Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 13-15, 2019, at The Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. PACD and conservation districts from Northumberland, Berks, Union, Cambria, Wyoming, Clinton, Venango, Adams, and Bedford Counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation during the three-day event.
Thank you so much to all who volunteered for this great outreach opportunity!
On August 2, Pennsylvania’s Envirothon team from Carmichaels Area High School in Greene County took third place out of 53 teams from the United States, Canada and China competing in the 2019 NCF Envirothon at North Carolina State University!
Congratulations to team members Jacob Hair, Ryan Swartz, Christina Adams, Stephen Zacoi, Joey Kurincak and coach Kevin Willis!
This is the second year in a row a team from Carmichaels Area High School won the Pennsylvania Envirothon and then went on to the international competition.
The team was awarded a scholarship of $5,000 ($1,000 each) for this third place finish out of 53 teams. The team had the second highest Forestry score with 87 out of 100 points (high score was an 88), the second highest Soils score with 64.5 (high 69), the fourth highest Wildlife score with an 88 (high, 93.5), and the fifth highest Aquatics score with a 91.5 (high 96.5). Their final presentation score was 547.9 (high, 570.3).
Click here to read more.
Managers from the PACD South Central Region met at Shady Maple in East Earl, PA, for a breakfast meeting on July 25, 2019. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh and several retired conservation district managers joined them.
Discount
available for conservation district staff
The
Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) is co-hosting a
Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course on
September 3, 2019. The exam will be September 4, 2019. Both the review course
and exam will take place at the Lebanon County Conservation District Office, 2120
Cornwall Rd., Lebanon, PA.
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. If you have not yet started the CPESC certification process, we recommend you go to the Envirocert International, Inc. website and review the requirements and process now.
The review course is designed to ensure CPESC applicants understand what concepts will be covered by the exam and acts as a review for most of those concepts. Note that there is special pricing for PA conservation district staff for the review course. The cost is $175 for conservation district employees and $365 for everyone else. The exam fee is $150. Before registering, contact Amy Brown at abrown@pacd.org or 717-238-7223 x104 for a district staff discount code or with any questions.
Click here for the registration link and here with instructions on how to register.
The review course is open to anyone including conservation districts, agency staff, or private companies, who is actively pursuing a CPESC certification through EnviroCert International, Inc. Please pass this information along to anyone who may be interested.
Please consider volunteering at the Conservation District Exhibit at the Penn State’s 2019 Ag Progress Days.
Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College, PA, and features the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs, and guided tours.
About 60% of the 45,000 expected to attend are actively engaged in agriculture or related activities. With so many farming families from across Pennsylvania at this event, it’s a great opportunity to call attention to the work and programs districts do.
This year’s event will be held August 13-15, 2019. Volunteers are needed for the shifts listed below. Send your name and contact information to jmcnamara@pacd.org or call 717-238-7223 with questions or to schedule your shift.
Tuesday, Aug. 13: 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (1 volunteer needed)
Tuesday, Aug. 13: 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (2 volunteers needed)
Wednesday, Aug. 14: 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (2 volunteers needed)
Wednesday, Aug. 14: 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. (2 volunteers needed)
Wednesday, Aug. 14: 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. (2 volunteers needed)
Thursday, Aug. 15: 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (2 volunteers needed)
Thursday, Aug. 15: 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m (1 volunteer needed)
A final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information will be sent to volunteers when available. For more information on Ag Progress Days go to the event website at https://agsci.psu.edu/apd.
If you haven’t visited the conference website lately, stop by and check out the newest information. Updates include changes to the afternoon sessions on Wednesday, July 17, and a list of nearby after-dinner options within walking distance of the hotel. Haven’t registered yet? Make sure to register before the July 4 holiday. The preregistration deadline is Monday, July 8. Walk-in registrations are welcome and will be taken on a space-available basis at the conference. Click here for updated information and register today!
The early-bird discount for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference expires this Friday, June 21. That’s only five more days to take advantage of the early-bird discount! The conference will take place July 17-18, 2019, at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, PA. Click here to register and find out more.
Registration is now open for the 72nd PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, to take place July 17-18, 2019, at the historic Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, PA. This year’s attendees will learn about changes to conservation programs under the 2018 Farm Bill, including a special session on updates to the USDA NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
Click here to register and for more information. We look forward to seeing you in July!
On May 8, 2019, six conservation districts (Allegheny, Cambria, Fulton, Indiana, Luzerne, and McKean) visited their legislators in Harrisburg. The conservation district representatives spoke to legislators about the 2019-20 state budget, shared the success of the Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program, and expressed opposition to HB 509 (third party reviewer) legislation.
While visiting the Capitol, conservation district staff and directors joined PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh to meet with the House Appropriations Committee staff and the Governor’s Deputy Secretary of Policy.
On May 7, 2019, nine members of the PACD Executive Board traveled to PACD’s new office in Harrisburg for an in-person meeting. In addition to seeing the new office, board members conducted their monthly business meeting, viewed a presentation on PACD programs from the PACD staff, and discussed the status of the PACD strategic plan.