Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin announced that the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) is now accepting applications for community revitalization projects across the commonwealth. NAP promotes community participation and collaborations among nonprofits, businesses, and residents while producing outcomes that assist a distressed area or the low-income population in a neighborhood.

“The Neighborhood Assistance Program demonstrates the value of developing robust public-private partnerships and the significant impact those partnerships can have on communities,” said Sec. Davin. “Through their participation in this critical program, our private sector partners improve quality of life each and every day for the cities, towns, and neighborhoods they call home.”

NAP encourages private sector investment into projects that will help improve distressed communities by providing tax credits to businesses that donate capital to support projects that address neighborhood and community problems. NAP can be used for projects in categories including affordable housing, community services, crime prevention, education, job training, charitable food, blight, special population issues, veteran’s initiatives, and long-term community revitalization.

The application window will open on March 29, 2021 and applications must be received by close of business (5:00 PM) on May 28, 2021.

Since taking office, the Wolf Administration has provided nearly $138 million in NAP tax credits, supporting 908 projects statewide. The investments have resulted in more than $20.3 million in additional funds leveraged through corporate contributions.

The program has five main components: The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), Special Program Priorities (SPP), the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), the Charitable Food Program (CFP), and the Enterprise Zone Program (EZP). A description of each of these components is available within the NAP fact sheet.

USDA will dedicate at least $6 billion to develop a number of new programs or modify existing proposals using discretionary funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act and other coronavirus funding that went unspent by the previous administration. Where rulemaking is required, it will commence this spring. These efforts will include assistance for:

• Dairy farmers through the Dairy Donation Program or other means:
• Euthanized livestock and poultry;
• Biofuels;
• Specialty crops, beginning farmers, local, urban and organic farms;
• Costs for organic certification or to continue or add conservation activities
• Other possible expansion and corrections to CFAP that were not part of today’s announcement such as to support dairy or other livestock producers;
• Timber harvesting and hauling;
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other protective measures for food and farm workers and specialty crop and seafood producers, processors and distributors;
• Improving the resilience of the food supply chain, including assistance to meat and poultry operations to facilitate interstate shipment;
• Developing infrastructure to support donation and distribution of perishable commodities, including food donation and distribution through farm-to-school, restaurants or other community organizations; and
• Reducing food waste.

Part 2: Adding $500 Million of New Funding to Existing Programs

USDA expects to begin investing approximately $500 million in expedited assistance through several existing programs this spring, with most by April 30. This new assistance includes:

• $100 million in additional funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which enhances the competitiveness of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops.
• $75 million in additional funding for the Farmers Opportunities Training and Outreach program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, which encourages and assists socially disadvantaged, veteran, and beginning farmers and ranchers in the ownership and operation of farms and ranches.
• $100 million in additional funding for the Local Agricultural Marketing Program, administered by the AMS and Rural Development, which supports the development, coordination and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises and value-added agricultural products.
• $75 million in additional funding for the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, administered by the NIFA, which provides funding opportunities to conduct and evaluate projects providing incentives to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers
• $20 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to improve and maintain animal disease prevention and response capacity, including the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.
• $20 million for the Agricultural Research Service to work collaboratively with Texas A&M on the critical intersection between responsive agriculture, food production, and human nutrition and health.
• $28 million for NIFA to provide grants to state departments of agriculture to expand or sustain existing farm stress assistance programs.
• Approximately $80 million in additional payments to domestic users of upland and extra-long staple cotton based on a formula set in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that USDA plans to deliver through the Economic Adjustment Assistance for Textile Mills program.

Part 3: Carrying Out Formula Payments under CFAP 1, CFAP 2, CFAP AA

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, enacted December 2020 requires FSA to make certain payments to producers according to a mandated formula. USDA is now expediting these provisions because there is no discretion involved in interpreting such directives, they are self-enacting.

