On July 28, 2025, the Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) held its Annual Awards and Scholarship Dinner.

In addition to several scholarship recipients, BCCD also recognized the following individuals and organizations for their efforts:

• Engineer of the Year: Samuel Reeser
• Organization of the Year: Hay Creek Watershed Association
• Individual of the Year: Nicholas Johnson
• Urban Agricultural Project: Front Street Garden to Café Esperanza
• Educator of the Year: Sherry Fuhrmann
• Student Environmental Ambassador: Garrett Hynemann
• Student Environmental Organization: Schuylkill Valley FFA
• Reading-Berks Science and Engineering Fair Winner: Samson Evans
• Low Volume Road Project of the Year: Mill Road Project in Oley Township

There were over 140 people at the dinner. Thank you to Senator Judy Schwank, Representative Johanny Cedpeda-Freytiz, Representative Jacklyn Ruscnock, Representative Eric Weaknecht, Representative David Zimmerman and Craig Lutz and Dan Bost from Senator Chris Gebhards office, Kim Fies, Executive Director of the Berks County Department of Agriculture, Nicholas Ramsey, District Conservationist, NRCS; Chas. Heberling Conservation District Field Representative, PA Department of Environmental Protection and all the other partners, friends and family who took time to come out and celebrate with the district.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) was awarded $134,900 from the United States Department of the Interior’s 2023 Inflation Reduction Act Recovery Implementation Grant program to fund a stream restoration project to benefit federally protected freshwater mussel species in French Creek, Crawford County. The PFBC Board voted to approve a Threatened and Endangered Species Grant to the Crawford County Conservation District (CCCD). 

The grant, not to exceed $134,900, will be used by the CCCD to restore approximately 350 feet of eroding streambank, which impacts instream habitat in a portion of French Creek known to support endangered, threatened, candidate, and rare freshwater mussel species. Stream restoration will include the installation of instream habitat structures to stabilize the eroding streambank, the removal of a gravel bar to reestablish a natural channel cross section, and native vegetation will be planted within the riparian buffer zone to promote streambank stability.

Click here to read more. 

 

August Board Development Video: Nomination Process Timeline

The August installment of the monthly Board Development video series continues the focus on director nominations with a review of the nomination process timeline.  

Register Now for 2025 Management Summit

Registration is open for the 2025 Management Summit, September 16–18, at the Wyndham Garden Conference Center in State College. This year’s program features sessions on transition and change management, artificial intelligence, financial planning, and influencing decision-makers. All district management staff and partner staff are welcome to attend. Visit Building for Tomorrow for agenda, registration links, and room block information.

Apply for a 25-26 Strategic Planning Grant

Strategic Planning is an essential activity for conservation districts. Building for Tomorrow encourages districts to reevaluate and update their plans regularly and supports districts by offering grants to offset costs associated with strategic planning activities. The State Conservation Commission has allocated funding for grants to reimburse up to $1,500 in expenses related to the development of a strategic plan for the 2056-26 program year. To be eligible for these funds, conservation districts must meet program requirements. Priority will be given to conservation districts that have not received a Strategic Planning Grant in the past five years. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information on the Strategic Planning Grants program, or contact Leadership Development Program Manager Matt Miller at mmiller@pacd.org for information and assistance.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

 

To support conservation district managers, assistant managers, supervisory staff, and team leaders in maximizing the benefits of the Clean Water Academy (CWA), PACD is offering three short live sessions focused on key features and navigation tips. Since not all staff have completed the “How to Use Clean Water Academy” course (access requires login), some may not be aware of the full range of available tools and training opportunities.

The sessions will be identical, so you only need to attend one of them. Each session will provide a concise overview of CWA, highlight underutilized features, and offer practical guidance to support more effective use of CWA. Registration is required.

Session Options:

• Wednesday, August 6: 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. – Click here to register. 
• Tuesday, August 12: 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. – Click here to register. 
• Thursday, August 21: 11:00 a.m.–Noon – Click here to register. 

