News Release

Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts to be Awarded over $54,000 to Safeguard Clean Water

(Harrisburg, PA) - The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) announces the 2008-09 Chesapeake Bay Educational Mini-Grant Program recipients. PACD awarded grants up to $2,500 for projects throughout the state that promote clean water. Funding for the grants is provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Chesapeake Bay Program. A description of current and previously funded projects is available on the PACD website, www.pacd.org (click on Grant Assistance).

2008-2009 PA Chesapeake Bay Educational Mini-Grants:

Berks Conservation District
No-Till Workshops ($2,000)
Workshops focus on no-till farming and cover crop installation to improve overall health of the local watershed.

Blair Conservation District
Public Water Festival ($1,250)
Water festival provides education on clean water. Project also involves the development of educational materials and displays.

Bradford Conservation District
Nutrient Management Field Day ($2,000)
Field day aims to improve the knowledge and capabilities of practicing and future farmers in managing nutrient and soil resources for maximum benefit to the farming community and the environment.

Cambria Conservation District
No-Till Field Day ($1,650)
Field day highlights no-till, cover crops, and plots that show the benefits of conservation practices from environmental and farm profitability perspectives.

Centre Conservation District
Agriculture Workshops & Pasture Walks ($2,000)
Workshops provide education and encouragement for farmers to install stream-bank fencing, and to implement rotational grazing and cover crop/no-till systems.

Clearfield Conservation District
Horses & Watershed Health ($1,445)
Workshop provides education for horse owners on environmentally beneficial practices they can implement in order to improve water quality.

Cumberland Conservation District
Promoting Stormwater Management by Using Rain Barrels ($2,000)
Project provides educational information about water conservation and stormwater management. Free rain barrels are constructed by local Vo-Ag and science students.

Cumberland Conservation District
What You Need to Know about your Well Water and NPS Pollution ($2,000)
Workshop focuses on ground water quality and protection including septic system management as well as the effect of nonpoint source (NPs) pollution on drinking water.

Dauphin Conservation District
Forested Riparian Buffer Education and Demonstration Project ($2,000)
Forested riparian buffer is constructed along the Swatara Creek to serve as a NPS educational and demonstration project available for guided or self-guided tours.

Franklin Conservation District
Rain Barrel Workshops & Distribution ($1,825)
Workshops cover stormwater issues relevant to reducing NPs pollution and the concept "We All Live Downstream" - rain barrels are distributed to attendees.

Lackawanna Conservation District
Stormwater Reduction with Rain Barrels ($2,000)
Seminar focuses on impacts of stormwater, strategies for reducing stormwater runoff and watershed function as it relates to NPs pollution.

Lancaster Conservation District
Watersheds: Making the Connection ($1,745)
Interactive educational display at Cherry Crest Farm Maize Maze allows visitors to investigate nonpoint and point source pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Lebanon Conservation District
Horse Pasture Management ($1,815)
Workshop focuses on properly maintained pastures, how they are good for the horses that graze them, the soil, and nearby streams.

Lycoming Conservation District
Lycoming/ Tioga Floodplain and Riparian Protection Summit ($2,000)
Project brings together municipalities to explain stream dynamics and how riparian and floodplain management can help with flooding and NPs pollution reduction.

Lycoming Conservation District
Rain Barrel Workshops ($2,000)
Workshops address the importance of installing rain barrels as a means to decrease the harmful effects of stormwater runoff.

Lycoming Conservation District
Urban Nutrient Management Workshops ($2,000)
Workshops for homeowners on using soil samples as a tool to protect local waterways.

Mifflin Conservation District
Agriculture in the 21st Century Conference ($2,000)
Conference focuses on NPs pollution reduction, best management practices (BMPs), and everyday actions we can each take to make a difference in our local watersheds.

Northumberland Conservation District
Tri-County Stormwater/Flood Summit Workshop ($2,000)
Meeting covers stormwater management techniques that reduce NPs pollution. Participants will receive a "toolbox" of educational resources.

Northumberland Conservation District
Twilight Meetings ($750)
Meetings educate farmers about conservation and how to improve their practices including the installation of agricultural BMPs.

Northumberland Conservation District
Winter Conference ($1,500)
Conference works to create an awareness of watersheds and the NPS pollution present in them. Promotes wise use of our natural resources to improve local watersheds.

Perry Conservation District
Aerial Seeding Field Day ($2,000)
Field day includes an aerial seeding demonstration/presentation and education on nutrient management, no-till farming, and benefits of cover crops.

Snyder Conservation District
Farmers Winter Meeting ($1,850)
Meeting covers topics related to the reduction of nutrient, sediment, and chemical pollution in our surface and ground waters originating from farms.

Snyder Conservation District
No-Till Informational Meetings ($1,000)
Meetings to exchange no-till experiences among farmers. Content includes education on NPs pollution reduction and implications for the Chesapeake Bay.

Snyder Conservation District
Women in Agriculture Forum ($1,250)
Meeting geared towards women in the agricultural community. Topics include BMPs and environmental issues that affect the water quality in our streams.

Sullivan Conservation District
Rain Barrel Workshop for Homes and Businesses ($1,525)
Project educates individuals on doing their part in conservation and NPs pollution prevention by raising awareness of quantity and quality issues with storm water runoff.

Sullivan Conservation District
Sullivan/Bradford Floodplain and Riparian Protection Summit ($2,000)
Project brings together municipalities to explain stream dynamics and how riparian and floodplain management can help with flooding and NPs pollution reduction.

Susquehanna Conservation District
Dealing with Your Streamside Property ($1,500)
Workshop for homeowners on how they can effectively deal with living along side a stream and the responsibilities that come with it to protect local water quality.

Susquehanna Conservation District
Heavy Equipment Contractors Workshop ($1,050)
Workshop to educate and update contractors and municipalities regarding BMPs for erosion and sediment control and waterway management.

Union Conservation District
Stormwater Runoff Reduction ($2,000)
Stormwater workshops with free rain barrel distribution program and display that focuses on reducing stormwater runoff and improving infiltration.

Wyoming Conservation District
Conservation Tour ($2,000)
Tour demonstrates what steps can be taken to reduce NPs pollution. Tour encourages participants to take action based on what they have learned.

Wyoming Conservation District
Wyoming/Susquehanna Floodplain and Riparian Protection Summit ($2,000)
Project brings together municipalities to explain stream dynamics and how riparian and floodplain management can help with flooding and NPs pollution reduction.

PACD, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization representing Pennsylvania's sixty-six conservation districts. For more information on the PACD visit www.pacd.org.

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