During the evenings of August 9 -13, 2021, Snyder County Conservation District had the privilege of co-hosting the first kids’ Enviro Camp at Basom Memorial Park with Juniata County Conservation District. Fifty-four children attended the camp. Each night, children learned about topics focused on aquatics, wildlife, soils, and forestry. The final night of Enviro Camp was family night, which included conservation jeopardy, a streamside tree planting, and a bluebird box installation at the park.

The Enviro Camp was funded through a DEP Educational Grant.

 

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to leave a buffer next to waterways. Please share!

Materials include:

• 120-second video
• 60-second Script
• 30-second Script
• 15-second Script

Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the video on their social media channels.

Thank you to McKean County Conservation District’s Jody Groshek for helping to develop the messages.

 

Mark your calendars for August 12, September 9, and September 23, 2021, from 10:00 a.m.-Noon for the QuickBooks Training Webinar Series! PACD has partnered with SEK CPAs and Advisors to offer free QuickBooks training statewide to conservation districts. August 12 will feature basic training, September 9 will be an advanced training, and September 23 will focus on payroll.

More information to come! Registration will open this summer. Please contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to use fertilizers responsibly. Please share!

Materials include:

• 120-second video 
• 60-second Script 
• 30-second Script 
• 15-second Script

Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the video on their social media channels.

Thank you to McKean County Conservation District’s Jody Groshek for helping to develop the messages.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently recognized conservation district staff for their level of achievement and commitment to professional development in the PA Clean Water Academy.

PA Clean Water Academy (CWA) is a comprehensive digital training library containing over 160 courses comprised of webinars, eLearning, video, supporting documents, assessments, quizzes, and training programs. CWA is administered by the DEP Bureau of Clean Water and the PA Association of Conservation Districts. During the COVID-19 restrictions, DEP and conservation district staff have relied heavily on the Academy for training in delegated and contracted programs.

Conservation District Staff with Most Course Completions:

	Staff	Conservation District		Courses Completed
1	Stephen Beach	Blair		127
2	Matthew Golden	Washington		123
3	Tom Ulrich	Washington		93
4	Tyne Blazier	Blair		83
5	Emily Wise	Washington		71
6	Dave Taylor	Wyoming		63
7	Heather Humbert	Beaver		61
8	Robert Sabo	Indiana		61
9	Wade Jodun	Clinton		60
10	Jennifer Linebaugh	Beaver		59
11	Rachael Moore	Northumberland		58
12	Jessica Schaub	Armstrong		58

Conservation Districts with High Achievement

	Conservation District	Courses Completed
1	Washington	490
2	Blair	370
3	Lancaster	338
4	Allegheny	243
5	Beaver	215
6	Armstrong	195
7	Berks	179
8	Dauphin	178
9	Tioga	178
10	Wyoming	176
11	Indiana	171
12	Montgomery	167

Conservation district staff with the most courses completed will receive a signed certificate from DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.

On October 22, 2020, Cumberland County Conservation District (CCCD) held a two-hour E&S/NPDES engineer workshop via webinar. Eighty-two engineers and consultants signed on to learn about the 2019 PAG-02 Permit, the new Notice of Intent and Individual Permit application, completing the Post Construction Stormwater Management spreadsheets, and other key program components. Click here to view videos of the presentations.

The Potter County Conservation District (PCCD) recently teamed up with the County Planning Commission to complete 26 individual municipal meetings over two months. Elected officials from each of the municipalities, representatives from Erb Inspections, Inc., and local sewage enforcement officers were invited to these one-on-one meetings. This was the second round of meetings held since the effort was launched in 2017.

PCCD Manager Jason Childs, PCCD Resource Conservationist Glenn Dunn II, and Potter County Planning Commission GIS/Planning Director Will Hunt scheduled a total of nine sessions at outdoor venues throughout the county due to COVID-19. Popular topics of discussion during the sessions included the County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances (SALDO), stormwater management, 911 addressing, permitting, district programs and assistance, and county planning, GIS programs, and assistance.

In addition, the conservation district and planning commission plan to update the “Municipal Resource Booklet” that was developed in 2017 and add a checklist for municipal officials and residents to use. Both offices felt that this was a great opportunity to open up lines of communication and strengthen partnerships. The district and planning commission would like to thank everyone who took the time to meet. This effort will be ongoing as it is a goal to host this series of meetings after every election year.

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to dispose of their leaf waste responsibly.

Materials include:

• 60-second Script
• 30-second Script
• 15-second Script
• 60-second animated version

Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the animated version on their social media channels.

The Columbia County Conservation District held a “Haunted Trails” event at their district-owned Kocher Nature Park on Saturday, October 24, 2020. Approximately 150 adults and children came through the trails, which the district carefully designed with social distancing protocols and lots of environmental education opportunities!

The Blair County Conservation District hosted a ribbon-cutting for NatureWorks Park on October 8, 2020. About 40 invited guests participated in the event to “open” Blair County’s first environmental-specific outdoor recreation area. The property is owned by the Blair County Conservation District and managed by the district staff with many volunteers’ assistance! A PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships Program Grant was received to cover a portion of the cost of construction. Keller Engineers, Inc. of Hollidaysburg provided the design and permitting of the site. For more information on the park, visit our website at https://natureworkspark.org or check out the park on Facebook.