Registration is open for the 2022 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference July 20-21, 2022, at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. PACD’s first in-person event in almost two years is a can’t-miss face-to-face opportunity for conservation district directors, associate directors, district staff, partner agency staff, and invited guests.

Click here to register and for more information.

In addition to the in-person offerings, PACD is offering no-cost virtual access to the PACD Executive Council Meeting on July 21, 2022, from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. via Zoom. If you can’t attend the PACD Executive Council meeting in person, please contact Molly Burns at mburns@pacd.org for a Zoom registration link.

PACD committee meetings will meet virtually in July prior to the conference. Committee registration is free, and each committee 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.

Eighty-seven individuals attended the Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting May 18-19, 2022. In addition to 319 Program updates, participants learned about stream restoration work in Northcentral PA, funding sources for restoration projects, green infrastructure and stormwater management, how to work with tree nurseries for buffer projects, and Model My Watershed.

The event was open to entities involved in Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management projects, including conservation district staff, DEP and EPA staff, incorporated watershed associations, counties, municipalities, councils of governments: 501(c)(3) non-profits, educational institutions, and municipal authorities.

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Conservation district volunteers staffed the conservation district table at this year’s PA State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) Conference April 24-26, 2022.

The primary focus of the district exhibit was to share information about conservation district programs and initiatives that affect local townships. In addition, district volunteers helped build new relationships and reinforce existing relationships with township officials.

Many thanks to Wade Jodun (Clinton), Lance Bowes (Venango), and Dean Druckenmiller (Berks) for their help at the conference!

On Tuesday, April 5, 2022, the Berks County Conservation District hosted a “Working with the Conservation District” workshop for contractors working in Berks County. The workshop was held in the auditorium of the Berks County Agriculture Center. A dozen members of the regulated public attended.

The five members of the district’s Urban Team made presentations on the general regulatory requirements of Chapter 102; Compliance vs. Enforcement, Inspection Procedures; Proper BMP Installation and Maintenance; Post Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM) and Notice of Termination (NOT); and Chapter 105 – Concerns. These presentations showed typical site construction problems that can easily be avoided. These problems prevent construction compliance and add costs to projects, delay construction, and can result in the termination of permits. All presentations were received well by the attendees, who appreciated the guidance.

The Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. May 18-19, 2022. The event is open to entities involved in Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management projects, including conservation district staff, DEP and EPA staff, incorporated watershed associations, counties, municipalities, councils of governments; 501(c)(3) non-profits, educational institutions, and municipal authorities.

Click here for more information and to register.

Mark your calendars for the 2022 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference July 20-21 in Harrisburg, PA. PACD activities will take place in person with the option to attend the July 21 PACD Executive Council meeting virtually. Conservation district directors, associate directors, staff, and agency partners won’t want to miss this first statewide PACD meeting in over two years. Catch up with old friends and make some new ones in Harrisburg this July! Look for additional information, including facility information, registration, and a draft agenda, in May.

It’s time to RSVP for your spring 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 will include a potential statewide invasive species program organized by PACD region, a legislative update, and a proposed three-year PACD dues schedule.

 

March 24, 2022 | 9:30-Noon

PACD South East Region Meeting

Montgomery County 4-H Center, Collegeville, PA (virtual option is also available)

 

March 25, 2022 | 10:00 am-Noon

PACD North East Region Meeting

Schuylkill Conservation District, Pottsville, PA (virtual option is also available)

 

March 31, 2022 | 10:00 am-Noon

PACD North Central Region Meeting

Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA (virtual option is also available)

 

April 8, 2022 | 10:00 am-Noon

PACD South Central Region Meeting

Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA (virtual option is also available)

 

April 21, 2022 | 10:00 am-Noon

PACD South West Region Meeting

Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA (virtual option is also available)

 

April 27, 2022 | 10:00 am-Noon

PACD North West Region Meeting

Tionesta Church of God, Tionesta, PA (Forest County) (virtual option is also available)

On February 1, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PACD will host a virtual National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Grants Writing Workshop. While there will be some focus on the Bay, the webinar will apply to all counties in PA.

This training aims to improve the ability of conservation districts to take advantage of NFWF funding opportunities. Staff, directors, and associate directors from Pennsylvania’s conservation districts are encouraged to attend.

Registration is free, but advanced registration is required. Click here for the flyer and here to register. 

Please get in touch with Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the conservation district booth possible at the 2022 PA Farm Show!

Thank you to the following conservation districts for volunteering:

Bedford
Berks
Centre
Clinton
Cumberland
Indiana
Lancaster
Lebanon
Schuylkill

The 2022 Virtual Conservation District and PA Agency Ag Meeting will be held via Zoom from February 23-24, 2022. CConservation district agricultural technicians, watershed specialists, and management, CAP coordinators, and staff from PA state agencies and USDA-NRCS, are invited to attend. Registration is free and required.

Formerly known as the All Bay Meeting, this annual meeting has been expanded to include sessions relevant to conservation districts across the state and more focused sessions for conservation districts within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The draft agenda includes topics such as agency updates, successful private/public partnerships, soil health education support for CAP implementation, getting credit for projects and practices through data management and reporting, a walkthrough of the Clean Water Academy, county CAP updates, funding, leveraging partners to get projects on the ground, targeted restoration using EPA’s Recovery Potential Screening Tool, and other timely and relevant sessions.

Click here for more information and to register.