Conservation district technicians are encouraged to attend this year’s Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training as a refresher course. The event will take place May 23-26, 2023, at the Red Lion Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg, PA.

There is no cot to register, most meals are provided, and a lodging reimbursement is available. (See registration page for additional details.) There is no virtual attendance option.

Attendance is open to conservation district technicians and DEP employees working with Chapter 102 who are new or relatively new to their position, have never taken a similar training, would like a refresher, or would like guidance and skill enhancement for field inspections. The course curriculum assumes all participants have completed the prerequisite coursework on the Clean Water Academy.

Click here for additional information and to register. You will need to log into the Clean Water Academy (CWA) to access this link. Please contact Christopher Grimsley at cgrimsley@pacd.org if you need assistance accessing the CWA. All other questions may be directed to Molly Burns at mburns@pacd.org.

This training was funded through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection and made possible through the cooperation of the PA Association of Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s conservation districts.

The Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting will take place from 9:00 a.m. to Noon on May 22 and 23, 2023. The event is open to entities involved in Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management projects, including conservation district staff, DEP and EPA staff, incorporated watershed associations, counties, municipalities, councils of governments; 501(c)(3) non-profits, educational institutions, and municipal authorities.

Click here for more information and to register. 

Conservation district staff, CAP coordinators, and staff from state agencies and USDA-NRCS are invited to attend the 2023 Virtual Conservation District and PA Agency Ag Meeting. All conservation district staff are welcome.

This year’s meeting is organized by watershed.

• April 3, 2023, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Ohio, Erie, Genesee, and Delaware Watersheds
• April 6, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to Noon – Chesapeake Bay Watershed

The event will take place virtually via Zoom. The draft agenda and other prework materials are available on the PA Clean Water Academy via the link below. Registration is free and required.

Please click here for more information and to register. The deadline to register is March 30.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting from 9:00 a.m. to Noon on May 22-23, 2023. The event is open to entities involved in Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management projects, including conservation district staff, PA Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency staff, incorporated watershed associations, counties, municipalities, councils of governments, 501(c)(3) non-profits, educational institutions, and municipal authorities. Registration will open in March.

The application period is open for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training “Boot Camp”- Basic and Level II.

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 27-30, 2023 (in-person) & March 21 and March 23 (virtual)    
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 17-21, 2023 (in-person) & April 11 (virtual)       
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
May 1-4, 2023 (in-person) & March 21 and March 23 (virtual)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
May 15-19, 2023 (in-person) & April 11 (virtual)       
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

For 2023, the Basic and Level II training will be held twice (if needed). The content is the same, and attendees will only attend for one week. There are two virtual training days and four in-person days for Basic and one virtual training, and five days in-person for Level II.

Please note: Boot Camp is not a two-week course. The instructors prefer that you use the information you learned in Basic for a year and take Level II the year following Basic. Do not apply for Basic and Level II in the same year.

The deadline to apply is January 27, 2023. Notifications of those accepted or not accepted into the course will be made by February 3, 2023.

Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

The following sponsors make these training opportunities possible: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

 

Twenty-four students (including thirteen conservation district staff) completed the Intro to Conservation Planning Course in Grantville, PA, from November 1-3, 2022. The training is an introductory course for employees interested in writing conservation plans and becoming a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Certified Conservation Planner. The event included classroom and field experience.

Participants attended the three-day training free of charge thanks to the generous sponsorship of NRCS and the State Conservation Commission. In addition, PACD provided administrative support for the course.

PACD sponsored a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sedimentation Control (CPESC) Review Class on October 25, 2022, at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey. Twenty-six technicians and engineers were in attendance. The review class is designed to help applicants prepare for the exam component in the CPESC certification process. To receive certification, applicants must prove they meet established standards of expertise, experience, and knowledge in E&S control.

Certification is offered through EnviroCert International, Inc. It provides public evidence of professional qualifications for individuals involved in erosion and sedimentation (E&S) activities such as the development and review of permits, design and review of E&S control and drainage plans, installation and inspection of E&S control practices, and other related activities. Anyone interested in learning more about CPESC should visit www.envirocertintl.org.

Two additional weeks have been added to the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (Boot Camp Basic Level and Level II). Additional training is being held to accommodate more students. Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 27-31, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 17-21, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
May 1-5, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical Training – Level II
May 15-19, 2023 (Tentative)
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

Please note these dates are tentative pending funding.

The application period will open in early January 2023. Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org to receive a notification when the application period opens.

The following sponsors make these training opportunities possible: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

 

Ninety-four conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners participated in the 22^nd Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place as a webinar series October 5-7, 2022. Participants learned about aquatic resource restoration with an emphasis on impairments and comprehensive aquatic resource restoration approaches; Legacy Sediment 2.0, an enhanced mapping and decision support tool; freshwater mussels and the work of the White Sulfur Springs National Fish Hatchery; how to use digital tools to model outcomes for best management practices (BMPs); legacy sediment as a wetland stream restoration BMP; how to empower landowners to implement BMPs; how to get started with PracticeKeeper; and more. Many thanks to our presenters for sharing their time and expertise.

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.

Mark your calendars for 102/105 Basic Technical Training May 23-26, 2023, at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg-Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. This training is open to conservation district and PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff who work with the relevant programs. The curriculum is designed for new or newer conservation district technicians and incorporates classroom learning and a field component. Registration will open in March. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

This training was funded through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection and made possible through the cooperation of the PA Association of Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s conservation districts.