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.

Submitted by: Jolie Chylack, Environmental Education & Outreach Coordinator, Lehigh County Conservation District

As many students in the Lehigh Valley area are walking down the aisle to graduate from one of our regions notable secondary, undergraduate, or graduate learning institutions, we would like to highlight a conservation video production project that several senior students from Lehigh Carbon Community College recently completed in partnership with the Lehigh County Conservation District!

• Erosion Education Video: https://youtu.be/bjAYHjG7XvM
• Watershed Education Video: https://youtu.be/eJ_FwTzcy2I
• Environmental Education Video: https://youtu.be/mDkV-I73Wb8

Click here to read more. 

Armstrong Conservation District’s H2Oh! on the GO! mobile exhibit will be parked at the NACD Northeast Regional Meeting & PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference from July 15-18, 2018. The Armstrong Conservation District is generously making this interactive, educational, traveling exhibit available for our attendees to explore during the conference.

The conference is taking place at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel, Lancaster, PA. Click here to register or for more information. 

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.

On May 18, 2018 PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Tioga County to attend a legislative event. The 2018 Tioga County Conservation District legislative luncheon was held at the Tokishi Building in Wellsboro. The district highlighted upcoming projects for their area and answered questions about programs throughout the county.

 

Tioga County Conservation District, PA DEP, Shell, Gas Field Specialists, and Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority joined forces on Thursday, April 19, to clean up a challenging illegal dump site, known as “Site 24,” to eliminate a potential source of pollution to the Cowanesque River.

The cleanup resulted in the removal of 3.17 Tons of accumulated waste material and 3.81 Tons of tires (277 tires) from an abandoned railroad grade adjacent to the Cowanesque River. Heavy equipment provided by Shell was used to remove the material from the steep embankment and placed in roll-off containers provided by Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority.

Click here to read the entire press release.

 

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.

The Allegheny County Conservation District collected over 30 bags of trash on April 23, 2018, along Little Deer Creek Valley Road as part of PennDOT’s Adopt A Highway Program. Ten staff members participated in the two-mile clean up to mark the District’s fourth year adopting a highway.