Mark your calendars for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference July 19-20, 2023, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey Area) in Grantville, PA. Conservation district directors, associate directors, staff, and agency partners are invited to attend. Catch up with old friends and make some new ones in Harrisburg this July! Registration will open in May.

The Virtual 2023 PACD Winter Meeting will take place as a series of video conferences in January. Committees will meet between January 6 and 20, followed by PACD Executive Council on January 26.

Registration is open to all conservation district directors, associate directors, staff, partner agency staff, and invited guests. Registration for each meeting is free and required. Registrants will receive a confirmation email with information to participate using Zoom or by phone. Meeting materials will be distributed prior to the meeting.

Please email the listed contact to request a registration link:

Registration for PACD Executive Council:

PACD Executive Council Video Conference
January 26, 2023 | 10 a.m.–Noon
Email mburns@pacd.org for a link to register

Registration for PACD Committees:

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
January 6, 2023 | 10–11 a.m.
Email mburns@pacd.org for a link to register

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
January 11, 2023 | 11 a.m.–Noon
Contact hmiller@pacd.org for a link to register

PACD Education & Outreach Committee Video Conference
January 12, 2023 | 10–11 a.m.
Contact swehinger@pacd.org for a link to register.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
January 17, 2023 | 10–11 a.m.
Email mburns@pacd.org for a link to register

PACD Ways & Means Committee Video Conference
January 19, 2023 | 10–11 a.m.
Contact abrown@pacd.org for a link to register.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
January 20, 2023 | 10–11 a.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD will again partner with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to host a Conservation District booth at the 2023 PA Farm Show.

Conservation districts are encouraged to set up a display for a day and educate folks from all over the state. It’s an opportunity to highlight your district, your county, and what’s going on in your area. If your district has an exhibit that travels easily and you would like to spend a few hours enjoying the Farm Show, then this opportunity is for you.

The show runs from Saturday, January 7, to Saturday, January 14. We need volunteers to staff the booth (one or two volunteers per shift). The morning shift is 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The afternoon shift is 12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please let us know if you would like to fill one or more of these shifts as soon as possible. Contact Brenda Shambaugh at bshambaugh@pacd.org by November 28 with your contact information and the shifts you’d like to fill.

 

Mark your calendars for the 2023 PACD Winter Meeting! The event will take place as a series of videoconferences throughout January, beginning with the PACD Conservation Committee on January 6 and ending with PACD Executive Council on January 26. Registration will open in November. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
January 6, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
January 11, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference
January 12, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
January 17, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
January 20, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference
January 19, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Executive Council Video Conference
January 26, 2023, 10:00 a.m.–Noon

On October 7, the Indiana County Conservation District celebrated its 75^th anniversary with an open house at the district headquarters. The district also unveiled its new website, https://www.iccdpa.org.

PACD Second Vice President Emil Bove (Westmoreland) represented PACD at the event.

On October 13, 2022, the Chester County Conservation District held its 75^th anniversary celebration at the Mendenhall Inn.

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Oven Run Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Project Re-Dedication Ceremony was held on September 1, 2022. The tour highlighted the complete reconstruction of five AMD passive treatment systems on the Stonycreek River that will continue to be responsible for the historic improvement in water quality in the watershed. PACD 2^nd Vice President Emil Bove (Westmoreland) represented PACD at Somerset Conservation District’s recent ceremony.

U.S. Senator Robert Casey, State Senator Patrick Stefano, PA Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer, former Congressman John Murtha’s Chief of Staff John Hugya, representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection, and local conservation groups spoke during the event.

Click here and here to read articles about the event.

Mark your calendars for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 27-31, 2023
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 17-21, 2023
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Please note these dates are tentative pending funding.

The application period will open in early January 2023. Being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is currently required to attend this training. Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org to receive a notification when the application period opens.

The following sponsors make these training opportunities possible: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

It’s time to RSVP for your fall region meeting! All meetings will be held in-person with the option to attend virtually. Please click on your region meeting below for RSVP information and other details.

Topics of discussion include a legislative update, including format changes for the annual highlights pages; a PACD program update; a statewide Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) program update; and whether conservation districts want to fund a statewide salary study to support district funding levels in the state budget.

PACD North West Region Meeting
September 21, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Kinzua Bridge State Park, Mount Jewett, PA

PACD South West Region Meeting
September 28, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

PACD South East Region Meeting
September 29, 2022 | 9:30 a.m. to Noon
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

PACD South Central Region Meeting
October 5, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Cumberland Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

PACD North Central Region Meeting
October 18, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Clinton Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

PACD North East Region Meeting
October 25, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Schuylkill Conservation District, Pottsville, PA

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 9-11, 2022, at The Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. PACD and conservation districts from Berks, Bucks, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Lehigh, and Union counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation during the three-day event.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered to share the great work of conservation districts with the public! Also, a special thank you to Jonathan Yoder and Carey Lightner from Huntingdon County Conservation District for setting up the booth for us.