Pennsylvania’s county conservation districts thank Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro for supporting conservation districts in his proposed state budget. 

Pennsylvania’s conservation districts assist landowners through technical assistance, permit reviews, site inspections, and education in a safe, efficient, and effective manner. Conservation districts aim to protect our natural resources, keep food on tables, and ensure public safety.

The Governor’s budget was released last week. The “Transfer to the Conservation District” lines in the 2024-2025 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture budgets were kept at the same funding level as last year. 

Click here to read the entire press release. 

Thanks to funding and support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, PACD now has six conservation planners on staff. These new staff members will work toward conservation planning certification to assist in conservation efforts across the Commonwealth.

PACD conservation planners work out of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field offices to provide services as cost-effectively as possible.

• Bucks County – Grace Rhodes, 215-453-9527
• Dauphin County – Arek Moczulski, 717-559-4020 x3
• Erie County – Joshua Ferraro, 814-796-5031
• Franklin County – Daniel Hausman, 717-446-8566
• Indiana County – Nathan Edwards, 724-427-3333
• Susquehanna County – Kelsey Quinones, 570-278-1197

Click here to read more about the program.

Financial and other support for the Certified Conservation Planner Program is provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission.

PACD wrapped up its Winter Meeting with the PACD Executive Council Meeting via Zoom on January 25, 2024. Eighty-seven people attended. In addition to regular business, the meeting attendees heard from partners, including Jill Whitcomb, PA Department of Environmental Protection, Doug Wolfgang, State Conservation Commission, and Denise Coleman, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.  

Photo caption: Screenshots from the PACD Winter Meeting.

Thanks to the conservation districts for submitting their 2023 highlights pages. The pages were sent to all PA General Assembly members.

Click here to see what other districts have accomplished this year! 

Hi everyone! It is exciting to be a part of this organization. I am a wife, mother of 3, and Nana to 6 beautiful grandchildren. I enjoy reading and kayaking in my downtime and am a fair-weather newbie to fly fishing. If my husband has his way, I will become an avid fly-fisherman!

Working in the manufacturing industry for most of my life, I look forward to participating in this new adventure.

The Conservation Technician for the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) provides technical assistance to the Growing Greener program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The area covered includes 17 counties in the South Central and South East Region.

This position will: Provide technical assistance to area partnership Growing Greener personnel and the NRCS in the planning, design, and construction of engineering practices; Prepare designs of agricultural conservation practices and water quality best management practices (BMPs), which are site-specific and require coordination among various groups and individuals; and Provide engineering assistance in conducting preliminary investigations.

Salary Range: $40,000 to $42,000. Benefits include health insurance, a 401k retirement plan, and accrued PTO leave.

Click here for the full job description. Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter to PACD at jobs@pacd.org. The deadline to apply is January 26, 2024.

 

Click on the calendar to find out which PACD person is the most likely to…?

Gloria James is our newly hired Administrative Assistant at PACD. Gloria, husband Maurice, and their family reside in the City of Harrisburg. She enjoys dancing, live music festivals, gardening, and spending time with her family. She served in the US Air Force Reserve for eight years. Over the past two decades, she’s gained experience in the Administrative, HR, and Customer Service fields in both government and corporate sectors. Her email address is gjames@pacd.org.

The PACD Administrative Assistant is responsible for clerical duties and provides general program support for the office. This is a part-time position reporting to the Executive Director in the Harrisburg, PA office. Salary range: $20-22/hour plus benefits.

Click here for the full announcement. Please apply by e-mail with the subject heading “Administrative Assistant” to jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 pm EDT on September 5, 2023.

At the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) on July 20, 2023, the Association elected a new slate of officers. Among them was Cambria County Conservation District Chairman Dennis Beck, who was elected President.

Previously, Beck served as the Association’s First Vice President and Second Vice President.

The 2023 PACD officers elected are as follows:

• President: Dennis Beck, Cambria County Conservation District
• 1st Vice President: Emil Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• 2nd Vice President: Kelly Stagen, Pike County Conservation District
• NACD Director: Ron Rohall, Westmoreland Conservation District

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

• Secretary: Charles Duritsa, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Treasurer & Interim South Central Region Director: Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District
• 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: Vacant