Pennsylvania’s Dirt Gravel, and Low Volume Road Maintenance Program provides funding to eliminate stream pollution caused by runoff and sediment from the State’s comprehensive network of unpaved and low volume public roads. The Program was enacted into law in April 1997 as Section 9106 of the PA Vehicle Code, with $5 Million in annual funding for “environmentally sensitive road maintenance” for unpaved roads. The goal of the Program is to create a more environmentally and economically sustainable low volume road network through education, outreach, and project funding.
This page contains resources and information specific for participants in Pennsylvania’s Dirt and Gravel Road Program.
The PA State Conservation Commission (SCC) allocates $28 Million annually to 65 of Pennsylvania’s Conservation Districts who are responsible for administering the Program at the county level. Local road-owning entities, typically municipalities, then apply to their Conservation District for project funding. Over 2,500 projects have been funded through 2015. Program overview and history can be found here.
Conservation Districts administer the Program at the county level. Individual CD Pages including project data and contact information can be found here.
A collection of forms and policies specific to the PA Program including: blank forms, reference materials; administrative manuals, policies, and allocation information.
The Program’s Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) process is a joint effort between Program, Center, and DEP staff to assess the functionality the Dirt and Gravel Road Program within individual Conservation Districts. Full details of the QA/QC visit and all QA/QC forms can be found here.
Beginning in 2014-15, a portion of the Program’s funding was directed towards paved or sealed low volume roads with 500 vehicles per day or less. The focus of road projects in the Low Volume Road (LVR) portion of the Program is on similar Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance principles that have been used in the Dirt and Gravel Road Program since its inception. Some LVR-specific resources and policies can be found here.
The SCC and Center jointly maintain several advisory groups to help steer various aspects of the Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program. The groups are made up of a mixture of staff from Conservation Districts, Program, Center, DEP, and others. The groups are advisory only, and any recommended actions affecting the Program must be acted upon by the State Conservation Commission. Details of those groups can be found here.
The Center and Program maintain a list of environmentally sound products such as dust suppressants that are approved for use under the Dirt and Gravel Road Program. Guidelines are also provided to guide product suppliers through the Dirt and Gravel Road product approval process.
The PA Bureau of Forestry (BOF) administers an annual $7 Million allocation under the Program. The BOF funds projects on State Forest roads throughout Pennsylvania including an annual demonstration project to showcase new and innovative practices.
