Annual Maintenance Workshop

The Center’s annual maintenance workshop is held each fall at locations around Pennsylvania. The Workshop typically attracts up to 200 attendees from a variety of entities involved in low volume road maintenance. The Workshop features invited speakers, concurrent classroom sessions, and field trips to active and completed road sites to view the implementation of ESM practices.

The 2025 Annual DGLVR Workshop was held September 23-25 in Gettysburg, PA. 150 people attended from Conservation Districts, DCNR Forestry, municipalities, and various other agencies. Attendees visited 8 field sites in Adams, Cumberland, and Franklin Counties. A wide variety of classroom sessions and panel discussions were held relating to various DGLVR related topics. SCC executive Secretary Doug Wolfgang and PA Secretary of Agriculture Russel Redding addressed attendees during the annual awards banquet.

Photo Contest Winner: Susquehanna County/ Franklin Township/ Salt Springs Road

Description: A barely passable road that had been neglected for years had 24 pipes that were added/ replaced by the township. Roughly 18,000 tons of fill was placed to raise the profile of the road. Tree work was also completed. DSA will be placed next spring!

2025 Municipality of the Year: Mount Holly Springs Borough – Cumberland County

This year’s Municipality of the Year award winner is Mount Holly Springs Borough located within Cumberland County for their work on Ridge Road. Below is an excerpt of the nomination sent by Cumberland County CD.

“Mount Holly Springs Borough deserves this award for their tireless efforts during the Ridge Road Dirt and Gravel project in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Borough Manager, Chief Thomas Day Jr., advocated for Ridge Road to be a priority, as it was causing water quality concerns for Mountain Creek and was the source of major flooding events throughout Mount Holly. The road also posed a safety risk, as it would be difficult for emergency personnel to access residents who live on the mountain road.

Ridge Road was originally owned by DCNR; however, the Borough recognized the need for regular maintenance, therefore volunteered to assume ownership of their portion to ensure consistent maintenance for their residents. This undertaking required extensive outreach, where Chief Day personally met with landowners to secure signed right-of-way agreements, despite facing opposition from some residents. DCNR was satisfied with the effort exhibited and awarded ownership of the road to Mount Holly Springs Borough.

The collaboration was a shared investment:

• DCNR Contribution: $99,573.25
• Cumberland County Conservation District Dirt & Gravel Funds: $100,000
• Mount Holly Springs Borough In-Kind Contribution: $33,671.43
• Total Project Cost: $233,244.68

Road Improvements included:

• 11 new cross pipes installed
• 14 cross pipes replaced
• 576 tons of millings (road base to get equipment up the mountain road)
• 3,950 tons of shale
• 1,540 tons of 2A stone

These enhancements have successfully restored Ridge Road, making it safe for standard vehicles to travel on and improved the water quality of Mountain Creek. The Borough residents have not experienced flooding since these improvements were implemented. The effort was celebrated in a ceremony attended by State Representative Thomas Kutz and Senator Greg Rothman, highlighting the regional support this project had.

The Ridge Road project showcases Mount Holly Springs Borough as a forward-thinking municipality that transforms challenge into opportunity. Their proactive leadership, agency collaboration efforts, and dedication to rural infrastructure and the happiness of Borough residents make them a model for municipalities across Pennsylvania. Therefore, we enthusiastically nominate Mount Holly Springs Borough for the 2025 Municipality of the Year.”

• Ridge Road Project Showcase (2.99 MB)