All sessions will be recorded and made available on CWA for those who are unable to attend live, as well as for future managers to reference.

 

The Warren County Conservation District established a community garden in 2008 at the Hatch Run Conservation Demonstration Area in Warren, PA. The gardens had only 10 plots in 2008 and have now expanded to 25 plots. The gardens offer a place for folks who don’t have the space at their home or apartment to have a garden of their own.

The district’s property maintenance staff rototills the gardens each year with a tractor, and then each plot owner is responsible for maintaining their own plot. The conservation district has installed rain barrels among the gardens to provide a water source for gardeners

The conservation district charges $25 for each plot to offset the costs of materials for the layout and preparation of the 25’ x 25’ garden plots.

Plots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to previous renters for plot locations. Click here for more details. 

 

An article on PACD’s Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) tour during the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference was featured in the July 22, 2025, issue of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) eResource newsletter.

Click here to read the article. 

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) elected a new slate of officers during its annual meeting on July 16, 2025, in Champion, PA. Among those elected was Emil Bove, Director and Board Secretary of the Westmoreland Conservation District, who will now serve as the Association’s President.

The 2025 PACD officers are:

• President: Emil A. Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• 1st Vice President: Barb Peace, Indiana County Conservation District
• 2nd Vice President: Thomas F. Herbert, Luzerne Conservation District
• Treasurer: Vince Pennoni, Delaware County Conservation District
• Secretary: Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District

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

• 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 F. Herbert, Luzerne Conservation District
• South East Region Director: Piper Sherburne, Berks County Conservation District
• South West Region Director: Barb Peace, Indiana County Conservation District
• South Central Region Director: Vacant
• NACD Director: Ron Rohall, Westmoreland Conservation District

 

 

Several conservationists were recognized during the awards luncheon on July 17, 2025, at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA.

The 2025 PACD honorees are as follows: 

President’s Award

• The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension

Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director Excellence Award

• Earl Brown, Chairman/Public Director, Potter County Conservation District

Conservation District Employee Excellence Award

• David Stoner, Manager, Franklin County Conservation District

Conservation District Employee Service Recognition Awards

30 Years of Service

• James Saltsman, Agriculture Engineering Technical Specialist Level II, Lancaster

35 Years of Service

• Susan Gallagher, Chief Naturalist, Carbon
• Martie Hetherington, Agricultural Project Coordinator, Schuylkill
• Patrick McKinney, Environmental Educator, Schuylkill
• Sylvia Thompson, Assistant District Manager, Wayne

40 Years of Service

• Donna Fisher, District Manager, Blair

Click here to read the entire press release. 

 

 

The Conservation District Trash Challenge pits districts against each other to compete to see who can collect the most trash in the months of April and May.

Westmoreland Conservation District collected 132 bags of trash, 521 tires, with a total of 15,665 pounds of trash collected!

New for this year, the winning district received $500 from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Pounds of trash and tires collected from other districts included:

Westmoreland 15,665
Washington 11,130
Tioga              10,380
Allegheny      645
Clarion           555
Butler            340
Schuylkill       335
Jefferson       320
Pike                320
Mifflin            200
Lebanon        180

The total pounds of trash and tires reported was 40,070!

PACD is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 “Home is Where the Habitat Is” statewide poster contest.

The winners and the county conservation district that submitted the posters are:

Category: Kindergarten through First Grade

• Olive Volpe, Blair County Conservation District

Category: Second through Third Grades

• Aiden German, Columbia County Conservation District

Category: Fourth through Sixth Grades

• Cora Petrunak, Lehigh County Conservation District

Category: Seventh through Ninth Grades

• Farrah Leonard, Lehigh County Conservation District

Category: Tenth through Twelfth Grades

• Ella Shultz, Columbia County Conservation District

Each state-level winner will receive $50 and will be submitted for judging in the upcoming national competition this winter. The National Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the national contest. Click here for more information.

Click here to view the individual posters.