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.

The PA Leadership Development Committee held a Manager’s Summit June 7-8, 2016 in State College. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended both days of the meeting and PACD Executive Assistant & Meeting Planner Molly Burns attended the first day. Over 60 attendees enjoyed presentations and discussion on topics such as developing an effective board, building a winning district team, and more.

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 November 9, 2016 at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg East, 4751 Lindle Rd., Harrisburg, PA. Blair County Conservation District is holding their own event on November 16, 2016 at the Altoona Grand Hotel. Registration will open in August. Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger for information on the Harrisburg event and Donna Fisher for the Altoona event.

Planning is underway for the Annual Fall 102-105 Training Meeting for conservation district and DEP staff.  This year’s meeting will be held October 25-27, 2016 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA.  Save the date and add this event to your calendar now. Click here for a DRAFT Training Agenda that has information on the topics that will be covered each day.  This year Day 1 will focus on Agriculture, Day 2 on Chapter 102, and Day 3 on Chapter 105.  Updates to the agenda will be available as session times are finalized, presenters are confirmed, and other details are worked out. A short session for new technicians (with 2 or less years’ experience) is scheduled at the beginning of each day to provide an overview of the programs to be discussed during that day.  Note that on day 1 and 2 these sessions will take place before the general sessions begin. New technicians should plan to check-in at the registration desk early, before attending the session. PROJECT SPOTLIGHT:  We are considering having table space available for districts and others to highlight projects and to share ideas and techniques.  Tables will be available in the conference center lobby for your display (pictures, drawings, whatever) of projects relating to Chapters 102 and 105.  Let me know if you are interested in sharing information on one (or more) of your projects and would like table space.   Question or comments about the meeting can be directed to Jill Whitcomb at DEP, jiwhitcomb@pa.gov or 717-772-5668 or Terry Fisher at PACD, tfisher@pacd.org or 717-728-7223.