Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts

We support Pennsylvania’s Conservation Districts who work for clean water and healthy soil every day.

Lebanon County Conservation District Holds Legislative Roundtable

(Left to right): Commissioner William Ames; Teresa Leitner, Legislative Secretary for Representative Helm; Brenda Shambaugh, PACD Executive Director; Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz; Patrick McDonnell, Secretary, PA Department of Environmental Protection; Randall Leisure, Board Chairman, Lebanon County Conservation District; Katie Doster, District Manager; Jennifer Albright, Director, Lebanon County Conservation District; Katherine Hetherington Cunfer, Deputy District Director for Congressman Meuser; PA Representative Frank Ryan.

Staff from the Lebanon County Conservation District met with local legislators on May 31, 2019. The meeting included staff discussion on conservation programs in Lebanon County. These include agricultural land preservation, erosion and sedimentation, Envirothon, mosquito-borne disease control, and agricultural programs.

PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell was on hand to discuss the ongoing Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. The group also discussed MS4 and the state budget as it relates to conservation efforts.

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh also attended the event.

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Tioga County Conservation District Holds Legislative Event

By Erica Tomlinson, Manager, Tioga County Conservation District

(left to right): Earle Robbins, Erica Tomlinson, Roger Bunn, Melissa Fenstermacher, Carl Koch, Eric Kosek, Carolyn Kilburn, Andrea Boyce, James Neal, Mark Hamilton, James Weaver, Lee Hoar, Chuck Dillon, Representative Owlett, Brenda Shambaugh.

The Tioga County Conservation District hosted their annual Legislative Lunch on May 10, 2019. The presentations from staff focused on grant projects that were completed last year and new projects scheduled for this season. The staff also gave updates on conservation planning, permitting, and flooding issues facing the county. The event is a great way for the conservation district to showcase projects and answer questions for our state and local legislators.

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Tioga County Conservation District for the event.

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Conservation Districts Visit PA Capitol for Conservation District Week

On May 8, 2019, six conservation districts (Allegheny, Cambria, Fulton, Indiana, Luzerne, and McKean) visited their legislators in Harrisburg. The conservation district representatives spoke to legislators about the 2019-20 state budget, shared the success of the Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program, and expressed opposition to HB 509 (third party reviewer) legislation.

While visiting the Capitol, conservation district staff and directors joined PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh to meet with the House Appropriations Committee staff and the Governor’s Deputy Secretary of Policy.

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Pike & Wayne County Conservation Districts Hold Legislative Event

(left to right): Andrew Seder, District Communications, Eastern District Field Representative for Senator Lisa Baker (R-20); Kelly Stagen, PACD Secretary and Northeast Region Director; Joseph Adams, Wayne County Commissioner; Linda O’Hara, Legislative Aide to Representative Jonathan Fritz (R-111); Brian Smith, Wayne County Conservation District Chairman and Wayne County Commissioner. Photo provided by Kelly Stagen and the Pike County Conservation District.

The Pike/Wayne Conservation Partnership annual Legislative Breakfast was held on Friday, April 12, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the Wayne County Historical Society in Honesdale, PA. The Pike/Wayne Conservation Partnership is an alliance of over twenty government, non-government, non-profit, and grass roots organizations that work toward common goals for natural resource conservation, sustainable communities, and citizen involvement in community planning in Pike and Wayne Counties.

Pike and Wayne County Conservation Districts take turns planning the annual legislative breakfast. This year, Wayne County Conservation District took the lead with District Manager Jamie Knecht and Watershed Specialist Colleen Campion handling event details.

Legislators from the federal, state, county, and local levels participate. This year, topics related to conservation districts included the Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Roads program, funding for the Watershed Specialist position through the Growing Greener grant program through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Individual National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting process.

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Lycoming County Conservation District Holds Legislative Breakfast

(Left to right) Representative Jeff Wheeland, Senator Gene Yaw, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh, PA Department of Environmental Protection Northcentral Region Director Marcus Kohl, and Lycoming County Conservation District Manager Mark Davidson pose for a photo during the legislative breakfast.

On April 11, 2019, the Lycoming County Conservation District held a legislative breakfast at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, PA. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Williamsport for the event.

Topics of discussion included stream restoration efforts in the county and the state budget.

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Potter Holds Legislative Luncheon

PCCD Chairman Earl Brown, Representative Martin Causer, Low Volume/Dirt & Gravel Roads Project Specialist Andrew Mickey, Watershed/Nutrient Management Technician Jared Dickerson, Senator Scarnati staff member Chuck Dillon, Commissioner Doug Morely, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh, Commissioner Susan Kefover, Communications and Outreach Advisor Emily Shosh, District Manager Jason Childs, and Resource Conservationist Glenn Dunn II.

On March 21, 2019, Potter County Conservation District (PCCD) held a legislative luncheon in Ulysses, PA. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the event. During the luncheon, legislators and county leaders received updates on district programs and services the district provides to  county residents.

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Conservation District Leaders Take to Capitol Hill

Adam Tarr, Legislative Assistant for Bob Casey poses with Kelly Stagen, PACD Secretary and North East Region Director.

On Wednesday, March 13, conservation district officials from across the nation descended upon the nation’s capital as part of NACD’s 2019 Spring Fly-In. More than 150 district representatives from over 30 states took to Capitol Hill to educate their federal representatives about and advocate for voluntary, locally-led conservation.

Kelly Stagen, PACD Secretary and North East Region Director, attended the fly-in.

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Susquehanna County Conservation District Hosts Legislative Breakfast

SCCD Board Chairman Ray Warriner, SCCD Manager Jim Garner, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Gregg Hostetter, Tom Yoniski from Senator Lisa Baker’s office, Representative Tina Pickett, Representative Jonathan Fritz, SCCD Associate Director Lillian Theophanis, SCCD Director Bill Bayne, and SCCD Director Curt Hepler. Photo provided by SCCD.

Submitted by Jim Garner, District Manager, Susquehanna County Conservation District

Recently the Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD) held its 2018 Legislative Breakfast at the Montrose Club. The legislators attending spent time discussing many current topics with directors and staff over breakfast. District Manager Jim Garner gave a presentation highlighting conservation district programs and related funding. Board Chairman Ray Warriner provided closing remarks and thanked our legislators for all of their support.

 

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Lebanon County Conservation District Holds Legislative Roundtable

Beth Lutz, Ag Conservation Specialist; Angie Foltz, Program Specialist; Nate Weaver, E&S Pollution Control Technician; Amy Cannistraci, Ag Conservation Specialist; Katie Doster, District Manager; Randall Leisure, Board Chairman; Brenda Shambaugh, PACD Executive Director; Kori Walter, District Director for Congressman Costello; Jill Weister, District Office Manager for Representative Diamond; Teresa Leitner, Legislative Secretary for Representative Helm.
Missing from picture: Representative Frank Ryan, Commissioner Bill Ames, and Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz. Photo provided by LCCD.

On Friday, June 1, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh joined staff from the Lebanon County Conservation District (LCCD) to meet with local legislators, including Representative Ryan, Commissioner Ames, Commissioner Litz, and representatives from the offices of Congressman Costello, Representative Helm, and Representative Diamond.

During the meeting, LCCD staff highlighted conservation efforts in Lebanon County over the past year. Staff discussed agricultural programs, erosion and sedimentation programs, agricultural land preservation, the Lebanon County Envirothon, and the LCCD Annual Tree Sale. The group also discussed legislative matters important to the Lebanon County community, including the current Farm Bill and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

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