By Kelsey Kilhoffer, Resource Conservation Technician, Elk County Conservation District

On August 14, 2018, the Elk County Conservation District (ECCD) held a successful Agriculture Bus Tour. Twenty-six attendees toured Hoffman Appalachian Farm, Straub Brewery, and Chocolate Drop Farm, all located in St. Marys, PA.

At Hoffman Appalachian Farm, owner Joshua Brock gave a tour of his hop farm and explained the hop growing process. Brock plans to implement a solar powered irrigation system that utilizes the capture and reuse of rain water. The tour continued at Straub Brewery where George Hasselman gave a very informative overview of the facility’s history and brewing process. The tour wrapped up at Chocolate Drop Farm, owned by John and Sylvia Straub. They feed the spent grain from Straub’s brewing process to their 17 Hereford beef cattle. They also practice rotational grazing. This has greatly minimized any heavy use areas on their property, reducing nutrient runoff. It was fascinating to see the process from beginning to end. From the growing of the crops, to production, to use of the spent grains, each phase was uniquely interesting.

Financial and other support for this project 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.

Click here to read the entire article. 

The Dauphin County Conservation District held a “Stormwater Management and Control for Your Home” workshop on August 4 at Londonderry Township. The workshop included a presentation on general nonpoint source pollution, stormwater basics, and low impact development strategies. This was followed by an demonstration on stormwater and how low impact development works to reduce stormwater runoff. Finally, participants were give rain barrels to take home for use on their properties.

Financial and other support for this project 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.

 

 

In June, the Westmoreland Conservation District (WCD) held a green infrastructure tour in the Turtle Creek, Sewickley Creek, and Jacobs Creek Watersheds. The tour highlighted how green infrastructure projects can help manage stormwater and reduce nonpoint source pollution. Among the attendees were municipal managers and engineers, elected officials, staff from a water and sewer authority, and staff from the urban redevelopment authority.

Financial and other support for this project 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.

Click here to read more. 

Submitted by Paige LaDuca, Chesapeake Bay Resource Conservationist, Chester County Conservation District

On August 15th, Chester County Conservation District staff and local farmers had the opportunity to attend an educational tour given by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We departed from the Baltimore Aquarium and discussed the effects that rivers and tributaries have on the Bay before continuing our journey to test water turbidity (clearness), dredge the bottom of the Harbor for sediment, and view the city’s aquatic trash wheels and skimmers.

Financial and other support for this project 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.

Click here to read the entire article. 

Submitted by Jennifer Bratthauar, Ag Conservation Technician, Franklin County Conservation District

The Franklin County Conservation District (FCCD) held its third annual Summer Conservation Farm Tour on August 1, 2018, which was made possible through a PACD Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant Project. In addition to recognizing the FCCD’s Conservation Farmer of the Year, this tour also provided attendees with a first-hand look at Best Management Practices (BMPs) that reduce soil and nutrient runoff leaving the farm. This year’s Conservation Farmer of the Year was Martin Farms in Chambersburg.

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. The FCCD also received financial support from AgChoice Farm Credit.

Click here to read the entire article.

Pennsylvania’s county conservation districts were awarded over $43,000 for twenty-six pollution reduction projects in twenty-six counties. These projects promote water pollution prevention activities through the Non-point Source (NPS) Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant Program. The projects will take place over the next 8 months.

Funding for the grants, up to $2,000 each, is provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Click here to read the entire press release including the list of funded projects. 

The results are in! During the 2017-18 Manure Management Manual and Chapter 102 Compliance Workshops Mini-grant Program, 38 conservation districts reached over 2,800 landowners across the state.

Other outcomes include:

• Full-day workshops held: 37
• Half-day workshops held: 36
• One-on-one sessions held: 181
• Manure management plans written: 426 covering 32,798.9 acres
• Agricultural Erosion & Sedimentation plans written: 78 covering 6,482.73 acres

In addition to completing plans, conservation district staff improved awareness of the revised Manure Management Manual and assisted farmers in understanding manure management and Chapter 102 requirements.

PACD would like to thank the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for providing the funding for this program as well as supporting conservation districts as they help landowners achieve compliance.

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).

 

In the 2017-18 Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant round, 37 projects were completed by 30 conservation districts, reaching over 5,000 adults. Click here to see the outcomes and here to see a map of projects completed.

Reminder: PACD is currently accepting applications for a second round of the 2018-19 Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant Program for Conservation Districts. Click here for more information: https://pacd.org/?page_id=16996. The deadline to apply is June 28, 2018.

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.

 

Due to continued support of conservation district projects by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PACD is able to offer a second round of mini-grants in the 2018-19 program year.

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 June 28, 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.

 

The Cumberland County Conservation District sponsored a series of one-day events for volunteers to learn about Nonpoint Source Pollution and water quality in the Conodoguinet Creek Watershed. Volunteers collected water samples and analyzed the results. Water quality data included pH, conductivity, temperature, and nitrogen and phosphorus rates.

Financial and other support for this project 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.

Click here to read the “Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Snapshot” which includes results of the monitoring.