Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts

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Susquehanna County Conservation District Holds Awards Banquet

Submitted by Jim Garner, Susquehanna County Conservation District
PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Steve Taglang speaks about the Chesapeake Bay Reboot at the Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) awards banquet on November 1, 2016. Photo provided by SCCD.

PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Steve Taglang speaks about the Chesapeake Bay Reboot at the Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) awards banquet on November 1, 2016. Photo provided by SCCD.

The Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) recently held its annual banquet with over 120 people from the community showing up for this special event. SCCD had speakers from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on the Chesapeake Bay Reboot and from the Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies. During this event, awardees were honored for their contribution to conservation in Susquehanna County. Awards given were: Envirothon Donors, Forest Lake Township and Chief Oil and Gas; Educator of the Year, Mike Talabiska (Mountain View); Dirt and Gravel Road Cooperator, Harford Township; No-Till Cooperator, Jenny Clifford (Carlton Farms); Farmer Cooperator, Claude Bennett; Community Cooperator, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; and Bill Stewart, Choconut Township Supervisor was recognized and remembered. Guests also had the privilege of enjoying an acapella presentation by the Sisters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Montrose VFW provided everyone with a wonderful venue and delicious meal. Click here for a video montage of the event.

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Volunteers Are Needed for Conservation District Booth at the 2017 PA Farm Show

volunteersneededsignPACD will once again be hosting a conservation district exhibit at the 2017 Farm Show. Volunteers are needed to help at our booth and to tell visitors about the important work conservation districts do to protect the Commonwealth’s natural resources. The Farm Show will run from Jan. 7 to Jan. 14, 2017 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. The district booth will have two 4-hour shifts each day, with one or two volunteers per shift. Volunteers will receive a parking pass for the day of their shift. District volunteers are needed to fill the morning shifts from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm and the afternoon shifts from 12:30 pm to 5 pm on all days. We will not be scheduling volunteers for the evening (after 5:00 p.m.) However, ideally, someone would be at the exhibit at all times, so if you are interested in spending an evening at the booth, please let us know. If you have questions or to volunteer, send your name, contact information, and the shifts you are available to Terry Fisher at tfisher@pacd.org or call Terry at 717-238-7223.

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South Central Region Managers Meet

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh was invited to attend the south central region manager’s meeting on October 31, 2016. The group met at Carl Goshorn’s hunting camp in Huntingdon County. Several retired managers joined the group to catch up. Photo by Brenda Shambaugh.

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh was invited to attend the south central region manager’s meeting on October 31, 2016. The group met at Carl Goshorn’s hunting camp in Huntingdon County. Several retired managers joined the group to catch up. Photo by Brenda Shambaugh.

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Springville Township Bottomless Arch

Submitted by Jim Garner, Susquehanna County Conservation District susquehannaarch Springville Township recently installed a bottomless arch stream crossing pipe on Lynn Cemetery Road, with the assistance of the Dirt & Gravel Road Program and the Susquehanna County Conservation District. The concrete arch is a much-needed upgrade from the undersized pipe that was previously in place. The bottomless arch will allow the stream to pass more water and allow for better aquatic passage. The stream is a tributary to White Creek, which is classified a coldwater fishery capable of holding trout in season. This vast improvement is designed to last for decades and help prevent the road from overtopping with water. The installation of this pipe is a great investment in the infrastructure of Springville Township.

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DEP and PACD Hold Chapter 102-105 Annual Training

Ramez Ziadeh, Director, DEP Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, presents opening remarks and a welcome to a packed house on the second day of the Chapter 102-105 Annual Training. Photo by Terry Fisher.

Ramez Ziadeh, Director, DEP Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, presents opening remarks and a welcome to a packed house on the second day of the Chapter 102-105 Annual Training. Photo by Terry Fisher.

More than 350 PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and conservation district staff participated in the Annual Fall 102-105 Meeting on October 25-27, 2016 in State College, PA. The training this year focused on agriculture on day 1, Chapter 102 on day 2 and Chapter 105 on day 3.

In addition to the topic-focused sessions, each day began with a New Technician Orientation Session designed to give technicians with less than two years’ experience an overview of the program that would be covered that day.

DEP and PACD work together to coordinate and plan this event.

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Columbia County Conservation District Shows Students that Good Water = Good Life

High school students are shown at a drama station during Water Education Day playing “Darth Water.” Photo by Nicole Karr Photography. Used with permission.

High school students are shown at a drama station during Water Education Day playing “Darth Water.” Photo by Nicole Karr Photography. Used with permission.

Middle school students in Columbia County learned all about water at the Columbia County Conservation District’s 2nd annual Water Education Day: how it is cleaned, how it is distributed, how it gets polluted, how streams and development impact each other, how to better understand its movement in landscape, how to value public water systems, how to identify macroinvertebrates and fish and their relationship to water quality, and how objects in nature can make beautiful art. There were 540 students this year at Briar Creek Lake and over 50 presenters and volunteers, in addition to area high school students who gave a dramatic music and dance performance highlighting the importance of good water quality. Other participants included representatives from county watershed groups, the PA Department of Environmental Protection, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Larson Design, SUEZ, PA American Water, PA Rural Water, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Children’s Museum, and Bloomsburg University. The event was sponsored by the Columbia County Conservation District, PA American Water, and Roaring Creek Valley Conservation Association. Check out more pictures from the day here!

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Cover Crop Field Days in McKean and Potter Counties

Submitted by Jody Groshek, McKean County Conservation District  
Tim Elder from NRCS provided farmers information about soil health and warm season grasses for forage. Photo provided by McKean County Conservation District.

Tim Elder from NRCS provided farmers information about soil health and warm season grasses for forage. Photo provided by McKean County Conservation District.

The McKean County Conservation District, in partnership with Penn State Cooperative Extension and the Potter County Conservation District, held several cover crop field days this fall. The project was made possible through a PACD mini-grant. Click here to read the entire article.
epa_logo (2) Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
 

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Shambaugh Attends Blair County Conservation District’s 50th Anniversary

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the 50th anniversary banquet and board meeting of the Blair County Conservation District on October, 20, 2016. Pictured left to right are: Donna Fisher, District Manager; John Morrow, Director; Commissioner Terry Tomassetti; Jim Biddle, Secretary/Treasurer; Blaine Smith, Vice-Chair; Shambaugh; Gary Long, Director; Alan Gearhart, Director; and Chairman Harold Bailey.

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the 50th anniversary banquet and board meeting of the Blair County Conservation District on October, 20, 2016. Pictured left to right are: Donna Fisher, District Manager; John Morrow, Director; Commissioner Terry Tomassetti; Jim Biddle, Secretary/Treasurer; Blaine Smith, Vice-Chair; Shambaugh; Gary Long, Director; Alan Gearhart, Director; and Chairman Harold Bailey.

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Clearfield County Conservation District Hosts Bounty from the County

clearfieldbounty On October 14, the Clearfield County Conservation District (CCCD) held a wildly successful event, “Bounty from the County,” in Curwensville, PA. This inaugural event celebrated the benefits of eating locally. “Basically it’s like a Farm to Table meal only we chose a different title and had locally produced goods in addition to food. It was organized by the district and we served food prepared by Shannon’s Catering but the purpose was to highlight our local producers. The entire meal was made up of food grown or raised within the county, right down to dessert,” said Kelly Williams, CCCD Watershed Specialist. Click here to see a list of what was served. Click here for a news article on the event.

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