In the interest of keeping our members safe, the PACD Executive Board voted to cancel the in-person PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference scheduled for July 22-23, 2020, in Boalsburg. Instead, the Executive Council session will be held virtually on July 23, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. and committees will meet individually via conference call or video call prior to the Executive Council session. The State Conservation Commission will announce plans for their July meeting separately.

Need to update your district’s slate of voting delegates? Contact Molly with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

More information on the web conference will be shared as it is available.

The Pennsylvania State Senate and the House of Representatives declared May 3-9, 2020, as “Conservation District Week.” During this week, district offices will hold conference calls and virtual meetings with legislators.

Conservation district resources are available here. Resources include:

• Press Release
• Fact Sheet(Word)
• Template Letter to Legislators(Word)
• Follow-up Thank You Letter(Word)
• Template Proclamation(Word)
• Social Media Images

Please take advantage of these resources PACD created for conservation districts to use.

Pennsylvania’s conservation districts thank Governor Tom Wolf and members of the PA House and Senate for supporting the districts through the state budget.

Events conservation districts planned to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2020, were canceled or modified due to the COVID-19 crisis. So what can we do to mark this momentous occasion? PACD suggests encouraging folks in your county to have a neighborhood trash pick-up while maintaining social distancing guidelines.

Another way to honor Earth Day with kids is to distribute the “We All Live Downstream” otter coloring page and the “Good Neighbors Activity & Coloring Book” through social media.

Please share your Earth Day messages on Facebook and tag @PAConservation.

The following trainings will be rescheduled due to the coronavirus.

• Spring 102/105 Basic Technical Training
• Spring 102/105 Topic-based Technical Training
• Fluvial Geomorphology Training

Additionally, all six of the PACD region meetings will be held via webinar. Check PACD’s events page at https://pacd.org/?page_id=65 for the latest information including the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training.

Close to 4,000 township officials and guests from all over Pennsylvania will attend the annual Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) Conference and Trade Show. Once again, there will be a conservation district booth at the show, which runs from Sunday, May 3, to Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

We are looking for volunteers for the following shifts:

• Sunday, May 3 from Noon – 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, May 4 from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 5 from 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Please consider volunteering for a morning or afternoon shift at the conservation district booth. PSATS is a valuable opportunity to promote districts, explain the type of work they do,  and reinforce existing relationships with local township officials.

Contact Jann McNamara at jmcnamara@pacd.org or 717-238-7223 to volunteer.

The 74th National Association of Conservation District’s Annual Meeting took place at Bally’s Las Vegas, February 8-12, 2020. NACD Director Cliff Lane and Alternate NACD Director Kelly Stagen joined by several other conservation district and partnering agency representatives.

Hosted in partnership with the Nevada Association of Conservation Districts, NACD’s 2020 Annual Meeting brought together nearly 1,000 conservation leaders from across the nation for educational sessions, workshops, and networking. This year’s meeting theme, “Conservation Innovation: Working from the Roots Up,” explored innovative techniques for delivering conservation on the ground.

During the meeting, the Board of Directors elected Michael Crowder of West Richland, Washington, to serve as the association’s president-elect.

Mark your calendar and join us for the PACD spring region meetings!

The region meeting dates and locations are as follows:

March 24, 2020
PACD South Central Region Meeting
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

March 26, 2020
PACD North Central Region Meeting
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

March 31, 2020
PACD South West Region Meeting
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

April 3, 2020
PACD North East Region Meeting
DEP Northeast Regional Office, Wilkes-Barre, PA

April 22, 2020
PACD North West Region Meeting
Venango County (location TBA)

April 30, 2020
PACD South East Region Meeting
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

 

The PACD/SCC Winter Meeting was held in Boalsburg, PA, from January 22-23, 2020. In addition to the business meetings of PACD and the State Conservation Commission, sessions were held on educational opportunities through the PA Game Commission and effective conservation messaging from the National Wildlife Federation.

A 50/50 raffle was held during the meeting. A total of $134.50 was raised for the PA Envirothon!

Click here to view photos from the event. 

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the conservation district booth at the PA Farm Show a success! The 2020 show premiered the “Compost, recycle, or trash” corn hole game, which drew in visitors to the booth.

Thank you to the following conservation districts represented by volunteers:

Berks
Chester
Cumberland
Dauphin
Franklin
Indiana
Juniata
Lebanon
Perry
Pike
Schuylkill
Union
Venango

Be sure to register for the PACD/SCC Winter Meeting before preregistration closes January 10! Walk-in registration will be available at the conference, though meal availability cannot be guaranteed. Click here for more information and to register.