Mark your calendars for the 2024 PACD Winter Meeting! The event will take place as a series of videoconferences throughout January, beginning with the PACD Conservation Committee on January 5 and ending with the PACD Executive Council on January 25. Registration will open in November. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference           
January 5, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference
January 11, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
January 12, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
January 17, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference
January 18, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
January 19, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Executive Council Video Conference
January 25, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–Noon

 

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 8-10, 2023, at The Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. PACD and conservation districts from Berks, Clinton, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, 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 Huntingdon County Conservation District for setting up the booth.

On July 31, 2023, Berks County Conservation District held its Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner. The event was held at the Oley Fairgrounds in Oley, PA. During the celebration, the district awarded $24,000 in scholarships and recognized several businesses and individuals.

Award Winners:

• Chair’s Award – John Ravert
• Contractor of the Year – H&K Group
• Plan Preparer of the Year – LTL Consultants
• Conservation Organization of the Year – Blue Marsh, US Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia Division
• Conservation Individuals of the Year – Tami Hildebrand and Joseph Boyle, Mt. Penn Water Authority
• Farm of the Year – Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family

 

 

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend your fall PACD region meeting!

PACD South West Region Meeting
September 20, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA 

PACD North West Region Meeting
September 27, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon 
Tionesta Church of God, Tionesta, PA           

PACD North East Region Meeting     
October 4, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon  
Lands at Hillside Farms, Shavertown, PA       

PACD North Central Region Meeting
October 12, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon   
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA                

PACD South Central Region Meeting        
October 17, 2023 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon   
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA                                    

PACD South East Region Meeting
October 26, 2023 | 9:30 a.m. to Noon     
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

 

The conference early-bird rate has been extended through June 30, so register today and save $20 on full conference registration!

In addition to PACD and SCC business, the 2023 conference will feature a special workshop on building authentic relationships. The workshop will take place during the Directors Breakfast on July 20 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The ability to build authentic relationships is a key component to meeting water quality goals across the state, and a process that is inclusive of all stakeholders from diverse backgrounds is essential to building long-term and trusting relationships with surrounding communities. Brenna Goggin, Director of Leadership Development for River Network, will present an interactive workshop that will compare authentic relationship building to transactional efforts, examine practices for building trust, and suggest questions to ask before you begin this work. Participants will have an opportunity to workshop potential challenges, discuss potential strategies to deploy, and build a plan toward success.

Click here for more information and to register.

 

PACD will hold our summer committee meetings via video conference in June and July prior to the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. The meetings are open to conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff, as well as partner agency staff and invited guests. Registration for the virtual committee meetings is free and required. Please email the staff person listed to receive the registration link.

June 27, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.           
PACD Legislative Committee Videoconference
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.                             

June 29, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.           
PACD Conservation Committee Videoconference     
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.                                

July 6, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.              
PACD Education and Outreach Committee Videoconference    
Contact swehinger@pacd.org to request a registration link.                          

July 12, 2023 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.                
PACD District Employees Committee Videoconference 
Contact hmiller@pacd.org to request a registration link.                                

July 13, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m.            
PACD Ways and Means Committee Videoconference   
Contact abrown@pacd.org to request a registration link.                            

July 14, 2023 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.                
PACD Operations Committee Videoconference
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

Penn State Ag Progress Days will be held August 8-10, 2023, at the Russell E. Larson Agriculture Research Center, 2710 West Pine Grove Rd., Pennsylvania Furnace.

We are looking for volunteers for the Conservation District Exhibit for this event. If you’d like to schedule a shift, send your name, contact information, and preferred shift(s) to Brenda Shambaugh at bshambaugh@pacd.org.

The remaining open shifts are:

• Tuesday, August 8: 1:00 pm – 5:00 p.m. 
• Wednesday, August 9: 5:00 pm – 7:00 p.m. 

When available, a final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information will be sent to volunteers. For more information on Ag Progress Days, visit their website at http://agsci.psu.edu/apd.

Registration is open for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference July 19-20, 2023, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey Area) in Grantville, PA. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with fellow conservation district staff, board members, and agency partners in conservation.

Registration is open to conservation district directors, associate directors, district staff, partner agency staff, and invited guests. Click here to register and for more information. 

PACD committees will meet virtually in June and 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.

June 27, 2023 | 10-11 AM
PACD Legislative Committee Videoconference
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

June 29, 2023 | 10-11 AM
PACD Conservation Committee Videoconference
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

July 6, 2023 | 10-11 AM
PACD Education and Outreach Committee Videoconference
Contact swehinger@pacd.org to request a registration link.

July 12, 2023 | 1:30-2:30 PM
PACD District Employees Committee Videoconference
Contact hmiller@pacd.org to request a registration link.

July 13, 2023 | 10-11 AM
PACD Ways and Means Committee Videoconference
Contact abrown@pacd.org to request a registration link.

July 14, 2023 | 1:30-2:30 PM
PACD Operations Committee Videoconference
Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

Mark your calendar and join us for the PACD spring region meetings! All meetings will be in-person with a virtual option.

March 21, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD South Central Region Meeting  
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

March 23, 2023| 9:30 a.m.   
PACD South East Region Meeting      
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

March 30, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD North East Region Meeting   
Schuylkill Conservation District, Pottsville, PA

April 4, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.        
PACD North Central Region Meeting  
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

April 12, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.   
PACD North West Region Meeting    
Suites on Main at PennWest Clarion University, Clarion, PA

April 19, 2023 | 10:00 a.m.   
PACD South West Region Meeting  
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

Thank you to all the volunteers who made the conservation district booth at the PA Farm Show a success! The 2023 show premiered the Stormwater Plinko game, which drew visitors to the booth.

Thank you to the following conservation districts who sent volunteers:

Blair
Centre
Clinton
Columbia
Cumberland
Indiana
Lancaster
Lebanon
Lehigh
Northumberland
Schuylkill
Snyder
And the PA Envirothon