Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts

We support Pennsylvania’s Conservation Districts who work for clean water and healthy soil every day.

Reminder: December 30 Deadline for Manure Mini-Grants

Through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), each conservation district is eligible for a mini-grant (up to $1,500 initially per conservation district) to hold local Manure Management Manual and/or Agricultural Erosion & Sedimentation Plan workshops. To date, only 29 conservation districts have applied.

The Mini-grant application and guidelines are available here.  The deadline to apply is December 30, 2016. Mini-grant activities must be completed and final reports must be submitted by May 5, 2017. Contact Shannon Wehinger with questions about the mini-grants.

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).

 

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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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New Grant Round: Manure Management and Chapter 102 Compliance Seminars/Plan Writing Sessions

$99,000 in Mini-grant Funds Available for Conservation Districts Through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), each conservation district is eligible for a mini-grant (up to $1,500 initially per conservation district) to hold local Manure Management Manual and/or Agricultural Erosion & Sedimentation Plan workshops. These sessions would assist farmers in understanding requirements and lead to development of a complete manure management plan and/or agricultural erosion & sedimentation plan. Applications will be approved on an ongoing basis. You should hear within a week if your project is okay or if it needs fine tuning. These are non-competitive grants — we have $1,500 earmarked for your district. Grants pay for eligible expenses on a reimbursement basis. The Mini-grant application and guidelines are available here.  The deadline to apply is December 30, 2016. Mini-grant activities must be completed and final reports must be submitted by May 5, 2017. Contact Shannon Wehinger with questions about the mini-grants. Two free trainings on the Manure Management Manual will be held this winter. These “train the trainer” events are for new conservation district staff or those who want a refresher from when the same training was held in previous years.  More information to follow. DEP left-rgbFinancial 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).

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Beaver County Conservation District Holds Stormwater Workshop

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BCCD Environmental Educator Susan Boser explains how to construct a rain barrel during the June 14 stormwater workshop. Photo provided by Beaver County Conservation District.

The Beaver County Conservation District (BCCD) held a workshop titled, “Managing Stormwater: A plan for your property,” on June 14, 2016. Twenty-six attendees learned about watersheds, nonpoint source pollution, and stormwater best management practices (BMPs). They also saw a demonstration on how to assemble and use a rain barrel and took a tour of BMPs in action at the BCCD Environmental Center in Aliquippa, PA.
epa_logo (2) 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.
 

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Over $17,000 Awarded to Conservation Districts to Promote CREP

PACREP_FullColor_HorizCROPPED Pennsylvania’s County Conservation Districts were awarded more than $17,000 for eight projects in eight counties for the 2016-17 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 nine months. The following projects were awarded up to $2,500 each as a part of the 2016–2017 CREP Mini-grant round:
County Conservation District Amount Awarded
Allegheny $2,500
Armstrong $2,500
Beaver $2,050
Berks $2,500
Chester $1,500
Columbia $2,500
Jefferson $1,500
Lebanon $2,300
Click here to learn more about CREP. DEP left-rgbThe CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided by PACD through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Additional support is provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

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Westmoreland Conservation District Hosts CREP Tours

Tour participants learn about the native plants grown at the Friendship Farms nursery.  Photo provided by Westmoreland Conservation District.

Tour participants learn about the native plants grown at the Friendship Farms nursery. Photo provided by Westmoreland Conservation District.

The Westmoreland Conservation District hosted the first of two tours highlighting the benefits of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).  Participants visited Friendship Farms to see how they have protected streams on their property using riparian buffers, fencing, and stream crossings. To read more about the tour and CREP, click here.
DEP left-rgb 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.

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Jefferson County Conservation District Holds Grazing Field Day

Tim Elder, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Northwest Pennsylvania Grazing Specialist, performs a soil health demonstration during the field day. Photo provided by the Jefferson County Conservation District.

Tim Elder, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Northwest Pennsylvania Grazing Specialist, performs a soil health demonstration during the field day. Photo provided by the Jefferson County Conservation District.

The Jefferson County Conservation District held a grazing field day on July 8 in Mayport, PA. The event was held at Annabelle Grazing Farm and educated over 40 farmers and 5 agency personnel. Topics included grazing management practices that improve soil health and preventing nutrient and soil runoff into waterways. The field day highlighted the farm’s rotational grazing system, demonstrated the environmental benefits of well-managed pastures, and explained the operator’s experimental use of biochar as a potential soil amendment.
epa_logo (2) 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.

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Cambria Holds CREP Workshop on Weeds, Trees, and Pests

Images provided by Cambria County Conservation District.

On July 15, the Cambria County Conservation District hosted an Intro to Invasives: Weeds, Trees, and Pests workshop at Disasters Edge in St. Michael, PA. Genny Christ, Cambria County Conservation District, introduced those in attendance to invasive and noxious weeds in the Cambria County region. Tom Ford, Penn State Extension, talked all about herbicides and the best ones for invasive and noxious weed control. Ryan Davis, Pheasants Forever, explained to the group “What is CREP?” and how not all weeds are bad.
DEP left-rgb 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.
 

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New Round of CREP Mini-grants Now Accepting Applications

moneyclipartPACD is now accepting mini-grant applications for up to $2,500 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. Due to limited funds, only 5-10 projects will be funded this round. The deadline to apply is August 19, 2016. Click here for the guidelines. The application for the new CREP mini-grant program for conservation districts is posted here. Questions should be directed to Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.
DEP left-rgb 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.

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Conservation Districts in North East Hold Interseeder Demonstration

Chris Houser of Interseeder Technology plants covers crops into standing corn in Monroe County.

Chris Houser of Interseeder Technology plants covers crops into standing corn in Monroe County.

Lackawanna, Monroe, Susquehanna, and Wayne County Conservation Districts recently held an Interseeder Demonstration Day in each of their counties. Chris Houser and Greg Roth from Interseeder Technologies brought the interseeder to northeastern Pennsylvania as part of a four-county effort to educate the farming community on the benefits of starting cover crops early. Fourteen farmers located across the four counties participated in the events. At each location, four different cover crop/cover crop mixes were used, each covering roughly a quarter acre. The cover crops were Annual Rye, Crimson Clover, Rye/Crimson Clover Mix, and T.A. Seeds Indy Mix (Rye, Clover, and Tillage Radish). This project was part of a Lackawanna, Monroe, Susquehanna, and Wayne County non-point source pollution grant.
epa_logo (2) 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.

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