As part of Conservation District Week, conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff from Chester, McKean, and Sullivan Counties visited Harrisburg on April 17, 2018. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh and Executive Assistant & Meeting Planner Molly Burns met the district representatives at the Capitol building for a day of meetings with legislators.

The conservation district representatives met with legislators to thank them for their support and to ask them to include full funding for the districts in the 2018-19 budget.

The Pennsylvania State Senate and the House of Representatives declared April 15-21, 2018 as “Conservation District Week.” The dates coincide with Earth Day (April 22^nd) events and celebrations. During Conservation District Week, offices across the state will hold events. These events will show the projects conservation districts work on every day that control pollution.

Each county has a conservation district office except Philadelphia. These volunteer directors and staff live and work in your area and target local conservation problems. These are your neighbors who are working to ensure there is enough clean water. They also make sure we have healthy soil for the future. That deserves to be celebrated!

“We are thankful to the legislature in declaring April 15-21 as Conservation District Week,” said Brenda J. Shambaugh, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts. “Supporting our conservation districts supports a better future for us all.”

Conservation districts thank members of the PA House and Senate, as well as the Governor, for supporting the districts by providing the funds necessary to preserve and protect our Commonwealth’s natural resources through the budgetary process.

On April 5, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Northumberland County for the district’s legislative breakfast. During the breakfast, the district thanked state legislators and the commissioners for their continued support.

On January 25, 2018, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended a House of Representatives Appropriations Committee hearing at the Capitol in Harrisburg. The committee received testimony related to the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Patrick McDonnell and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn provided testimony on how their agencies use special funds.

During the hearing, several questions were asked about conservation district funding and timely reimbursements. DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell explained the funding comes from several sources and the balance [of the conservation district fund] has a lot to do with when the fees are actually collected and deposited. Several legislators on the Committee commented about the great work accomplished by conservation districts.

Click here to read more. 

 

As is their custom, the Pennsylvania House and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees held a joint informational meeting on August 16, 2017 at Ag Progress Days. The session covered the state’s contributions to the multi-state effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay. The second hearing was organized by Congressman Thompson and addressed the state of agriculture in Pennsylvania in front of a panel consisting of the PA Farm Bureau President, two congressmen, and the Secretary of Agriculture. 

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh provided testimony during these two sessions. Click here to read the text of Shambaugh’s testimony titled, “Conservation District Activities within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” and here for “Barnyard Discussion: Issues Driving the State of Pennsylvania Agriculture.”

Click here to read more about the meeting. 

 

 

Those who control water pollution in our local streams, rivers, and lakes are facing funding cuts under the House of Representative’s budget. The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) is urging the general assembly to restore $1.1 million in funding to the county conservation districts.

The staff at your local county conservation district office work directly with community members to prevent pollution and ensure enough clean water for future generations. They know the local area and what causes the biggest pollution problems. Their goal is to address these problems by working together with community members to make sure drinking water is safe, streams are clean, and nature is protected. 

However, the House proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18 significantly cuts conservation district funding from current levels. The cuts are as follows:

House Department of Agriculture Budget

• Transfer to the Conservation District Fund: $739,000 ($130,000 less than current fiscal year)
• Transfer to the Nutrient Management Fund: $2,307,000 ($407,000 less than current fiscal year)

House Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Budget

• Transfer to the Conservation District Fund: $2,130,000 ($376,000 less than current fiscal year)
• Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Source Abatement: $2,423,000 ($222,000 less than current fiscal year) This fund is used to match federal dollars, mostly for DEP staffing.

PACD asks the General Assembly to restore this “pass through funding” to the conservation district line items through the PA Department of Agriculture and the PA Department of Environmental Protection to the levels in the current 2016-17 budget.

On June 9, 2017, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Lebanon County for a legislative event. The Lebanon County Conservation District (LCCD) held an informative Legislative Roundtable with Representatives Diamond and Ryan, Commissioners Ames and Litz, and staff from the offices of Congressman Dent, Congressman Costello, and Representative Helm in attendance.

Topics discussed included the state budget, agricultural land preservation, and the Chesapeake Bay Reboot. Representatives Diamond and Ryan talked about the status of the State Budget and Brenda Shambaughemphasized the importance of not cutting spending for agricultural and DEP line items that impact conservation districts such as Lebanon.

 

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On May 12, 1947 the Susquehanna County Commissioners and the State Conservation Commission formed the Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD). While many changes have occurred over the years, the district continues to protect and preserve natural resources. SCCD held a legislative breakfast to share what they are doing, how funds are being spent, and to listen to what legislators are working on. PA Senators Gene Yaw and Lisa Baker attended the breakfast, as did PA Representatives Tina Pickett and Jonathon Fritz. SCCD thanks them for their time and support.

 

On May 19, 2017 the Tioga County Conservation District held a Legislative Day. Several legislators and their staff were in attendance. 

 

During Conservation District Week, Franklin County Conservation District held a legislative breakfast. The event was held April 28, 2017, at the district office in Chambersburg. Numerous elected officials attended the event and learned about district programs such as the Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Program, PA’s Nutrient Management Program, and the Erosion and Sediment Control Program.

Click here to read more.