Help Ensure Pennsylvanians Have Clean Water to Enjoy This Summer

Pennsylvania County Conservation Districts

Reduce Animal Waste Run-Off into Our Waterways Today!

Beginning this summer, select County Conservation Districts will be will be playing a crucial role in protecting water quality in Pennsylvania by working to limit run-off from farm animal waste. Given that run-off from farm animal waste is one of the biggest sources of pollution in our state’s rivers and streams, it’s vital that these regulations are enforced

Enforcement requires more inspections to make sure the rules are being followed, but the truth is, the PA DEP is too underfunded and too short-staffed to handle this alone. With current staffing levels, it would take DEP more than 150 years to inspect each farm in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. So, we need the County Conservation Districts to help out and do their part for clean water.

Help us ensure that our waterways and drinking water are safe for Pennsylvania families to enjoy this summer: demand that your local County Conservation District help PA DEP fulfill its obligation to enforce limits on animal waste run-off today!

Petition by
Katrina Ledbetter
Washington, District of Columbia

To: Pennsylvania County Conservation Districts
From: [Your Name]

I love spending time outdoors and enjoying the natural beauty of our state. And, with summer just around the corner, I can’t wait to get out there and fish, paddle, and swim in Pennsylvania’s many rivers and streams! Unfortunately, our state's thousands of miles of dirty waterways means fewer places for Pennsylvanians like me to fish and swim safely.

One of the biggest sources of this pollution is runoff from farm fields that contains animal waste. There are rules to prevent this type of pollution, but the rules aren’t being followed because the PA DEP is too underfunded and too short-staffed to enforce the rules on their own. County Conservation Districts need to help out and do their part for clean water in Pennsylvania.

I urge you and your colleagues to ensure that our waterways and drinking water are safe for Pennsylvania families to enjoy this summer by helping PA DEP fulfill its obligation to enforce limits on animal waste run-off.

Thank you,