| Services from your Conservation District |
Agricultural conservation planning assistance involves development of conservation management plans for farmers and landowners using best management practices (BMPs) for soil erosion and sediment control, animal waste nutrient management, water quality improvement, non-point source pollution control and other natural resource management concerns. Technical assistance and cost-sharing grants are available to help eligible landowners implement BMPs. Contact Us for further assistance or information.
Services Provided by your local Soil Conservation District include :
- Guidance concerning the application of organic materials (animal waste, leaves, grass clippings, food processing waste and sludge) on agricultural lands. Management plans for land application of organic materials on farmlands may be developed for eligible farm operations.
- Agricultural water supply and management assistance can help farmers secure agricultural water use allocations and enable farmers to better manage irrigation water and stormwater discharge.
- Stormwater discharge permits are issued through your local Soil Conservation District for most construction and mining activities involving one or more acres of land under the New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System.
- The Stormwater Pollution Prevention plan must be certified by your local Soil Conservation District as meeting Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control promulgated by the SSCC. Discharge forms can be obtained here.
- County-based soil surveys are prepared for virtually all open lands in the state to identify soil characteristics, capabilities and limitations for planning and managing farms and woodlands, selecting sites for roads, ponds, buildings, industry, wildlife habitat, recreational activity and most other land uses. The surveys are a joint effort of the USDA, SSCC, SCDs, and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Copies are available through your local District. The soil survey is the foundation upon which most other natural resource conservation programs are based.
- As part of the plan review process, Soil Conservation Districts collect and review pre- and post-development hydrologic site data (including electronic data files for computer models) and map drainage areas of construction sites for the development of watershed-based hydrologic models. As Districts develop and maintain these models, they will be used to help refine future stormwater management development plans.
- The Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Act of 1975 as amended, (N.J.S.A. 4:24-39 et. seq.,) requires that virtually all non-agricultural land disturbance activities disturbing more than 5,000 square feet of surface area be performed in accordance with a plan for soil erosion and sediment control which meets SSCC standards as certified by the Soil Conservation District. Contact Us for further assistance or information. Click to read the Guidelines and supporting Drawings from the Soil Conservation Bureau.
STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COOK COLLEGE OF RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, AND UNITED STATES NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, COOPERATING.
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