• An increase in CFAP 1 payment rates for cattle. Cattle producers with approved CFAP 1 applications will automatically receive these payments beginning in April. Information on the additional payment rates for cattle can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. Eligible producers do not need to submit new applications, since payments are based on previously approved CFAP 1 applications. USDA estimates additional payments of more than $1.1 billion to more than 410,000 producers, according to the mandated formula.
• Additional CFAP assistance of $20 per acre for producers of eligible crops identified as CFAP 2 flat-rate or price-trigger crops beginning in April. This includes alfalfa, corn, cotton, hemp, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat, among other crops. FSA will automatically issue payments to eligible price trigger and flat-rate crop producers based on the eligible acres included on their CFAP 2 applications. Eligible producers do not need to submit a new CFAP 2 application. For a list of all eligible row-crops, visit farmers.gov/cfap. USDA estimates additional payments of more than $4.5 billion to more than 560,000 producers, according to the mandated formula.
• USDA will finalize routine decisions and minor formula adjustments on applications and begin processing payments for certain applications filed as part of the CFAP Additional Assistance program in the following categories:
  • Applications filed for pullets and turfgrass sod;
  • A formula correction for row-crop producer applications to allow producers with a non-Actual Production History (APH) insurance policy to use 100% of the 2019 Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Option (ARC-CO) benchmark yield in the calculation;
  • Sales commodity applications revised to include insurance indemnities, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program payments, and Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus payments, as required by statute; and
  • Additional payments for swine producers and contract growers under CFAP Additional Assistance remain on hold and are likely to require modifications to the regulation as part of the broader evaluation and future assistance; however, FSA will continue to accept applications from interested producers.

Part 4: Reopening CFAP 2 Sign-Up to Improve Access & Outreach to Underserved Producers

As noted above, USDA will re-open sign-up for of CFAP 2 for at least 60 days beginning on April 5, 2021.

• FSA has committed at least $2.5 million to establish partnerships and direct outreach efforts intended to improve outreach for CFAP 2 and will cooperate with grassroots organizations with strong connections to socially disadvantaged communities to ensure they are informed and aware of the application process.

Please stay tuned for additional information and announcements under the USDA Pandemic Assistance to Producers initiative, which will help to expand and more equitably distribute financial assistance to producers and farming operations during the COVID-19 national emergency. Please visit www.farmers.gov for more information on the details of the announcement.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf today encouraged residents to help reduce litter by joining the statewide “Pick Up Pennsylvania” campaign of community cleanups running through May 31. The governor also invites everyone to learn about litter’s negative impacts and state efforts to reduce this scourge in a free online discussion, “Don’t Trash Pennsylvania,” hosted by the Wolf Administration this Friday.

“The past year has shown beyond a doubt what we’ve known all along: the outdoors is essential to quality of life for Pennsylvanians,” Gov. Wolf said. “Clean green spaces and waters support physical and mental health in addition to enabling the function of the ecosystem we depend on, fostering thriving communities, and supporting our recreation, tourism, and shopping economies. It is our collective responsibility to eliminate litter and I urge everyone to take steps to help keep Pennsylvania clean and green.”

“As we see increased trash around the state, we ask Pennsylvanians to start or join a litter cleanup event in their local community through ‘Pick Up Pennsylvania,’” said Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Mask up, put on sturdy shoes and gloves, and head outside with a small group of family, buddies, or co-workers with supplies provided by the campaign. Even a small event makes an immediate impact.”

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful coordinates the litter cleanup campaign. Volunteering is easy. People can organize their own local event and register it at Pick Up Pennsylvania, or can sign up to participate in an already registered event. Gloves, trash bags, and safety vests are provided by PennDOT, DEP, and the GLAD Products Company, a national sponsor.

As part of this event, DEP and the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association are sponsoring trash disposal free of charge or at a reduced rate for registered “Pick Up Pennsylvania” participants at participating landfills throughout the month of April.

For over 20 years, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have participated in “Pick Up Pennsylvania” events, including Scout troops, businesses, watershed organizations, Trout Unlimited, Rod and Gun Clubs, and others.  Groups in PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program, which involves volunteers cleaning roadsides year-round, have been longtime participants.

Adopt-A-Highway volunteers collect litter on a 2-mile section of state highway at least twice a year. In 2020, the program had over 5,000 participating groups, with more than 112,000 registered volunteers, helping to clean up nearly 8,000 miles of adopted state-maintained roadways.

“The impact that litter has on PennDOT cannot be overstated,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “We are extremely grateful for our Adopt-A-Highway volunteers and the positive difference they make. However, because of the scale of the litter problem, the department is still investing millions each year to pick up litter, pulling staff and funding away from core highway and bridge maintenance activities.”

