EPA administrator visits Centre County farmers

PATTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WTAJ) — This week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz visited Centre County to see how his team’s plans were working in the area.

The EPA works with Centre County’s ClearWater Conservancy to help fund the efforts of farmers and local conservation efforts. Ortiz met with the Conservancy’s team and took a tour to see some of the efforts he had helped fund, brought to life.

“What we’ve seen is a lot of great collaboration,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz and the Conservancy staff visited several conservation sites in the Halfmoon Creek Watershed. They also visited farms like Way Fruit Farm and Radzwich Farm. The main focus was on the streamside buffers and how they kept the water from becoming polluted.

Streamside buffers are attached to trees and are meant to prevent livestock manure from entering the water. Preventing this leads to cleaner water which is vital to a healthy lifestyle, according to ClearWater Conservancy.

“Healthy water is healthy for people,” Donnan Stoicovy, interim director at ClearWater Conservancy, said. “Making sure all of those things are healthy makes people healthier.”

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The funding for these projects comes from Section 319 grants awarded by the EPA. Ortiz says that this type of funding is not limited to just a few farmers — any farmer is welcome to reach out to “take their operation to the next level.”

“We’re so thrilled to be on the team with farmers and local stakeholders here in Centre County,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz said he will continue to work with the ClearWater Conservancy team to improve conservation efforts in the county.

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