Mark your calendars! The PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference will take place at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, PA August 5-6, 2026, with preconference activities planned for August 4. Keep an eye out for details in an upcoming issue of Front Page!
Get Ready for Conservation District Week!
April 26-May 2, 2026, will be “Conservation District Week” in Pennsylvania. During this week, conservation districts will hold meetings and events with legislators. PACD has posted resources here to help promote Conservation District Week, including fact sheets, a press release, and social media images.
Working Together for Cleaner Streams: Topics in Stormwater Management
Join Watersheds of South Pittsburgh and the Headwaters to the Ohio Water Network to learn how to support healthy waterways and thriving communities through smart stormwater management.
The event will begin at The Whitehall House, 4201 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA, on June 2, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. An engaging morning workshop will be followed by lunch and an afternoon tour of real-world stormwater projects. The event will end at 2:30 p.m.
Please register to join! A suggested donation of $25 will help cover the cost of food, space, and tour buses.
Your government colleagues and stormwater professionals from the Ohio River Basin are excited to explore how teamwork and collaboration can improve stormwater solutions in our communities. These approaches can create benefits beyond regulatory compliance, improving our parks, business districts, and residential neighborhoods.
Come have fun, be inspired by your peers, and learn from professionals about innovations and best practices for healthy waterways and communities. Get in touch with your inner water nerd as we tour recently completed stormwater project sites. Don’t miss out on this chance to collaborate and learn in a friendly setting!
Columbia County Conservation District Holds Women in Agriculture and Conservation Conference
Photo provided by CCCD.
Submitted by: Olivia Hubler, Environmental Education and Watershed Specialist, Columbia County Conservation District
The Columbia County Conservation District (CCCD) held its 11th Annual Women in Agriculture and Conservation Conference on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Bloomsburg, PA. A record number of 80 registrants attended the conference, which consisted of refreshments, speakers, lunch, and was accompanied by a hands-on activity.
Presentations included Waterfowl Research by Molly Giles from the PA Game Commission; a Farm Highlight on Hemsarth Dairy by Cheryl and Greg Hemsarth; Funding Availability and Potential Project Types by Gary Rinehimer, Phil Hemsarth, and Olivia Hubler of the CCCD; Cottage Product Rules & Regs by Shane Hartman and Rachel Glosek from the PA Department of Agriculture; and Early Success in Agribusiness by Brynn Karnes, Elyse Karnes, and Kira Hack from Fishing Creek Floral Company.
Throughout the presentations and activities, the participants were given extra time to network with speakers, staff, sponsors, and friends from the ag and conservation community. The lunchtime activity included sampling locally made “cottage” products including, bread, pickles, cheese, jams, jellies, spreads, salsa, and more! This tasty activity encouraged attendees to shop local and support small businesses. The event was a great success and will be held again next year!
PACD Co-hosts Engineering Training
Photo of conservation district and PACD participants taken by Linda Mackey.
On March 10, 2026, PACD and the PA Society of Professional Engineers, in conjunction with the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), hosted an Engineers Workshop: Permitting and Compliance Lessons Learned and Best Practices for Chapter 102. One hundred and thirty attendees met in Middletown, PA, for the daylong training.
The presentations will be available on the Clean Water Academy for conservation district access, including:
- Chapter 102 Compliance and Enforcement
Krista Brown, DEP Bureau of Clean Water, and Linda Mackey, DEP - E&S Sequence of Construction – Best practices and lessons learned
Luke Graver, DEP Bureau of Clean Water, Bill Himes, PE DEP Bureau of Clean Water - ABACT vs. Standard E&S Controls
Matt Gordon – Allegheny County Conservation District - PCSM MRC Facilities Design
Amanda Hess, Villanova, and Len Bradley, PE, NSPE, CSI RGS Associates
PACD and Conservation Districts Attend Bay in the Balance Conference
Photo caption (clockwise from back row left side): Joe Quatrini, Bradford County Conservation District Manager; Dave Stoner, Franklin County Conservation District Manager; Amy Brown, PACD Executive Director; Molly Burns, PACD Project and Event Specialist; Adam McClain, Adams County Conservation District Manager; Chris Thompson, Lancaster County Conservation District Administrator; Randall Leisure, Lebanon County Conservation District Associate Director and PACD South Central Region Director; Gordon Hoover, Lancaster County Conservation District Vice Chairman; Lori Glace, Juniata Conservation District Manager and Agricultural Land Preservation Program Administrator.
Stakeholders convened in Gettysburg from March 2-4, 2026, for the Bay in the Balance conference. PACD and several conservation districts attended, including Adams, Blair, Bradford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Tioga conservation districts.
The Bay in the Balance conference approach brings together diverse stakeholders to discuss and develop strategies to balance the interests of a vibrant agricultural sector, local water quality, and limited state and federal resources, keeping conservation efforts moving forward.
Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences sponsored the conference in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Pennsylvania agricultural industry, and numerous non-governmental organizations.
Executive Director Attends Women in Ag Event in Juniata County
PACD Executive Director Amy Brown (front, right) poses with attendees from Juniata, Snyder, and Mifflin County Conservation Districts.
On February 26, PACD Executive Director Amy Brown attended Juniata County Conservation District’s Women in Ag “Looking to the Future” event in Mifflintown, PA.
Topics included manure management, native pollinators, invasive plant control, and more.
Conservation Districts Represented at Penn State’s Earth, Environment, and Sustainability Career Fair
Photo taken by Shannon Wehinger.
On February 11, 2026, PACD Director of Communications & Education Shannon Wehinger traveled to Penn State’s main campus in University Park, PA. PACD was invited to host a conservation district booth at the Penn State Earth, Environment, and Sustainability Career Fair.
Shannon met with Penn State students interested in careers and internships related to science, the environment, agriculture, and conservation. A sign with a QR code to the PACD jobs webpage was prominently displayed.
The booth space was sponsored by the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT), which allowed conservation districts to have a booth at no cost to PACD.
The Earth, Environment, and Sustainability Career Fair featured employers focused on environmental science, sustainability, conservation, geosciences, geography, meteorology, and agriculture. The event is a collaboration between the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Agricultural Sciences (Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science), Penn State Career Services, and Penn State Sustainability.
PACD Executive Director Attends Lebanon Recognition Banquet
Photo taken by Amy Brown.
On February 10, 2026, PACD Executive Director Amy Brown attended the first annual conservation and farmland preservation banquet at the Lebanon County Conservation District.
The event recognized the hard work of local farmers, landowners, and conservation partners.
PACD Holds Virtual Winter Meeting
PACD held its annual Winter Meeting on January 29, 2026. Members received reports on work done by the PACD committees, heard from partners about their efforts, and learned what PACD staff have been working on over the last six months, including the new PACD Strategic Plan.
NACD Northeast Region Representative Nika Colley joined PACD at the recent PACD Executive Council Meeting and shared several links to help Pennsylvania’s conservation districts make the most of their national association:
- NACD Education Materials
- Legislative Fly-in Information and Issue Papers
- How to Take Advantage of Your NACD Membership (YouTube Video)
Nika also encouraged any district staff, directors, or associate directors who need help using the NACD Members Only Page to reach out to her at nika-colley@nacdnet.org.