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The State Conservation Commission apportions Dirt & Gravel Road Maintenance funds to the County Conservation Districts.  A Quality Assurance Board (QAB) has been created in by the Berks County Conservation District to establish and administer the grant program.  The QAB is responsible to encourage local cooperation with environmental quality goals, to provide adequate opportunity for public input, and to ensure participation amongst a wide spectrum of environmental expertise at all levels of government.

The four-member QAB is comprised of:
A non-voting chairman appointed by the Berks Conservation District Directors
One local representative appointed by each of the following entities:
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (federal)
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (state)
The Berks County Conservation District (local)

Local municipalities and state agencies that maintain dirt and gravel roads are eligible to receive funding.  However, to be eligible for the program, the participant must first attend a two-day training session for “Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance of Dirt and Gravel Roads”.  To request funding, applicants submit a one-page application to the local Quality Assurance Board (QAB).  The QAB, in turn, reviews the applications to ensure equal access to the funds. The QAB establishes local priorities to prevent pollution.

Once a grant has been awarded, the project participant is generally given 50% of the grant amount to begin the project. The remaining grant money is held till a final inspection of the project has been conducted. If the inspection determines the project to be adequately completed, the remainder of the money is then awarded to the project participant.

For additional information, go to the Dirt and Gravel Roads FAQ page. Application forms can be found at Penn State Dirt and Gravel Roads. Follow the links to their download center for applications, worksheets, and contract forms.