PACD is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to deliver a three day Introduction to Conservation Planning course. This free training will take place March 14-16, 2017 at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey area) in Grantville, PA.

The event is for entry-level employees of all organizations in Pennsylvania delivering conservation planning technical assistance, including but not limited to, NRCS, conservation districts, SCC, farmland preservation entities, non-profits, and private consultants. Lunch will be provided.

The application link will be emailed to those who are interested in taking the course after they have submitted their pre-requisite certificate of completion to swehinger@pacd.org. Click here for information on the pre-requisite. The deadline to apply is February 3, 2017.

More than 350 PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and conservation district staff participated in the Annual Fall 102-105 Meeting on October 25-27, 2016 in State College, PA. The training this year focused on agriculture on day 1, Chapter 102 on day 2 and Chapter 105 on day 3.

In addition to the topic-focused sessions, each day began with a New Technician Orientation Session designed to give technicians with less than two years’ experience an overview of the program that would be covered that day.

DEP and PACD work together to coordinate and plan this event.

PACD and Water Words That Work, LLC are partnering on four upcoming environmental communication trainings starting in November 2016 and ending in January 2017. How do we get more participation at our programs? How can we effectively reach our target audiences and the general public? What are the most cost-effective means to get the word out about our programs? Find out answers to these questions and more during these webinars. The dates are (all webinars will be held 1-2:30 pm):

• Water Words that Work Webinar Series – November 29, 2016 – December 1, 2016
• More Than a Message – December 6-8, 2016
• Perfect Outreach Projects – December 13-15, 2016
• Perfect Outreach Projects – January 10-12, 2017

Click here for a detailed description of the training. 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).  

The annual Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting was held October 4-6, 2016 in State College. Sixty-four watershed specialists from conservation districts across the state attended the meeting, which was sponsored by the PA Department of Environmental Protection and facilitated by PACD. Presentation topics included: attracting and engaging adult learners; Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Action Plan; how to deal with Hydrilla (an invasive species); Pennsylvania’s State Water Plan; how to address harmful algal blooms, and much more.

A two-day soil health training to be held on October 18th and 19th will feature practical discussions by specialists and expert speakers on technical soil health qualities and management effects. Topics will include working with producers, cover crops and cover crop mixtures, in-depth soil health and soil biology, as well as hands-on field evaluations. The training, hosted by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Capital RC&D, and partners, will be held at the Ag Progress Days site in the Special Events Building and nearby fields. The cost is $30.00 for the two-day workshop, which includes all materials and lunch/break costs. Space is limited and the registration deadline is October 11, 2016 so please register early if you can! Click here for the event flyer. Click here for registration details.

PACD and the Blair County Conservation District are partnering with the Southcentral Region of the PA Department of Environmental Protection to offer a one day training session for planners, engineers and others working with the state’s Chapter 102: Erosion & Sediment Control regulations including National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and Post-Construction Stormwater Management. The first training will take place November 9, 2016 at the Red Lion Inn Hotel Harrisburg Hershey. Click here to register. The same training is being offered by the Blair County Conservation District on November 16, 2016 at the Altoona Grand Hotel for those who are closer to Altoona than Harrisburg. Click here for the flyer on the Altoona event.

Registration is now open for the Annual Fall 102-105 Training meeting to be held October 25-27, 2016 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. Click here for more information, to register, and to see the draft training agenda for this meeting. Project Spotlight:  Table space is available in the conference center lobby for districts and others to highlight projects and to share ideas and techniques.  Display pictures, drawings or other information on projects relating to Chapters 102 and 105.  Contact Terry Fisher to reserve a table. Questions about the meeting can be directed to Jill Whitcomb at the PA Department of Environmental Protection, jiwhitcomb@pa.gov or 717-772-5668 or Terry Fisher at PACD, tfisher@pacd.org or 717-238-7223.

PACD is assisting the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Southcentral Regional Office to present a Chapter 102 NPDES & PCSM Training for the Regulated Community. This training will be held Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at the Red Lion Inn Hotel Harrisburg Hershey, 4751 Lindle Rd., Harrisburg, PA. Cost is $150/person. Click here to register. The draft agenda is available here. There will be a training in Altoona on November 16 for those who are closer to that end of the region.

Conservation district staff in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed who will perform agricultural inspections, and their managers, are invited to attend a training session on Agricultural Inspection Standard Operating Procedures. Registration will open at 9:30am. The session will start at 10:00am and conclude by 3:00pm. There is no cost to attend. Lunch will be provided.

• July 13, 2016, Best Western Country Cupboard Inn, Lewisburg, PA
• July 19, 2016, The Woodlands Inn, Wilkes-Barre, PA
• July 26, 2016, The Inn at Leola Village, Lancaster, PA
• July 29, 2016, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA

Click here to register. Contact PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Veronica Kasi with questions at 717-772-4053 or vbkasi@pa.gov.