vegetation, managing animal concentration areas to prevent nutrient concentration of surface waters, and generating maps of farm fields, manure storage facilities and environmentally sensitive areas on the farm.

The workshops are scheduled for August 6 and 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the York County Extension Office.

For more information, contact Donna Foulk or Sarah Crooke at 610-746-1970.