Report Outlines Environmental Benefits of REAP Conservation Program

Guidelines and Applications Now Available for 09-10 Tax Credit Program

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania farmers are
making further investments in the environment by implementing on-farm
conservation practices while enhancing their farm's production, thanks to the
Resource Enhancement and Protection tax credit program, or REAP.

"Pennsylvania farmers are charged with protecting our soils and water supply
by being good stewards of the land," said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff.
"REAP provides an additional resource for farmers to adopt conservation
practices to do just that, while maintaining viable businesses that play an
integral role in our state's economy."

REAP encourages farmers to use conservation best management practices to
reduce erosion and sedimentation impacting Pennsylvania's streams and
watersheds. The program has proven to be an effective tool to reduce sediment
and nutrient - specifically, phosphorous and nitrogen - runoff from their
farms. Excess nutrients that exceed a waterway's absorption capacity become
pollutants that destroy aquatic and plant life.

In the first round of REAP funding, almost half the credits approved for
eligible projects were for no-till planting equipment. Other best management
practices that received a high percentage of approved credits were for waste
storage facilities, and for protecting heavy animal use areas such as
barnyards.

Using the Chesapeake Bay Program Model it is possible to estimate benefits
related to certain best management practices. Thanks to REAP, no-till
equipment purchases alone have reduced sediment runoff into Pennsylvania
waterways by more than 18,000 tons, and other practices have helped eliminate
hundreds of thousands of pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment.

Applications for the 2009-2010 program will be accepted by the commission
beginning Aug. 3, on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications postmarked
prior to July 30 will be returned. All applications received by the commission
postmarked July 30 and later and received by the close of the business day on
August 3 will be pooled, randomly selected and assigned a number.

Because the total amount of available 2009-2010 REAP tax credits is dependent
on the state budget to be finalized later this summer, applications will be
accepted until the appropriation has been committed to eligible projects.
Governor Rendell's budget proposal included an additional $10 million for REAP
in fiscal 2009-10.

Farmers can receive tax credits of up to $150,000 per agricultural operation
for 50 or 75 percent of the total cost of a conservation project, depending on
the best management practice implemented. Farmers may also qualify for a 50
percent tax credit to purchase no-till planting equipment.

The annual report, program guidelines and applications are available at
www.agriculture.state.pa.us/REAP. A one-hour Webinar explaining the details of
the guidelines and application process hosted by the commission is also
available on the Web site. For those without Internet access, the commission
can mail paper applications.

Applicants are encouraged to work with local county conservation districts or
the Natural Resources Conservation Service before applying to ensure current
plans are in place for each farming operation, including conservation,
agricultural erosion and sedimentation control, and nutrient management plans,
if required.

All applicants who applied in the previous fiscal year but not approved
because REAP credits were exhausted, will receive a short addendum application
in the mail. These applicants will not be given any priority and must submit
this application with all new applicants.

Fore more information about the program, contact Program Administrator Mary
Bender at 717-787-8821 or via e-mail at mabender@state.pa.us.
CONTACT: Jean Kummer
(717) 787-5085

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Jean Kummer of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, +1-717-787-5085