PACD announces a newly revamped membership program inviting citizens to join Pennsylvania’s voice for natural resource conservation. By becoming an affiliate member of PACD, for as little as $25 per year, you can help to preserve land, water, and wildlife. Members also receive a 10% discount in the PACD store. Click here to join today!

On Tuesday, March 16, 2010, conservation district representatives from across the Commonwealth will converge in the PA Capitol to meet with their state legislators. There is a new format and program for this year’s event. Click here to view the agenda.

Conservation Districts are responsible for making their own appointments with legislators and staff. If you haven’t made your appointments yet, please do it today!

PACD has developed a number of resources to assist conservation districts with their legislative activities. These resources include PACD’s Appropriation Request for Conservation Districts, Severance Tax Fact Sheet, and Dirt and Gravel Road Fact Sheet. Click here to view these and other legislative resources. PACD staff will be on hand to provide printed materials for distribution to your legislators and provide a legislative briefing prior to your legislative appointments.

Please plan on joining us for this important legislative event! To RSVP for your conservation district, please contact Brenda Shambaugh.

The PACD educational mini-grant program awards grants up to $2,000 for educational projects that address Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) Prevention strategies. This funding allows conservation districts to implement adult educational programs to increase local awareness of water quality issues, promote the theme “We All Live Downstream,” and encourage citizen participation in activities to improve water quality in local watersheds. Funding for this program is made possible through a grant from the PA DEP under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the US EPA. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2010. Click here to apply. Questions? Contact Hannah Smith via email at hannah-smith@pacd.org or by phone at (717) 238-7223.

PACD added a Conservation District Training/Special Events Calendar to its website. Click here to view the calendar. Members of the conservation partnership will add upcoming events, training sessions, and meetings to this calendar. Please consult this calendar when setting meeting dates to avoid scheduling conflicts. The training calendar on the PACD website replaces the monthly training calendar formerly produced by PA Department of Environmental Protection.