HARRISBURG, Pa. — Ten million dollars in tax credits are available to help Pennsylvania farmers implement best management practices to prevent water pollution or purchase conservation equipment through 2018-19 Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program tax credits.
Farmers may receive tax credits of up to $150,000 per agricultural operation for 50 to 75 percent of a project’s cost. The most common projects approved are for no-till planting and precision ag equipment, waste storage facilities, conservation plans, Nutrient Management Plans, and protecting animal heavy use areas like barnyards.
Cover crops and riparian stream buffers are also common REAP-eligible practices.
REAP can be used in conjunction with other funding sources such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) or the Chesapeake Bay Program to help install BMPs.
For projects that include the proposed purchase of equipment, the equipment must be delivered by June 30, 2019.
For projects involving the implementation of structural BMPs, all BMPs and BMP components must be complete by June 30, 2020, to be eligible.
Applications
REAP applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The only eligibility requirement is that producers must be in compliance with the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law.
The 2018-19 REAP application packet, as well as other information about REAP, is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s website, agriculture.pa.gov, or by contacting Joel Semke at 717-705-4032 or jsemke@pa.gov.
About the program
The program is administered by Pennsylvania’s State Conservation Commission, which provides support and oversight to the state’s 66 county conservation districts.
Since the program began in 2007, REAP has awarded tax credits to more than 5,200 projects totaling more than $76 million. The improvements have kept nearly 5 million pounds of nitrogen, nearly 200,000 pounds of phosphorus, and more than 200,000 tons of sediment.
