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.

 

Discounted conservation district registration is available.

PACD is co-hosting a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course. The course will be held at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey on October 25, 2022. The cost is $365 for non-district participants and $175 for conservation district staff (contact hmiller@pacd.org for the discount code). Register online at https://envirocert.org/event/pacd-cpesc-in-person-training.

The CPESC certification is a professional designation for erosion and sedimentation technicians, engineers, and other specialists involved in the 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 General Principles Review Manual.

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

*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. Please see the link below for certification instructions.

Click here for more information. 

On July 20-21, 2022, PACD and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) held the first in-person, joint conference since 2019. There were over 90 participants. During the meeting, the following business took place:

– The three-year proposed dues schedule passed.

– The following slate of officers was re-elected:

• President – Kelly Stagen, Pike County Conservation District
• 1st Vice President, Dennis Beck, Cambria County Conservation District
• 2nd Vice President, Emil Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Secretary, Charles Duritsa, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Treasurer, Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District
• NACD Director, Clifford Lane, McKean County Conservation District

– The budget for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 was approved.

PACD award recipients and PA Poster Contest Winners were announced during the meeting, and board and partner reports were given.

 

Please consider volunteering at the conservation district exhibit at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days. Ag Progress Days http://agsci.psu.edu/apd is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College, PA.

This year’s event will be held from August 9-11, 2022. Volunteers are needed for the following shifts:

• Wednesday, August 10: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (1 volunteer needed)
• Thursday, August 11: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (1 volunteer needed)

A final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information will be sent to volunteers when available. If you have questions or want to schedule your shift, kindly email swehinger@pacd.org.

You won’t want to miss these deadlines for the 2022 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference July 20-21 at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg:

Conference room rate deadline: Friday, July 1

Early-bird registration deadline: Friday, July 8

Click here to register and for more information.

PACD committees will meet virtually prior to the conference. Committee registration is free, and each committee meeting requires separate registration. Please email the listed contact to request a registration link.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
July 6, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
July 8, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Contact hmiller@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference
July 11, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Contact swehinger@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
July 12, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference
July 14, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Contact abrown@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
July 15, 2022 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

PACD is also offering no-cost virtual access for those who can’t attend the in-person PACD Executive Council Meeting July 21 from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Contact Molly Burns at mburns@pacd.org for a registration link.

 

PACD displayed a booth at the Northeastern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NEASDA) Annual Meeting where representatives from ten states convened at the Hershey Lodge and Conference Center in Hershey, PA, June 12-15, 2022.

The ten states attending included Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The agenda included opportunities for professional development, panel discussions, farm tours, and business meetings.

The PA Department of Agriculture hosted this year’s event and offered partners, including PACD, table space to network with attendees.

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend your fall PACD region meeting! The meetings will be held both in-person and virtually.

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