Grants up to $2,000 are awarded to conservation districts for adult educational projects that offer strategies for reducing and preventing Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution. Projects should stimulate a 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.

The deadline for NPS mini-grant applications is March 2, 2018. Click here for the online application and more information.  Please note that a Google Account is required to submit an application. Questions should be directed to Shannon Wehinger.

Financial and other support for the NPS Mini-grant Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. 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.

 

 

PACD has scheduled five free communication webinar series for conservation districts. Presented by Water Words That Work, LLC, these environmental communication trainings will begin in January 2019 and end in March 2019. Each topic has three parts, so plan to attend all three dates for the topics you choose.

How do we get more participation at our programs? How can we effectively reach our target audiences and the general public? What are the most cost-effective means to get the word out about our programs? How can I work effectively with landowners to get more practices installed? Find out answers to these questions and more during these webinars.

Each webinar series consists of three 90-minute sessions. Please mark your calendar for all three dates so you don’t miss part 1, part 2, or part 3. Each session builds on the previous one, so don’t miss out!

The Closing the Deal with Rural Landowners webinar will be repeated twice. Please only sign up for one series.

The dates are:

• Water Words that Work – January 22, 24, 29 from 9:30–11 a.m.
• More Than a Message – February 5, 7, 12 from 9:30–11 a.m.
• Perfect Outreach Projects – February 19, 21, 26 from 9:30–11 a.m.
• Closing the Deal with Rural Landowners Group 1 – March 5, 7, 12 from 9:30–11 a.m.
• Closing the Deal with Rural Landowners Group 2 – March 19, 21, 26 from 1–2:30 p.m.

The webinars are free, but registration is required. Click on the links above to register. Space is limited to 15 participants for each topic. Please plan to attend all three parts of the topic you choose. Please register each person participating from your office separately.

Financial support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant, the Clean Water Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program (CBRAP).

Click here to view a flyer with more information.

Thirty-three participants were trained as facilitators through the Manure Management Train the Trainer program this January. The training events were held in Clarion, Perry, and Wyoming Counties.

Participants learned how to use the Manure Management Manual to write plans and guide others through using the manual.

PACD facilitates the trainings for the PA Department of Environmental Protection. Instruction is provided by Jerry Martin, Senior Penn State Extension Associate and Dr. Charles White, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management, at Penn State.

Financial support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant, the Clean Water Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program (CBRAP).

 

Registration is now open for the 2018 102/105 Basic/Refresher Technical Training course. The course is open to conservation district and DEP staff and will take place March 21-24, 2018 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. There is little or no cost to attend. (See registration information for details.)

Registration for the Topic-Based session, which will take place at the same location on April 10-12, 2018, will be announced in an upcoming issue of Front Page. Click here to register or for more information about the March session.

Applications are now being accepted for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities which include both classroom learning and experience in the field.

Basic Level – April 2-6, 2018

Level II – April 23-27, 2018

If you do not receive confirmation from PACD, you will not be admitted. No walk-ins will be accepted. Both courses are held at the Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County). Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

Mark your calendars for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities which include both classroom learning and experience in the field.

• Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
  April 2-6, 2018
  Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

• Agricultural Conservation Technical Training – Level II
  April 23-27, 2018
  Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

Registration is now open for the Manure Management Manual Train-the-Trainer Workshops PACD and DEP are hosting in January of 2018.

The workshops are designed to provide attendees with a solid understanding of how to use the Manure Management Manual to write plans and how to train others to use the manual. Participants will also learn techniques for conducting plan writing workshops to help farmers develop manure management plans.

The workshops are for conservation district, DEP, Penn State Extension, and other agency staff involved in helping agricultural producers write manure management plans. Both new and experienced staff are invited to attend.

The workshops are free and lunch will be provided.

Dates and Locations are:

• January 23, 2018 DCNR Bureau of Forestry Office, Clarion, Clarion County, PA
  Click here for more information or to register for this workshop
• January 25, 2018 Penn State Extension Building, New Bloomfield, Perry County, PA
  Click here for more information or to register for this workshop
• January 30, 2018 PA Department of Ag – Region 3 Office, Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, PA
  Click here for more information or to register for this workshop

Financial support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant and the Clean Water Fund.

 

Twenty-nine students completed the Intro to Conservation Planning Course in Grantville from November 7-9, 2017. The training included classroom and field experience. The course targeted entry-level conservationists, introducing them to the conservation planning process, and related tools and technology in Pennsylvania.

PACD partnered with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission to deliver the three-day training.

Submitted by York County Conservation District

The York County Conservation District received a grant to educate the residents of York County about stormwater. They collaborated with the York County Planning Commission (YCPC) and developed two stormwater tours.

Stormwater management is hot topic. When many think of stormwater management, the typical large retention pond comes to mind. But there are so many other options available!

The first tour was for the elected and appointed officials and staff of our municipalities.This was a bus tour and included seven different sites with speakers at each location. The second tour, intended for the general public, can be either a virtual tour or a self-guided tour of many different types of Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs). Tour participants use an online story map created by the YCPC, which includes pictures, descriptions, and directions to various BMP sites in York County.

Click here to view the story map. Many of these projects have been completed by municipalities who are participating in a regional group effort to comply with MS4 requirements and to clean up the waters of York County. As more projects are completed, they will be added to the story map.

To learn more about the projects, or the regional effort, contact Lindsay Gerner at the YCPC. To learn more about the use of the self-guided story map, contact Jacob Trimmer, also at the YCPC.

Financial and other support for this project was provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. 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.

 

Allegheny County Conservation District staff attended Wetland Delineation Training – How Wetlands & Streams are Delineated in the Field, conducted by Chris Nix with EcoSourcePA. The two-day course included classroom and field work. Completing this course will assist staff in field work.