In April, Lebanon County Conservation District held a rain barrel workshop with funding from the PACD Nonpoint Source Pollution Educational Mini-Grant Program. Twenty-five people were educated on the topic of nonpoint source pollution and the water quality of local waterways. The district also held a brief demonstration of rain barrel installation and maintenance. The district distributed twenty-five rain barrels to workshop participants through this grant.

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.

This Friday, June 13, is the last day to get in on early-bird rates to save up to $30 on registration for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference!

The meeting will be held from July 15 to 17, 2025, at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA. If you’re arriving early, have some fun in the great outdoors and take in the beauty of the Laurel Highlands with one of our preconference activities on July 15 from 1:00 PM-4:30 PM.

Golf Outing: Highlands Golf Club at Seven Springs

Join Berks County Conservation District Manager Dean Druckenmiller for a scramble-format golf outing at the beautiful Highlands Golf Club at Seven Springs, which offers fun and challenging course featuring picturesque views of the Laurel Highlands. Berks will even throw in a sleeve of three balls for each player! A charge of $44 per person will cover a golf cart and greens fees.

Biking and Hiking at Ohiopyle State Park

Not a golfer? Join Emil Bove with the Westmoreland Conservation District for a scenic bike ride. Get to know the Youghiogheny river with Riverkeeper Eric Harder before riding the scenic Youghiogheny River Trail to Confluence. If you’d rather enjoy a day of hiking, exploring Ohiopyle, or just enjoying nature on your own, the park offers plenty of options, including hiking trails from easy to challenging. These activities are free to participate!

Click here for more information and to register. 

 

PACD will hold its summer committee meetings via videoconference in June and July prior to the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. The meetings are open to conservation district directors, associate directors, staff, partner agency staff, and invited guests. Registration for each meeting is free and required. Please email the listed contact to request a registration link:

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference
June 18, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. –11:00 a.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link.

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference
Contact hmiller@pacd.org for a registration link.
June 20, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Education & Outreach Committee Video Conference
Contact swehinger@pacd.org for a registration link.
June 24, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference
June 30, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link.

PACD Ways & Means Committee Video Conference
Contact abrown@pacd.org for a registration link.
July 10, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference
July 11, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link.

July 15–17, 2025 | Seven Springs Mountain Resort 

Step beyond the traditional conference experience and immerse yourself in current conservation work! This summer, the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference is offering two unforgettable immersive experiences designed to inspire and educate you about issues shaping Pennsylvania’s conservation landscape.

• Solar Production Track: Large-Scale Solar in Pennsylvania

Discover the power and potential of solar energy in the Keystone State. Explore key topics like solar leases, environmental considerations, decommissioning, and how conservation districts can support informed landowner decisions. Cap it all off with an exclusive guided tour of an operational solar facility—see solar energy in action!

• Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) Track: Oven Run—A Restoration Success Story

Journey through time and transformation as you learn about the five-system Oven Run AMD project, launched in the 1990s and revitalized over two decades later. See how cutting-edge treatment systems have dramatically improved water quality in the Stonycreek River watershed, then venture out for a field tour of one of the restored sites!

These tracks aren’t just sessions—they’re experiences. Roll up your sleeves, ask questions, and get inspired by the conservation projects happening right here in Pennsylvania. 

Don’t miss out! Click here to learn more and register now. 

Register by June 14 to save $30 with Early Bird pricing!

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the award of $17.5 million in Outreach and Technical Assistance grants to 161 conservation districts in 45 states and territories.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the NACD Outreach and Technical Assistance Grant Program advances the adoption of conservation practices by increasing the capacity of conservation districts across the country to provide technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards. This assistance includes developing conservation plans, designing conservation practices, enrolling producers in conservation programs, and supporting practice implementation.

Pennsylvania’s recipients include:

• Bucks County Conservation District 
• Lehigh County Conservation District 
• Northampton County Conservation District 

Click here to read more. 

The Westmoreland Conservation District hosted a bike ride along the Great Allegheny Passage as a way to educate participants about water quality issues in the county. During the 7 mile (roundtrip) ride, the 26 participants made multiple stops that showcased water quality improvement initiatives, such as abandoned mine site reclamation, mine drainage treatment, streambank stabilization, stream water quality testing, and illegal tire dumping in the river. Speakers on the trip included staff from the district, Tetra Tech, and the Mountain Watershed Association.

The events were funded by a nonpoint source mini-grant from PACD, Flat Tire Co., and Bove Engineering. 

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.

Leadership Development is posting a monthly series of short videos in 2025 to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics. The June installment of the series includes a discussion on voting abstentions, reasons for abstaining, and best practices for handling abstentions in your board meetings, as well as links to reference articles on parliamentary procedure.

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.

Penn State Ag Progress Days will be held August 12-14, 2025, at the Russell E. Larson Agriculture Research Center at 2710 West Pine Grove Road in Pennsylvania Furnace. Nine miles southwest of State College, PA, this event will feature the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs, and guided tours.

This event is an excellent opportunity to call attention to the work and programs accomplished by the conservation districts.

We are looking for volunteers for the conservation district booth for this event (2 volunteers are needed per shift). If you’d like to schedule a shift, send your name, contact information, and preferred shift(s) to swehinger@pacd.org.                                                                          

• Tuesday, August 12: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 13: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.   (1 volunteer needed)   
• Wednesday, August 13: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Thursday, August 14: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

When available, volunteers will be sent a final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information. For more information on Ag Progress Days, visit their website at https://agsci.psu.edu/apd.

 

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend your fall PACD region meeting!

September 29, 2025
PACD North West Region Meeting
Elk County Visitor Center, Benezette, PA

September 30, 2025
PACD South West Region Meeting
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

October 9, 2025
PACD North East Region Meeting
Pike County Conservation District, Hawley, PA

October 14, 2025
PACD North Central Region Meeting
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

October 16, 2025
PACD South Central Region Meeting
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

October 30, 2025
PACD South East Region Meeting
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

Fifty-three learners from 31 conservation districts and the PA Department of Environmental Protection convened for Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training at the Red Lion Harrisburg-Hershey in Harrisburg, PA, May 19-23, 2025.

Participants engaged in a combination of hands-on classroom learning, fieldwork, and presentations on erosion and sedimentation control topics, such as safety on the job site and how to conduct a technical plan review. The field day featured strategically placed learning stations at two sites, each in a different stage of construction. Special thanks to the Cumberland County Conservation District for hosting the field day—everyone’s favorite part of the week!

This 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.