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.
Nearly 100 attendees, including 69 watershed specialists, participated in the 20th Annual Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, held virtually October 6-8, 2020.
Each day featured over four hours of virtual learning. Over the three half-days, participants: learned how to develop a community data collection project that delivers results; received an update on the 2020 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report; learned about stream redesignations and water quality standards; discovered how the 10 Million Trees project could contribute to their projects; and learned how to use online tools such as Macroinvertebrates.org, Model My Watershed, and Leaf Pack Network.
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.
Twenty individuals attended Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Level II August 31-September 4, 2020. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, PACD, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and their affiliates. Following recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the group was divided into two locations to allow for social distancing. The training was rescheduled from April due to COVID-19.
Twenty-four staff attended the Basic level training from September 9-11, 2020. The training was held at a pavilion at Coleman Park in Lebanon, PA. Attendees participated in a series of webinars in April. These three days were the field portion required to complete the training. Participants included staff from PACD, conservation districts, NRCS, and affiliates.
The training is sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission. PACD works with these partners to coordinate the training.
PACD has rescheduled the Fluvial Geomorphology Training due to COVID-19 restrictions. The training will be held as a four-part webinar series on Monday, November 9, Tuesday, November 10, Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
PACD has opened registration to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PA Department of Environmental Protection, and any conservation districts that would like to attend and didn’t register before.
Instructor David Williams from the International Erosion Control Association (ICEA) will cover Fluvial Geomorphology and Natural Channel Design Indices on days one and two and stream restoration/rehabilitation and streambank protection on days three and four. The four-part course offers 14 Professional Development Hours, and a certificate will be distributed at the end of the four-day session.
Click here to register.
Conservation district and DEP staff are invited to take part in two Chapter 105 webinars taking place this week. Details and contact information for the sessions are below.
102/105 – Basic Chapter 105 Overview
September 1, 2020 | 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
This session will provide a basic overview of Chapter 105 for all districts, regardless of delegation-level, and is appropriate for newer technicians.
102/105 – Administrative Program Manual for Processing Chapter 105 General Permits
September 3, 2020 | 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
This session will cover the Administrative Program Manual for Processing Chapter 105 General Permits and is most appropriate for technicians from delegated districts.
Please e-mail PACD’s Nick Yeagy at nyeagy@pacd.org for the link to participate and DEP’s Jay Braund at jbraund@pa.gov with any questions.
PACD has rescheduled the Fluvial Geomorphology Training due to COVID-19 restrictions. The training will be held as a four-part webinar series on Monday, November 9, Tuesday, November 10, Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
PACD has opened registration to USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PA Department of Environmental Protection, and any conservation districts that would like to attend and didn’t register before.
David Williams, from the International Erosion Control Association (ICEA), will be the instructor. Day one and two will cover Fluvial Geomorphology and Natural Channel Design Indices, and day three and four will cover stream restoration/rehabilitation and streambank protection. This four-part course offers 14 Professional Development Hours, and a certificate will be distributed at the end of the four-day session.
Click here to register.
Prerequisite and Application Information Available
PACD partners 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 is scheduled for November 4-6, 2020, at the Pennsylvania NRCS State Office, USDA Conference Center, Harrisburg, 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. The training is free, and lunch will be provided.
An online prerequisite is required. Click here for instructions on the prerequisite. Email completed prerequisite certificates to Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org. Click here to apply for the course. The application deadline is September 18, 2020.
With the safety of attendees in mind, the Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting will be moving to a virtual format for 2020. Sessions will take place October 6-8, 2020, as planned, but as a combination of webinars and online meetings.