Projects Under One Acre

Pennsylvania law requires a written Erosion & Sedimentation Control Plan (E&S Plan) to be prepared and maintained on site for projects involving 5,000 square feet, but less than 1 acre, of earth disturbance. Although an E&S plan review for adequacy by the County Conservation District is not required under Chapter 102 regulations. An E&S review may be required by your local municipal ordinance, a county requirement, or the Department of Environmental Protection/Army Corps of Engineers (i.e. Chapter 105, Joint Permit, or GPs). Various municipalities in Bucks County have ordinances that require a Conservation District review and approval, we recommend consulting with your municipality before starting any projects that involve earth disturbance.
Please download our application form with instructions and use the resource links provided below to help you complete your application and E&S plan. Remember to keep a copy of your submitted E&S plan for your records and maintain a copy on site throughout work.
* Please contact your Municipality to confirm their requirements for grading or building permits prior to starting work or submitting your application to the Bucks County Conservation District. Please also check with your municipality before beginning any new construction project.
Items needed for an Erosion & Sedimentation Control Plan submittal to BCCD:
Please submit the following three items together as one package:
- FEE (check or money order made payable to “BCCD” or “Bucks County Conservation District”)
- APPLICATION (application link below)
- PLAN SET (One set, hard copy only. Plan fonts must be large enough to be readable.)
For submissions with less than an acre of disturbance, please submit ONE hard copy of your plan set. We do not require additional sets of hard copies. BCCD does not accept electronic copies of plans. Plans printed in small or hard to read font will not be accepted. BCCD does not accept credit cards.
- Application for Chapter 102 and/or NPDES Review Information Form (Erosion & Sedimentation Control Plan 2025 Application Form)
- BCCD Standard Notes are the basic “dos and don’ts” of construction activities that BCCD requires applicants to adhere to. A copy of the Standard Notes should be included in any project submission to the BCCD.
- In Pennsylvania, homeowners and contractors are required to contact PA 1 Call at least three business days before beginning any digging or excavation project. In 2006, the PUC ordered all local telecommunications carriers to fully implement 8-1-1 as the abbreviated dialing code to access PA 1 Call. For more information see www.pa1call.org
- Web Soil Survey Tool , Bucks County Hydric Soils List
- eMap Tool, Chapter 93 Stream Designations, Bucks County streams are located in Drainage Areas E & F.
- Low Hazard Plan Instructions provides guidance for homeowners to develop acceptable Erosion and Sedimentation Control plans for small projects. The BCCD has also provided a simple plan sheet for you to work from. The BCCD reserves the right to determine whether or not the use of this guide is acceptable for any given project.
- BCCD staff has created a sample detail sheet to use for E&S plans. Please, cut, paste & edit to match your proposed design.
- If you would like further assistance from the Conservation District, we recommend contacting our office and speaking with the Environmental Protection Specialist responsible for your municipality.Link to staff assignments
Projects under one acre are eligible to request an expedited review of their E&S plan submission for an additional fee. Please read our Expedited Review application for more information regarding the submission process and requirements.
Bucks County Conservation District Fee Schedule, please contact us at 215-345-7577 with questions regarding the fee(s) for your specific project. Fee-Schedule-5-22-26
