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Center Information:
Established in 2000, the Center is housed under Penn State University's "Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute." The Center teaches and implements "Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance (ESM) Practices" to reduce runoff and sediment pollution coming from low-volume transportation corridors such as rural roads and trails. In addition to reducing stream pollution, these ESM Practices are designed to reduce the long term maintenance costs on the road or trail. The Center maintains and presents a two-day "ESM-training" that is delivered to road maintenance professionals throughout Pennsylvania. Center staff also provides technical assistance, Geographic Information System services, research, technical documentation, annual workshops, seasonal newsletters, and more to road maintenance and conservation professionals throughout Pennsylvania and the Nation.
Download a brochure about the Center
The Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program
The Center's "core funding" comes through the PA State Conservation Commission and PA Bureau of Forestry from the Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program. This innovative program provides an annual $5 Million apportionment to reduce sediment pollution from the State's 20,000+ miles of unpaved public roads. The Program is administered at the local level by Pennsylvania's network of 66 County Conservation Districts. Public road-owning entities such as township apply to their local County Conservation District to receive funding for individual road projects. The Program stresses "Environmentally Sensitive Road Maintenance Practices" that reduces sediment generation and delivery to streams (not paving). The Center provides education, training, quality control, project tracking, and project technical assistance to entities involved in the PA Dirt and Gravel Road Program.
PA's 17,000+ stream pollution sites on unpaved roads
The Center's Other Educational and Research Efforts
In addition to the training and technical assistance provided through the Dirt and Gravel Road Program, the Center has several other education and research related contracts and grants including:
- USFS Road Guide: Creating a field guide to ESM road maintenance with the US Forest Service. (current)
- DOE-NETL Grant: Study to quantify sediment from oil well roads in the Allegheny Nat Forest. (complete)
- Chesapeake Bay Commission Grant: Study to quantify sediment reductions of ESM practices. (complete)
- Lebo Road: Side-by-side comparison study of limestone and sandstone Surface Aggregates. (complete)
- Educational Efforts: The Center has presented the two-day "ESM Training" in Michigan and Arkansas.
- Outreach Efforts: The Center has presented at various professional meetings around the Country.
Information about the projects above, and many others, can be found within our website.
Sampling road runoff in Potter County, PA.
The Center's Future
While providing education and technical assistance services to the Dirt and Gravel Road Program remains the Center's primary focus, recent years have seen an increase in interest from other parties. The Center has been working with several other States to share the knowledge and accomplishments obtained through PA's Dirt and Gravel Road Program. Research projects will continue to be a part of Center activities as opportunities and funding become available. The Center is always looking for new education and research projects to advance the Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance of rural transportation corridors. If your company or organization has some ideas and wishes to discuss some potential collaboration with the Center, please contact us using the information above.
A biker avoids a badly eroded trail in Blair County, PA.