Ninety-three conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners participated in the 24th Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place virtually October 1-3, 2024. Watershed specialists learned about PFAS and emerging contaminants from the perspectives of surface water monitoring and safe drinking water, explored the project bidding process, learned about climate change data and initiatives in Pennsylvania, discovered what the science says about water quality in the Susquehanna, and shared project successes and lessons learned. Many thanks to our presenters for sharing their time and expertise.

The conservation district watershed specialists also hold a photo contest during their annual meeting. Here are the 2024 results:

• First Place: Logging in Some River Time by John Levitsky with Luzerne Conservation District
• Second Place: Morning Survey by Bernie Scalzo with Wyoming County Conservation District
• Third Place: Fall in Beech Creek by Ivie Foster with Centre County Conservation District
• People’s Choice: Green Frog in the Water by Ivie Foster, Centre County Conservation District
• Honorable Mention: Dutchman Run Under the Railbed by Cori Trice with Chester County Conservation District

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all those who participated in the contest. It’s great to see photos from across the state! Click here to view the full versions of the winning photos. 

 

 

Mark your calendars for the 2025 PACD Winter Meeting, which will take place as a series of video conferences throughout January. Registration will be both free and required. Watch for registration information in a future edition of Front Page.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
January 8, 2025 | 10-11 a.m.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
January 10, 2025 | 10-11 a.m.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference
January 14, 2025 | 10-11 a.m.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
January 16, 2025 | 10-11 a.m.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference
January 22, 2025 | 10-11 a.m.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
January 23, 2025 | 10-11 a.m.

PACD Executive Council Video Conference
January 30, 2025 | 10 am-Noon

Join us for the PACD fall region meetings! All meetings except the North West Region will be in-person with a virtual option. (North West will be in person only.) Click on your region meeting below for more information and be sure to RSVP to the meeting host.

September 12, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD North West Region Meeting (In-person only)
Elk Country Visitor Center, Benezette, PA

September 24, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD North Central Region Meeting
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

September 27, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD South West Region Meeting
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

October 4, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD North East Region Meeting
Lands at Hillside Farms Education Center, Shavertown, PA

October 29, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD South Central Region Meeting
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

October 31, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
PACD South East Region Meeting
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

 Click here to find your region. 

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 13-15, 2024, at Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. During the three-day event, PACD and conservation districts from Centre, Crawford, Indiana, Juniata, Union, and Westmoreland counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered to share conservation districts’ great work with the public. A special thank you to Westmoreland Conservation District for setting up the booth.

The Elk County Conservation District (ECCD), in collaboration with neighboring conservation districts and other industry partners, hosted “Forestry Days for Districts” from July 29 to 30 in Johnsonburg, PA. This two-day workshop was open to all conservation districts statewide, and representatives from over 20 districts were present! The objective was to provide “training by districts, for districts,” focusing on timber harvesting and effectively communicating sustainable timber practices.

Throughout PA, each district encounters varying degrees of forestry sites and timber operations. “Forestry Days for Districts” allowed district employees from all corners of the state to come together to discuss their own experiences and learn directly from those in the forestry industry.

Click here to read the entire article and see more photos. 

PACD is co-hosting a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course. The course will be held at the Clinton County Conservation District in Mill Hall, PA, on September 10, 2024. The cost is $380 for non-district participants and $180 for conservation district staff (contact hmiller@pacd.org for the discount code). Click here to register online. 

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

The deadline to register is August 30, 2024. Click here for more information. 

The Association elected officers at the annual Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) meeting on July 17, 2024, in State College, PA. Among them was Cambria County Conservation District Director Dennis Beck, who was re-elected President.

The 2024 PACD officers are as follows:

• President: Dennis Beck, Cambria County Conservation District
• 1^st Vice President: Emil Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• 2^nd Vice President: Kelly Stagen, Pike County Conservation District
• Secretary/Interim Treasurer: Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District

Executive Board Members not up for election and continuing to serve their terms:

• North Central Region Director: Dr. Robert Shannon, Centre County Conservation District
• North West Region Director & NACD North East Region Representative: Cliff Lane, McKean County Conservation District
• North East Region Director: Thomas Herbert, Luzerne Conservation District
• South East Region Director: Piper Sherburne, Berks County Conservation District
• South West Region Director: Barb Peace, Indiana County Conservation District
• NACD Director: Ron Rohall, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Also, Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District, will continue to serve as the Interim South Central Region Director and Secretary/Interim Treasurer.

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT) at Penn State Extension was established in 2023 by the State Conservation Commission. The Center bolsters the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) and sponsored this year’s PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. During the Conference, the Center led field trips to noteworthy sites, including the Frost Entomological Museum and a greenhouse at Penn State, Rock Springs Research Farm, and the site of Ag Progress Days.

Thank you to the Center for leading these fun and educational tours!

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension is a cooperative effort with partners at the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) and the Pennsylvania State Office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Funding for the Center is provided through the state Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).

Presented by Kathleen Deal, JD, this course is designed to provide fundamental negotiation skills to environmental regulatory personnel. Participants will learn proven approaches and strategies to establish rapport, gain information, and influence others. The course incorporates lessons on ethics and negotiation and reading body language—both our own and that of others—to enhance communications It teaches that great negotiation is about great collaboration and equips participants to work with individuals and organizations to create agreement, solve problems, and achieve results.

The workshop will take place at the Wyndham Garden State College on August 6, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration is currently open solely to DEP enforcement personnel and Chapter 102 staff from conservation districts with Level III delegation. There is no fee to attend. The grant will cover one overnight for participants arriving the night before the training, and lunch is provided on the day of the training. Click here for more information and to register. 

This training is funded through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection and made possible through the cooperation of the PA Association of Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s conservation districts.

On June 14, 2024, the Berks County Conservation District held an event and tour of a new best management practice installation at a family farm in Lenhartsville, PA.

Speakers included Senator Judith Schwank; Representative Jamie Barton; Representative David Maloney; Berks County Commissioners Christian Y. Leinbach, Michael S. Rivera, and Dante Santoni, Jr.; Berks County Department of Ag Deputy Director Kim Fies; NRCS District Conservationist Nick Ramsey; State Conservation Commission Director of Financial & Technical Assistance Programs Justin Challenger; and PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh.

The day ended with a tour of a barn built through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).