PACD and the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers will be co-hosting a virtual Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course this year!

The CPESC certification is a professional designation for erosion and sedimentation technicians, engineers, and other specialists involved in design, construction, inspection, or other aspects of erosion and sedimentation control

The review course will ensure CPESC applicants understand which concepts will be covered by the exam and acts as a review for most of those concepts. Applicants for the exam should have a sufficient combination of education and experience to be able to independently study the materials identified in the Review Manual.

CPESC Review Course Information:

Location: Virtual (The course will be offered via Zoom)

Date/Time: October 15, 2026, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Cost: $450.00 General Public.  $350.00 for PACD and PSPE members with the discount code available from your association (PACD or PSPE).

Note: This fee is for the Review Course only. Please go to the Envirocert International, Inc. website for certification and exam information and costs.

Instructor: Samuel Hopstone, Owner, Environmental Permitting Specialist, Elderflower LLC

Registration: Register online at https://envirocert.org/event/cpesc-virtual-training-4/

Registration Deadline: October 5, 2026.

Members Discount Code: Conservation districts in good standing may contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org to receive the discount code.

Click here to view the event flyer.

The review course is open to anyone, including conservation district staff, professional engineers, agency staff, or private company staff, who are actively pursuing a CPESC certification through EnviroCert International, Inc. Please pass this information along to anyone who may be interested.

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 11-13, 2026, at Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. During the three-day event, conservation districts from Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Indiana, and Mifflin counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered to share conservation districts’ vital work with the public. A special thank you to Mifflin County Conservation District for setting up the booth and Barb Peace (Indiana County Conservation District) for taking it down.

Submitted by Gary Rinehimer, Agricultural Conservation Specialist, Columbia County Conservation District

On July 28, 2026, the Columbia, Montour and Luzerne County Conservation Districts, in conjunction with Haz-Wald Farms, held their annual Summer Soil Health Field Day in Sugarloaf, Luzerne County.

The day included presentations by host farmers Raleigh and Blakeslee Masters, who discussed Farming for Profit Over Yield, and Penn State Educators, who discussed manure utilization, saving $100 per acre when growing corn, and the state of the agricultural economy.

Sixty farmers and ag professionals attended, enjoying a freshly grilled lunch followed by a panel discussion on Bio-Nutrients, with three local farms sharing their experience with different types of bio-nutrient products. The day concluded with field-based demonstrations, featuring an air-seeder, used by the host farm for planting cover crops, as well as a demonstration of drone cover crop seeding.

This event was made possible through a Growing Greener Multi-County Soil Health Grant.

On August 4, 2026, State Conservation Commission’s Director of Financial and Technical Assistance Programs Justin Challenger hosted a Conservation Cookout. Conservation district staff, directors, and partners enjoyed the opportunity to socialize in an informal setting. Many thanks to Justin and his family for their generosity and hospitality!

 

Twenty-nine participants toured the Dickinson College Farm, an 80-acre, USDA-certified organic farm and a living laboratory where students are involved in all aspects of both farming and research. The farm serves as an outdoor classroom where the next generation of conservationists learn about renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. The highlight of the farm is the Waste-to-Energy Biodigester that converts local food waste and manure from a neighboring dairy into methane-rich biogas.

Twenty-two attendees toured the Pennsylvania State Capitol as part of the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference on August 4, 2026. The guided tour shared architectural and artistic highlights. State Representative Joe Kerwin treated attendees with a visit to the House floor and answered questions about being a representative.

 

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend your fall PACD region meeting!

September 24, 2026
PACD North East Region Meeting
Wayne Conservation District, Honesdale, PA

September 28, 2026
PACD South West Region Meeting
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

September 29, 2026
PACD South Central Region Meeting
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

October 7, 2026
PACD North West Region Meeting
Host: Erie County Conservation District, Erie, PA

October 13, 2026
PACD North Central Region Meeting
Tokishi Training Center, Wellsboro, PA

October 19, 2026
PACD South East Region Meeting
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

On the afternoon of Wednesday, August 5, PACD and the SCC are offering PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference participants a guided tour of the Dickinson College Organic Farm. The 80-acre, USDA-certified organic farm is a living laboratory that involves students in all aspects of both farming and research and serves as an outdoor classroom where the next generation of conservationists learn about renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.

The highlight of the tour is the Waste-to-Energy Biodigester that converts local food waste and manure from a neighboring dairy into methane-rich biogas. Participants can learn about all of this and more on the tour.

Click here for more information and to register—and be sure to sign up for the tour during registration!

Several conservation district managers traveled to Harrisburg on June 25, 2026, to say goodbye to Doug Wolfgang, retiring executive secretary of the State Conservation Commission. Congratulations and thank you to Doug on his 28-year career of service to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the State Conservation Commission!

 

 

PACD Project and Event Specialist Molly Burns and Director of Communications and Education Shannon Wehinger traveled to Franklin County on June 23, 2026, to attend the Franklin County Conservation District’s 70th Anniversary Celebration.

The event honored three significant milestones: the Franklin County Conservation District’s 70th Anniversary, the presentation of the Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award to Samuel Worley, and the recognition of Alan Gift as the Franklin County Conservation Farmer of the Year.

PACD congratulates the Franklin County Conservation District, Samuel Worley, and Alan Gift on these significant milestones.