New Conservation Technicians, New Programs In Lancaster ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Fanning Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster CO.) In a move to provide more effi ciency and better service for far mers in the county conservation district, three new conservation technicians were recently hired. Also, the new technicians have distinct and separate responsibili ties according to township. The new technicians include: • James A. Shirk. His region of responsibility includes the north eastern to north central part of the county. A recent graduate of Penn State, Shirk will be responsible for cooperating farms in the following townships: Brecknock, Caernar von, Clay, Earl, East Cocalico. East Earl, East Lampeter, Eli zabeth, Ephrata, Leacock, Man heim. Paradise, Salisbury. Stras burg. Upper Leacock, Warwick, West Cocalico. West Earl, and West Lampeter. • James R. Sallsman. Saltsman worked for 3 I A years as technician with the Chester County Conser vation District, and for some time in Montgomery County. Saltsman is a 1987 graduate of Houghton College. Saltsman’s region of responsibility includes the central to southern-southeastern sections of the county. He will be responsi ble for cooperating farms in the following townships: Bart, Coler ain, Conestoga. Dmmore, East Drumore, Eden, Fulton, Lancaster, Little Britain, Manor, Manic, Pequea, Providence, and Sads bury. • Travis L. Martin. Martin worked for the Soil Conservation Service in Chester County for two years, primarility with the Hyber nia Park water supply system. His responsiblity will be the western part of the county. A 1991 gradu ate of Shippensburg University, Martin will be responsible for the cooperating farms in the following townships: Conoy, East Donegal, East Hempfield, Mount Joy, Penn, Rapho, West Donegal, and West Hempfield. While each township will be assigned to the designated techni cian, the new technicians will share responsibilities for carrying out the directives of the overall Chespeake Bay program, adminis tered by the district “We’re going to be held respon sible for the different parts of the county,” said Martin. “But we’re working as a team, so if someone needs help, we’re going in to help.” Right now. status reviews are under way in the district. “With each Bay contract we will return to (the farms), ask the farmer how it’s going, and make sure the practices are still in opera tion,” said Shirk. He said the tech nicians will look at the nutrient management plans to see if they’re up to date and being implemented correctly. “We want to see if the program is working for them.” said Salts man. “If it isn’t, we want to mod ify it to correct the problems. We don’t want to mess up their opera tion, we want to enhance their operation so it both helps them to make a living at farming and helps save their resource, which is their soil.” Don Robinson, district admini strator, said the conservation dis trict will continue to write nutrient management plans for farmers ‘ ‘as we have always written them." The regulations are now being drawn since the nutrient manage- Three new conservation technicians in Lancaster Include, from left, Travis Martin James SaKsman, and James Shirk. ’ ment law was enacted, and part of nun allows farmers to put up the The fencing program is “an the plan is to make those regula- fence and still restrict those who inexpensive way of improving tions known to cooperating come upon it water quality,” said Shirk, farmers. _ “I think our nutrient manage- Strfifllll Bdllk KdlCillP ment plans are going to be setting OUCfIUI UOIMk rCUUIIg the pace for the rest of the state,” said Robinson. With the new stream bank fenc ing program (see related article) in place, now formers can save a great deal of money in improving water quality. The technicians are there to help. The new program, which now is administered by the district, installs stream bank fencing free to formers. Where it used to be avail able through the Pennsylvania Game Commission (allowing hun ters to use the land), the new prog- Ljwcai *f fmm§, 9m*f, D>cm»f is, tmm Available Free ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.) Before now, farmers had to allow hunters on their land to bene fit from free stream bank fencing. But a new program allows the free fencing to go in without those provisions. The new Pennsylvania Depart ment of Environmental Resources (DER) stream bank fencing prog nun is available five to fanners within the entire Chesapeake Bay drainage area (see illustration). Fanners can receive lOOpercentof all the costs of fencing, energizers, and crossings. According to Don Robinson, Lancaster County Conservation District administrator, all farms in Lancaster can qualify for free stream bank fencing. The only requirement is to maintain the fencing after it is installed. "It’s an inexpensive way of improving water quality,” said James Shirk, conservation techni cian, who oversees the north centr al to northeast part of the county. He said the program will show real improvements in water quality. (Turn lo Pag* A 25) SMOKER, LANDIS & COMPANY Certified Public Accountants • Individual Partnership & Corporate Taxes • Accounting • Tax Planning • Auditing • Management Consulting • Personal Financial Services • Computer & Consulting Services • Payroll Preparation • Retirement Plans 49 East Main Street, Loola (717) 656-7544 or 392-1333 37 Market Square, Manheim (717) 665-5979 or 393-1929 HERNIA? No hernia is unrepairable, even after sev eral previous failed attempts. 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