Township Wins Governor's Local Government Excellence Award for FS4 Program
April 10, 2024
Today, members of the East Cocalico Township Board of Supervisors and staff had the opportunity to receive an award for Local Government Excellence, presented by the Center for Local Government Services. The awards ceremony took place in the State Capitol of Harrisburg on April 10th, 2024. East Cocalico Township received an award for its “FS4” Program, which stands for “Farmers Saving Soil and Stopping Sediment.”
The FS4 Program was an effort between Township Board Members and Staff to meet the State of Pennsylvania’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) pollutant reduction requirements that municipalities must reduce the sediment leaving their municipalities by 10%. The board members recognized that a considerable amount of the sediment sources for the watersheds in the Township were agricultural, and sought to find ways to preserve the natural dirt in the soil to better protect both the watersheds and the agricultural industry within the municipality. FS4 consisted of program, developed in cooperation with TeamAg Incorporated and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, through which farmers within the municipality receive incentives to utilize a no-till farming strategy and to retain crop residue when harvesting. The accumulation of crop residue on the surface of the soil protects the soil surface from being disturbed when rain falls or water passes over the area.
"FS4 represents a significant accomplishment on the part of the Board of Supervisors, but also the farmers in the Township,” stated East Cocalico Township Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Lorenzo Bonura, “Our success comes from working together as a community to address sediment pollution, and we feel that our approach is a great solution."
East Cocalico Township was founded in 1838. Located on the north-eastern side of Lancaster County the Township is a little more than 20 square miles and maintains approximately 60 square miles of roads. ECT is home to 11,000+ residents, many businesses and a bustling industrial and agricultural corridor. At ECT, we focus on Community First, and the Township celebrates the beauty of its natural resources, the ingenuity of its people and its commitment to quality of life.