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.

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.

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.

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 first group of the new Beaver County Senior Environment Corps (SEC) has been trained. Training took place on July 21st at the Beaver County Conservation District. Volunteers, aged 55 years or older, learned why water quality monitoring is needed and how to use water quality monitoring equipment. Commenting on the SEC program, Jeff Leindecker, Beaver County’s Agricultural Conservation Technician and Nutrient Management Specialist, said, “I feel the Beaver County SEC helps the district achieve its mission of preserving natural resources, conserving soil, and improving resource management for all of Beaver County. The goal is to use the data gathered by the SEC to focus where we need to focus our efforts. I commend the eleven volunteers who attended the training and look forward to working with them!” The Beaver County Conservation District, the local host for the new group, is working together with Nature Abounds, a national environmental non-profit and organizer of the SEC. Volunteers with the SEC can participate in a variety of tasks from monitoring water quality, observing and reporting on wildlife, reaching out to others about how they can help the environment, and even aiding with office tasks. Because of the incredible interest in the SEC program, a second training for interested senior residents of Beaver County will be held in August, and a training will also be held in Allegheny County in September. For more information, contact Melinda Hughes of Nature Abounds at either 814-765-1453 x203 or at SEC@Natureabounds.org.

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.

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.

 

The National Association of Conservation Districts, in partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, has awarded $2 million in grants to 42 conservation districts in 25 states to boost technical assistance capacity for urban agriculture and conservation projects. The 2016 grants will help urban farmers, community gardens, and other local agricultural partnerships implement conservation practices that support local food production, provide opportunities for education and stewardship, and protect natural resources. Congratulations to Allegheny, Blair, Lycoming and Montgomery County Conservation Districts on their grant awards! Click here for the full list of recipients.

Berks County Conservation District hosted a CREP maintenance workshop on June 18, 2016 at a farm in Wernersville, PA. Mena Hautau, Penn State Extension, shared her knowledge of invasive weeds and weed identification. In the above photo, Mena is highlighting garlic mustard, which was found growing in the CREP buffer site along with several other invasive weeds.

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.

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.

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.

On June 5, 2016, a local angler caught this 19” trout on a fly rod in Warrior Run in McEwensville, PA. The fish was caught a few hundred yards downstream from a streambank restoration project completed by the Northumberland County Conservation District in May 2010. The project was funded through the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener grant program (Northcentral PA Conservancy was the grant recipient). The angler feels that the stream is cooler and cleaner as a result of the restoration project.

The Greene County Conservation District, in cooperation with Waynesburg Borough, recently held three workshops on the importance of reducing storm water and best practices for home owners. Thirty rain barrels were constructed during the workshops.

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.

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh joined the Pike County Conservation District Board of Directors to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the District. State legislators, county commissioners, and cooperating agency partners, joined district board members and staff at a picnic hosted by the District on June 24, 2016 at Delaware State Forest at Lily Pond in Milford, PA. Click here for more on the celebration.