Pennsylvania’s new, tougher strategy to clean up waters flowing into the Chesapeake Bay has already brought results.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has announced it has restored $3 million in federal cleanup funds it had threatened to hold back because the agency felt Pennsylvania was not living up to its cleanup commitment.

On Jan. 21, the state departments of Environmental Protection, Agriculture and Conservation and Natural Resources announced a “reboot” of strategies to keep nutrients from running into the Susquehanna River.

The Susquehanna provides the bay with more than half its fresh water.

The new plan would make sure all farmers have state-required manure-management and erosion and sedimentation control plans, It also calls for more on-the-farm conservation projects, more tree plantings along streams, and more efforts to control stormwater runoff in communities.

In a letter to the state Department of Environmental Protection, EPA regional administrator Shawn Garvin wrote, “EPA appreciates Pennsylvania’s commitment to get back on-track with nutrient reduction measures necessary to achieve the Chesapeake Bay goals.

“The submission, 18-month strategy and draft implementation plan contain many actions that can serve as building blocks to accelerate the pace of implementation.”

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The $3 million coming from EPA will be used to help farmers install best-management practices and help conservation districts, which have been given the responsibility of inspecting farms, said John Quigley, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“This restored funding will be targeted by DEP to begin implementation of our rebooted strategy,” Quigley said. “It is a start — but only that. We have a long way to go in our efforts to assemble additional resources and to do the work to improve local water quality in Pennsylvania, and that of the Chesapeake Bay.”

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a private group that advocates for cleanup of the bay, applauded the restored funding and said Pennsylvania’s new plan includes “the framework for success.”

Harry Campbell, the group’s Pennsylvania executive director, said, “If Pennsylvania is to make real progress in providing and protecting cleaner water, the Commonwealth must implement the new plan.

“We look forward to Governor Wolf’s 2016-17 budget to be announced next week, and the legislature’s follow-through, to provide the necessary investments so that the plan can succeed.”