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.

Pike County Conservation District and Penn State Extension conducted a series of three educational workshops titled “Discovering Your Drinking Water: Learn more about protecting the quality of your drinking water!” on August 23, 2017, October 18, 2017, and March 26, 2018. The workshop content was presented by Penn State Extension Educator Peter Wulfhorst. Approximately 40 people attended the three workshops.

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.

 

The Westmoreland Conservation District received a Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant through PACD’s 2017-18 round. With this funding, the district developed two informational videos about stormwater basin design, assessment, and maintenance to help educate municipal staff, engineers, and others about the role of basins in stormwater management.

The videos were displayed at the district’s annual Municipal Roundtable and Engineers’ Workshop.

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 view Part 1: https://youtu.be/oSWJWTjEB54 and here for Part 2: https://youtu.be/Y0lhtrxM7uk.

Montgomery County Conservation District (MCCD) was awarded a 2017-18 Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant for a “Storm Drains to Streams: Pollution Prevention Education for Businesses” project.

For the project, MCCD and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s Schuylkill Action Network partnered with Simon Property Group to host an Earth Week Pollution Prevention Mixer for the King of Prussia restaurant, food service, and hospitality community. The event was held at King of Prussia Mall on April 24, 2018, and was attended by 50 individuals.

Attendees included (but were not limited to) several hotel, restaurant facility, and business managers from the King of Prussia area.

The goal of the event was to educate the target audience about cost-effective, good housekeeping practices/actions that are recommended to prevent water pollution and protect clean water. The event also provided an opportunity for the Montgomery County Office of Public Health to stress the importance of implementing such practices to improve community health and safety.

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 written by Jessica Buck, MCCD Interim District Manager. 

Pennsylvania’s county conservation districts were awarded $39,390 for fourteen projects in fourteen counties. The funds were provided by the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Mini-grant Program. Conservation districts will use these grants to work with landowners to prevent pollution in our streams, lakes, and rivers. Projects will take place over the next twelve months.

The following projects were awarded up to $3,000 each as a part of the 2018–2019 CREP Mini-grant round:

County Conservation District	Amount Awarded
Berks	$3,000
Bradford	$3,000
Centre	$2,995
Clarion	$2,000
Columbia	$3,000
Cumberland	$2,440
Greene	$3,000
Jefferson	$2,555
Lancaster	$3,000
Northumberland	$3,000
Perry	$3,000
Sullivan	$2,400
Tioga	$3,000
Wyoming	$3,000

 

Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

Click here to read more about CREP. 

The Washington County Conservation District and the Greene County Conservation District used Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant funds (administered by PACD) to produce a video of a municipal streambank tour and restoration event.

The video highlights the event and provides basic information about stream banks and restoration. So far, the Washington County Conservation District has received two calls from residents who saw the video and want to conduct restoration projects on their property.

The video can be accessed at the following URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W52sKqAI_AQ

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.

 

 

Eighteen projects in 17 counties were selected for funding, totaling more than $34,000 for the 2018 round of the Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Mini-grant Program for Conservation Districts. The program is administered by PACD and funding is provided through the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

“PACD is thrilled to work with DEP to fund projects across the Commonwealth. This funding will allow districts to educate citizens about their part in reducing nonpoint source pollution,” said PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh. “The result will be cleaner water and healthier soil for future generations.”

The projects funded are:

Allegheny	Equine Environmental Stewardship Short Course
Beaver	Stormwater Help for Homeowners
Bedford	Homeowner Practices to Minimize Stormwater/NPS Pollution Impacts
Berks	Preventing Nonpoint Source Pollution through Adult Education in Berks County
Bradford	Interseeder and BMP Demonstration Days
Chester	Chester County “Day on the Bay”
Dauphin	Rain Barrel Workshops
Elk	Non-Point Source Pollution Educational Series
Erie	We All Live Downstream: A Residential Stormwater Workshop
Greene	Stormwater Workshops
Lackawanna	Stormwater Management In Your Back Yard
Lawrence	Pilot Teacher’s Watershed and Stormwater Workshop
McKean	McKean County Streamside Stewardship
Perry	SCOPE = Scientific Citizens Observing Pollution (in the) Environment.
Potter	Ag-Stravaganza
Wayne	A Precipitation Education: Rain Barrel Workshop
Wayne	Stream Maintenance and Flood Intervention Workshop
Westmoreland	Green Infrastructure Tour in the Turtle Creek, Sewickley Creek, and Jacobs Creek Watersheds

 

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.

 

 

The Cover-Crop Workshop held on February 8, 2018, at the Jefferson County Conservation District (JCCD) educated 48 farmers on the benefits of cover crops, including reducing excess sediment, nutrient, and pesticide runoff through their use. Presentations addressed nonpoint source pollution reduction by use of cover crops, pest control, and soil health, as well as weed control in relation to cover crop use. The workshop was funded by PACD’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant Program.

As part of the workshop, JCCD produced a presentation titled, “Prevention of Nonpoint Source Pollution Using Cover Crops.” The presentation is available on PACD’s Educational Events Sample Materials webpage.  Conservation districts are encouraged to use the materials on this page for their educational events.

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.

PACD is now accepting mini-grant applications for up to $3,000 to implement educational and outreach activities that support and extend the work of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Projects should focus on CREP enrollment, re-enrollment and/or CREP maintenance.

The guidelines and application for the new CREP mini-grant program for conservation districts are posted here. Questions should be directed to Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.