“The responsibility of clean and beautiful neighborhoods belongs to all of us. Picking up litter, planting a tree or painting a park bench are simple, easy activities that most people can do, and the results are immediate,” said Shannon Reiter, president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

 Litter Discussion and Information Resources

DEP will host a free online discussion to increase Pennsylvanians’ knowledge of litter’s negative impacts; what DEP, PennDOT, and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful are doing to reduce litter; and ways that everyone can help.

“Don’t Trash Pennsylvania” will be livestreamed from noon to 12:45 PM on Friday, March 26, on the DEP Facebook page and Webex. Anyone who’d like to watch it on Webex can register here.

Speakers from DEP, PennDOT, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will discuss Pennsylvania’s litter challenge and answer questions.

A free video on the “Pick Up Pennsylvania” campaign is available in English (for streaming or download) and Spanish (for streaming or download). Media, municipalities, legislators, school and community leaders, and businesses are encouraged to share the video to help increase awareness of ways we can clean up our communities.

Although currently helpful and essential, cleanup is a costly approach to the ongoing litter problem. DEP and PennDOT, with support from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, aim to shift the focus of efforts to littering prevention. The Littering Action Plan initiative is assembling four work groups who’ll start working in May to develop recommended strategies in education, infrastructure, enforcement, and partnerships to change Pennsylvanians’ littering behavior.

In line with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s latest orders intended to prevent the spread and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced an upcoming return of outdoors programming at state parks and expansion of occupancy limits within park and state forest buildings effective Sunday, April 4.

“Environmental education and other outdoors programs helped our state parks system attain national prominence and we know they were sorely missed by our visitors,” Dunn said. “This and other operational changes follow Department of Health guidelines while broadening the enjoyment of state park and forests visitors. Since the pandemic’s outset we kept our lands open to all so that people can safely enjoy outdoor recreation to maintain positive physical and mental health.”

At Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, the following will be in effect starting Sunday, April 4:

• Outdoor, in-person programs will resume with a limit of 40 participants per program. Masks and social distancing are required;
• Visitor center exhibit halls, interpretive areas and theaters will open with a 75 percent capacity visitation allowance. Masks and social distancing are required;
• Volunteer work days will resume with a limit of 40 participants per group. Masks and social distancing are required;
• Virtual and self-guided programs will continue to be offered;
• Scheduled programs will be listed on DCNR’s Calendar of Events; and
• Large, DCNR-sponsored events remain canceled until further notice.

State park and forest visitor centers, offices, theaters and interpretive wings will return to an occupancy limit of 75 percent of capacity. All visitors and staff must wear masks and practice social distancing and frequent hand sanitizing or washing.

Volunteer Friends group meetings must be virtual or outdoors at park or forest facilities.  Outdoor facilities must be under the 50 percent occupancy limit, and social distancing must be practiced and masks worn.

Not considered organized park or forest events, volunteer work days are permitted to resume. Guidelines include maximum at 40 per group. Multiple groups are permitted in separate locations, multiple groups may attend at different times, and masks and social distancing are required.

Third-party events can continue if established guidelines are followed. DCNR staff may be present to assist with public safety and to maintain compliance with the event agreement.

All occupancy changes are subject to reevaluation going forward and will maintain consistency with all applicable Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidance.

Secretary Dunn noted visits to Pennsylvania state parks have increased by more than one million visitors a month since the start of mitigation efforts, and that interest is expected to hold strong through spring and into summer.

In a related development, DCNR announced last month that campsites will be available at an additional 17 state parks to accommodate fishing enthusiasts who want to stay overnight on April 2 for the new statewide trout opener the following day. A total of 34 parks throughout the state will provide camping at this time.

To help avoid exposure to COVID-19 and still enjoy the outdoors:

• Don’t hike or recreate in groups – go with those under the same roof, and adhere to social distancing (stay 6 feet apart)
• Take hand sanitizer with you and use it regularly
• Avoid touching your face, eyes, and nose
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or flexed elbow
• If you are sick, stay home

Visitors can help keep state parks and forest lands safe by following these practices:

• Avoid crowded parking lots and trailheads
• Bring a bag and either carry out your trash or dispose of it properly
• Clean up after pets
• Avoid activities that put you at greater risk of injury, so you don’t require a trip to the emergency room

Pennsylvania has 121 state parks and 20 forest districts; all are open year-round.

Information about state parks and forests is available on the DCNR website and here.