FOR GRANT PROCESSING STEPS BEGINNING TO END:

 

     1.    Make sure you’re eligible to apply for DGLVR funding.   Eligibility requirements:

·         The person in charge of road work for the applying entity must have attended environmentally sensitive maintenance (ESM) training within the past 5 calendar years to become “ESM Certified”

 

The road must be publicly owned.

 The road must be open to public vehicle travel at least two consecutive weeks out of the year.

 The road must be dirt and gravel (unpaved) or low-volume (paved, including tar and chip sealed, with less than 500 vehicles per day)

  Water running off the road must reach a stream, lake, wetland or other water body. Projects must adequately address the environmental issues posed by the road runoff.

 

2.    Attend a pre-application meeting with the Dirt and Gravel Roads Technician to review potential project sites.

·         Not sure if you have qualifying roads? Set up a meeting to find out!

·         Check out these before & after photos for ideas of qualifying projects.

 

3.    Submit an application to the Conservation District.

·         Find the paperwork here

·         Applications for Low-Volume Roads MUST include a traffic count validation. The form for this can be found at the paperwork link above. Instructions for traffic counts can be found in section 7.5 of the Administrative Manual, available online here

·         2021 Applications are due June 30, 2021.  Applications must be postmarked by the due date.  Electronic applications will be accepted.

 

4.    The Quality Assurance Board (QAB) will meet to rank all applications and decide which projects to recommend for funding each year.

·         Check out the Huntingdon County QAB Policy and project ranking criteria to learn more about how project funding is allocated

·         The Conservation District board will review QAB recommendations and take official action on which projects to fund. This process can take several months.

 

5.    If funded, road-owners can then enter into a contract with the Conservation District.

·         Please note that no project work/construction can begin until the contract is signed by both the project participant and the Conservation District.

 

6.    Prepare for project construction:

·         Acquire any necessary permits & provide a copy of the permit approval letter to the District

                                          i.    What activities require a permit? Check out this web page for more info

·         If necessary, bid the project. Municipalities should follow all municipal bidding requirements and consult with the Road Technician to include DGLVR program requirements in bid documents.

·         Attend a pre-construction meeting on site with the Roads Technician and any contractors to discuss the project plan before work begins.

·         Provide the District with 30 days’ notice before the project work is to begin.

 

7.    Do the project! Don’t forget: The Dirt and Gravel Roads Technician must be on-site during construction.

·         Construction usually takes place the first construction season after applications are due.

è Expect projects funded in 2021 to be under construction in 2022

 

8.    Final inspection of the project with the Conservation District.

·         It is recommended to schedule this meeting directly after construction is completed. That way, equipment is still on-site to do any last-minute touch-ups!

 

9.    Submit completion paperwork to the Conservation District, including copies of invoices.

·         To find a blank copy of the completion report and see a list of other paperwork the District needs (see “Contract File Checklist), visit this web page

 

10. The Conservation District will process the reimbursement and distribute the DGLVR funding to the grant recipient.

 

11. Enjoy your new and improved road! (and apply again next year!)