PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh visited the McKean County Conservation District (MCCD) office on October 11, 2016. She met with several board members and staff. MCCD manager Sandy Thompson and Director Bob Wright took Brenda on a tour of the property which showcases best management practices and other district projects.

Welcome our newest PACD Engineering Assistance Program technician, Phillip Wilson! Phillip works out of the Somerset Conservation District office, along with full-time engineer Eric Robertson and part-time technician Phil Gardner. His first day was September 26, 2016. Phillip has a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a certificate in AutoCAD from the Somerset County Technology Center. He can be reached at pwilson@pacd.org.

PACD recently created a video explaining conservation districts and the great work they accomplish on a daily basis. The video was created for districts to use to introduce new board members and the public to conservation districts. Please share the video with county commissioners, other elected legislators, and others who are unfamiliar with conservation districts. Click here to view the video.  

From September 25-28, 2016, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the National Association of Conservation District’s Executive Director Conference held in Little Rock, Arkansas. The group focused on topics such as:

• Strategic planning for state associations
• Partnerships – developing, maintaining and not competing
• New programs, projects and outreach efforts
• Arkansas programs and projects highlighted through a conservation tour and success stories
• State issues, funding sources, and much more

Presentations and handouts from last week’s PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference are available online, including:

• Odor Management and Manure Haulers and Brokers: Nuts and Bolts for Conservation Districts – Johan Berger and Frank Schneider, PA State Conservation Commission
• NACD: Working for Pennsylvania – Jeremy Peters, National Association of Conservation Districts
• Panel: Building District Boards – Dave Rupert, Armstrong; Mark Kimmel, York; Sally Corrigan, Pik
• The New Overtime Regulations and What They Mean for Districts – Adam Long, McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC

Click on the titles to download the presentations in PDF format.

At the PACD Executive Council meeting on July 28, a slate of officers was elected. They are:

• President – Glenn Seidel (Berks)
• 1^st Vice President – Donald Koontz (Mercer)
• 2^nd Vice President – Charles Duritsa (Westmoreland)
• Secretary – Joseph Dietrick (Westmoreland)
• Treasurer – Kenneth Meck (Lancaster)

Also during the meeting, the membership voted to support the use of properly permitted and treated acid mine drainage water for fracking. The final measure to pass was the “Option C: Alternate Dues Structure with 3-Year Increase.” This option combines the eight county classes to create four levels, A through D, and incorporates increases to the overall dues for the next three years. Any increases after that timeframe will be a flat dollar amount for all districts. The table of the new dues amounts is available from PACD upon request. Please email lsuhr@pacd.org for a copy.

As the Conservation Technician for the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) in the Southwest Region, the incumbent will provide technical assistance to the Growing Greener program and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). 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 conservation practices and water quality best management practices, which are site specific and require coordination among various groups and individuals: and Provide engineering assistance in conducting preliminary investigations. Click here for the full job description.  Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter to the PACD at jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30pm EDT on August 23, 2016.  

PACD presented the operators of five farms with the Clean Water Farm Award during its annual conference on July 27, 2016 in State College, PA. The honor is awarded annually to farmers who manage their daily farm operations in an environmentally conscious manner that helps to protect Pennsylvania’s water quality. This year’s award recipients are:

• South East Region: Barclay Hoopes (Chester County)
• South West Region: James A. & Billie Cowell, Jr. of Frosty Springs Farm (Greene County)
• North West Region: Elder Farms – Loren & Darren Elder (Lawrence County)
• North Central Region: Allen & Linda Wehr Farm (Union County)
• South Central Region: Randall & Sarah Patterson (York County)

The Clean Water Farm award was initiated in 1986. Recipients of the award are nominated by their local county conservation districts. Financial support for this award is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program and the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Education Office (administered by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.). Click here to read the entire press release.  

Conservation district staffs, state officials, and legislative partners convened in State College to honor conservationists during the PACD and State Conservation Commission’s 69^th Joint Annual Conference. The awards luncheon took place July 27 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. The 2016 PACD honorees are as follows:

• Legislator Leadership Award

Representative Tommy Sankey (Clearfield)

• President’s Award

Christopher Thompson (Lancaster)

• Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director Excellence Award

Kenneth Meck (Lancaster)

• Conservation District Employee Excellence Award

Karl Kerchner (Lebanon)

• Auxiliary Scholarship

Leah Wenhold (Lehigh)

Conservation District Employee Service Recognition Program Awards

• 30 Years of Service

Donna Fisher, District Manager, Blair

Maryruth Wagner, District Manager, Columbia

• 35 Years of Service

Ed Magargee, District Manager, Delaware

Greg Phillips, District Manager, Westmoreland

• 40 Years of Service

Barry Travelpiece, P.E., Resource Conservationist, Columbia

Click here to read the entire press release.