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.

This year’s 102/105 Topic-based Technical Training took place April 10-12, 2018, at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. A record 125 participants from 47 conservation districts and the PA Department of Environmental Protection received in-depth training on Post Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM), Chapter 105, and other topics that support clean, accessible, water for Pennsylvania’s citizens.

This annual 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 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 April 6, 2018, a retirement party was held for Pike County Conservation District Manager Sally Corrigan in Lake Ariel, PA. The event was attended by both the conservation community and elected officials. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Pike County for the event. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement, Sally!

 

The Blair Conservation District held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, March 29, 2018, for Blair County’s first environmental-specific park. The park, located at 10 Bedford Street in the Borough of Hollidaysburg, has been named “NatureWorksPark”.

Construction is slated to be completed by late summer 2018 and will include a walkway with instructional signage, a mitigated wetland and boardwalk, a pollinator garden, “soft access” to the Beaverdam Branch of the Juniata River, two pavilions, an amphitheater, demonstration areas for plants/crops, stormwater alternatives, riparian buffer establishment, and wetlands.

The project was partially funded by a $250,000 grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,  and $4,000 from the Altoona Sunrise Rotary, . The remainder of the funds will come from the Conservation District Account funded by the Public Utility Commission through the Marcellus Shale program.

Click here to read the entire press release.

The Washington County Conservation District and the Greene County Conservation District used Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant funds (administered by PACD) to produce a video of a municipal streambank tour and restoration event.

The video highlights the event and provides basic information about stream banks and restoration. So far, the Washington County Conservation District has received two calls from residents who saw the video and want to conduct restoration projects on their property.

The video can be accessed at the following URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W52sKqAI_AQ

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

 

Thirty individuals attended Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Basic Level April 2-6, 2018, at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and affiliates, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection.

The training is sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission. PACD works with these partners to coordinate the training.

 

Eighteen projects in 17 counties were selected for funding, totaling more than $34,000 for the 2018 round of the Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Mini-grant Program for Conservation Districts. The program is administered by PACD and funding is provided through the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

“PACD is thrilled to work with DEP to fund projects across the Commonwealth. This funding will allow districts to educate citizens about their part in reducing nonpoint source pollution,” said PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh. “The result will be cleaner water and healthier soil for future generations.”

The projects funded are:

Allegheny	Equine Environmental Stewardship Short Course
Beaver	Stormwater Help for Homeowners
Bedford	Homeowner Practices to Minimize Stormwater/NPS Pollution Impacts
Berks	Preventing Nonpoint Source Pollution through Adult Education in Berks County
Bradford	Interseeder and BMP Demonstration Days
Chester	Chester County “Day on the Bay”
Dauphin	Rain Barrel Workshops
Elk	Non-Point Source Pollution Educational Series
Erie	We All Live Downstream: A Residential Stormwater Workshop
Greene	Stormwater Workshops
Lackawanna	Stormwater Management In Your Back Yard
Lawrence	Pilot Teacher’s Watershed and Stormwater Workshop
McKean	McKean County Streamside Stewardship
Perry	SCOPE = Scientific Citizens Observing Pollution (in the) Environment.
Potter	Ag-Stravaganza
Wayne	A Precipitation Education: Rain Barrel Workshop
Wayne	Stream Maintenance and Flood Intervention Workshop
Westmoreland	Green Infrastructure Tour in the Turtle Creek, Sewickley Creek, and Jacobs Creek Watersheds

 

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

 

Environmental programs from throughout Western Pennsylvania will share $25,000 from Dominion Energy and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) for innovation and effectiveness in making a positive impact on the environment.

The 2018 winners are:

• Allegheny County Conservation District (Pittsburgh, Allegheny County)
• Allegheny Outfitters Warren (Warren County)
• Casselman River Watershed Association (Somerset, Somerset County)

With the funds, Allegheny County Conservation District will support their Urban Soils Program.

The winners will be honored at the Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 24, 2018, at the Westin Convention Center Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh.

Submitted by Heather Almer, Watershed Specialist, Columbia County Conservation District

The Columbia County Conservation District organized its 3rd annual Women in Agriculture Conference at the Bloomsburg VFW Post 804 on March 21, 2018. Attendees learned about sustainable building, the future of agricultural education, credit scores and lending, and sheep farming.They also learned about yoga for stress relief and participated in a hands-on product making workshop to highlight the benefits of making your own cleaners and personal care products.