The Chesapeake Bay Program Conservation District and PA Agency Staff Meeting was held March 12, 2018 at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA.

Over 160 staff from conservation districts and partner agencies attended the meeting. Topics included program updates, innovative projects, and positive landowner interaction.

The event is facilitated by PACD with financial support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant, the Clean Water Fund, and the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program (CBRAP).

 

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, April 22, through Tuesday, April 24.

Trade Show dates and times are:

• Sunday 4/22 Noon­­–5:00 pm
• Monday 4/23 7:30 am–4:00 pm (this can be broken into two shifts 7:30–12:00 and 12:00–4:00)
• Tuesday 4/24 7:30 am–1:30 pm

Please consider volunteering for a morning or afternoon shift at the conservation district booth. It’s a great way for district staff to reinforce existing relationships and start building new ones with local township officials. It’s also an opportunity to promote the districts and explain the type of programs and work they do. Contact Jann McNamara at jmcnamara@pacd.org to volunteer.

Registration is now open for the 2018 102/105 Basic/Refresher Technical Training course. The course is open to conservation district and DEP staff and will take place March 21-24, 2018 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. There is little or no cost to attend. (See registration information for details.)

Registration for the Topic-Based session, which will take place at the same location on April 10-12, 2018, will be announced in an upcoming issue of Front Page. Click here to register or for more information about the March session.

The 102nd Pennsylvania Farm Show concluded on January 13, 2018, in Harrisburg, PA. Many thanks to the conservation districts who staffed the booth and brought their own unique exhibits to the Farm Show.

They are:

• Berks
• Chester
• Cumberland
• Franklin
• Lancaster
• Lebanon
• Lehigh
• Perry
• Schuylkill
• York

Thank you so much to the many volunteers who made the booth a success!

 

Applications are now being accepted 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 which include both classroom learning and experience in the field.

Basic Level – April 2-6, 2018

Level II – April 23-27, 2018

If you do not receive confirmation from PACD, you will not be admitted. No walk-ins will be accepted. Both courses are held at the Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County). Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

Register Now. Time is running out to register for one of the Manure Management Manual Train-the-Trainer Workshops coming up in January 2018. You will learn how to use the Manure Management Manual to write plans and how to train others to use the manual. Techniques for conducting plan-writing workshops to help farmers develop their manure management plans are also covered.

PACD and the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) host these workshops for conservation district, DEP, Penn State Extension, and other agency staff members involved in helping agricultural producers write manure management plans. Both new and experienced staff are invited to attend. The workshops are free and lunch will be provided.

Go to the PACD Events tab at www.PACD.org or click on the link below for more information or to register. Dates and Locations are:

January 23, 2018 DCNR Bureau of Forestry Office, Clarion, Clarion County, PA
Click here for more information or to register for this workshop

January 25, 2018 Penn State Extension Building, New Bloomfield, Perry County, PA
Click here for more information or to register for this workshop

January 30, 2018 PA Department of Ag – Region 3 Office, Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, PA
Click here for more information or to register for this workshop

Applying the right amount of fertilizer and keeping it on cropland areas benefits everyone from the farmer to their neighbors downstream and beyond. During “For Our Benefit – A 4R Nutrient Stewardship Approach to Nitrogen Management” attendees will learn how nutrient stewardship best management practices centered around the 4Rs of Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place and Right Source can have a positive impact on both water quality and the farmer’s profits.

Presented by Dean Collamer and Eric Rosenbaum on behalf of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Alliance, the session will take place during the PACD/SCC Winter Meeting from 4 to 5 PM on January 17, 2018, at Toftrees Golf Resort in State College, PA. Click here for more information and to register.

 

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 which include both classroom learning and experience in the field.

• Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
  April 2-6, 2018
  Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

• Agricultural Conservation Technical Training – Level II
  April 23-27, 2018
  Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

Conservation district staff, board members, and partners are invited to attend the 2018 PACD/SCC Winter Meeting January 17^th and 18^th at Toftrees Golf Resort in State College, PA. This annual meeting provides a forum for important issues, time for key PACD and State Conservation Commission business, and valuable opportunities for networking and fellowship. If you’re looking for even more reasons to attend, Penn State’s original all-female a cappella group, Savoir Faire, will perform during Wednesday’s banquet! Click here to register and for more information. 

PACD will again host a conservation district booth at the 2018 PA Farm Show. We took a new approach this year and lined up five conservation districts to present displays at the booth Monday through Friday of Farm Show week.

We are still looking for volunteers to staff the booth on the weekend days of Saturday, January 6; Sunday, January 7; and Saturday, January 13. Shifts run from 8 am to 12:30 pm and 12:30 pm to 5 pm. The booth is not staffed after 5 pm.

Let us know as soon as possible if you would like to fill one of these shifts. We’d like to have our schedule set by November 30. Just contact Sandy Austin at saustin@pacd.org with your contact information and the shift you’d like to fill.