The Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting will take place from 9:00 a.m. to Noon on May 19 and 20, 2021. 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.
PACD Software Specialist Nick Yeagy obtained his pilot’s license and is now flying a drone. The drone will take footage for training in the Clean Water Academy. Nick was at a construction site in Lebanon County on March 31, 2021, to capture video for training modules under development.
Mark your calendars for May 19-20, 2021, for the Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting. The event is open to conservation district, DEP, and EPA staff, as well as incorporated watershed associations, counties, municipalities, councils of governments, 501(c)(3) non-profits, educational institutions, and municipal authorities. Registration will open later this spring.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offered free technical training to Pennsylvania’s conservation districts on native plants and pollinators. The webinar was held February 18, 2021. A recording of the webinar is available here.
The 2021 Virtual Conservation District and PA Agency Ag Meeting will be held via Zoom March 16-17, 2021. Staff from PA state agencies, USDA-NRCS, and conservation district agricultural technicians, watershed specialists, and management are invited to attend. Registration is free and required.
Formerly known as the All Bay Meeting, this annual meeting has been expanded to include sessions that are relevant to conservation districts across the state, as well as more focused sessions for conservation districts within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The draft agenda includes topics such as agency updates, getting the most out of PracticeKeeper, a review of the Integrated Water Quality Report and mapping tools, local rapid stream delisting strategies, and other timely and relevant sessions.
Click here for more information and to register.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II) will be held in the same manner as 2020. The application period is now open.
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
April 12-15, 2021 (online portion, mornings only)
August 2-4, 2021 (in-person field days) at the Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)
Both portions are required to complete the course.
Deadline to apply: February 12, 2021
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
August 23-27, 2021
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and Holiday Inn Harrisburg (tentative depending on the COVID situation)
Deadline to apply: February 19, 2021
Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.
These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the 2021 Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II) will be held in the same manner as 2020.
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
April 12-15, 2021 (online portion, mornings only)
August 2-4, 2021 (in-person field days) at the Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)
Both portions must be attended to complete the course.
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
August 23-27, 2021
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and Holiday Inn Harrisburg (tentative depending on the COVID situation)
The application period will open on January 22, 2021. Look for the link here. Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.
These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.
PACD held a Fluvial Geomorphology Training as a four-part webinar series concluding on November 13, 2020. Ninety-eight conservation district staff and partners attended the training.
Instructor David Williams from the International Erosion Control Association covered fluvial geomorphology and natural channel design indices, stream restoration/rehabilitation, and streambank protection.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is offering free technical training to Pennsylvania’s conservation districts on native plants and pollinators. The webinar will take place Thursday, February 18, 2021, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am.
Training Description:
Proper plant selection is the first step to ensuring the success of ecological conservation and habitat development projects for native wildlife and pollinators. In this Pennsylvania-focused technical training, conservation district participants will learn about resources available from multiple agencies to help improve planning for native species plantings. Participants will receive an overview of Pennsylvania-specific climate adaptation resources that can be used to make an informed decision on plant selection. Participants will also gain an understanding of at-risk pollinator and wildlife species needs and user-friendly modeling that can be used to aid in proper planning and better communication with landowners.
Presenters:
Amy Brown, PACD Program Manager
Greg Czarnecki, PA DCNR Director of Applied Climate Science
Peter Hoagland, USDA NRCS State Forester
Kathy Patnode, USFWS Fish & Wildlife Biologist
John Taucher, PGC Private Lands Section Chief
Click here to register by February 16, 2021.
Twenty-nine students completed the Intro to Conservation Planning Course in Lebanon, PA, from November 4-6, 2020. The training was targeted to entry-level conservationists and included classroom and field experience. The students were introduced to the conservation planning process in Pennsylvania.
Participants attended the three-day training free of charge thanks to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission’s generous sponsorship. PACD provided administrative support for the course.