Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts

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

PACD Hosts Virtual Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting

(top left) Second Place: Morning Survey by Bernie Scalzo with Wyoming County Conservation District; (top right) Third Place: Fall in Beech Creek by Ivie Foster with Centre County Conservation District; (middle left) People’s Choice: Green Frog in the Water by Ivie Foster, Centre County Conservation District; (middle right) Honorable Mention: Dutchman Run Under the Railbed by Cori Trice with Chester County Conservation District; and (bottom) First Place: Logging in Some River Time by John Levitsky with Luzerne Conservation District.

Ninety-three conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners participated in the 24th Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place virtually October 1-3, 2024. Watershed specialists learned about PFAS and emerging contaminants from the perspectives of surface water monitoring and safe drinking water, explored the project bidding process, learned about climate change data and initiatives in Pennsylvania, discovered what the science says about water quality in the Susquehanna, and shared project successes and lessons learned. Many thanks to our presenters for sharing their time and expertise.

The conservation district watershed specialists also hold a photo contest during their annual meeting. Here are the 2024 results:

  • First Place: Logging in Some River Time by John Levitsky with Luzerne Conservation District
  • Second Place: Morning Survey by Bernie Scalzo with Wyoming County Conservation District
  • Third Place: Fall in Beech Creek by Ivie Foster with Centre County Conservation District
  • People’s Choice: Green Frog in the Water by Ivie Foster, Centre County Conservation District
  • Honorable Mention: Dutchman Run Under the Railbed by Cori Trice with Chester County Conservation District

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all those who participated in the contest. It’s great to see photos from across the state! Click here to view the full versions of the winning photos. 

 

 

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Clean Water Academy – Check Out These Course Highlights!

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Qualified Visual Site Inspector (QVSI) Training Program 

Summary: This training program is comprised of five courses and is for anyone responsible for conducting visual site inspections of earth disturbance activities under Chapter 102. Completing the QVSI Training Program is one of three options in the 2024 PAG-02 General Permit for demonstrating that someone is qualified to conduct inspections on construction sites with PAG-02 coverage. Once all courses are complete, a Record of Completion can be printed and used to verify program completion.

Foundational GIS Pro Training (you must be logged in to view this course)

Summary: This course aims to give you well-rounded training on ArcGIS Pro and familiarize you with many useful tools and concepts you can utilize. The course will get you started with installation and touch on basics like map design, projections, data gathering, and database creation. The further your progress, the more training you will have that will cover more in-depth processes within the ArcGIS Pro software. Topics and exercises covered are Geo-Referencing, Digitizing, Querying, Exporting, Spatial Joins, Editing, Merging, Appending, and Clipping. Once you have become more comfortable with some of these procedures, you will go through more general to advanced GIS skills exercises involving raster analysis. Afterward, you will run through an actual real-world example utilizing the skills you have learned. Lastly, some additional examples of online GIS tools were made to help you think of how you could use your data online.

Watershed Foundations Training Program 

Summary: This training program is comprised of four courses and is helpful for volunteers interested in conservation, local water quality improvement, and restoration. A Completion Certificate (5 credit hours) is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a Completion Certificate.

Questions about Clean Water Academy? Contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org.

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Register Now for October Management & Leadership Training

Managers – there’s still time to register for Team Management & Strengths-Based Leadership, a one-day training on Wednesday, October 23, at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. The training is open to all district managers and executive directors who have completed a CliftonStrengths assessment. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information. The registration deadline is Thursday, October 17.

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.

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Columbia County Conservation District Holds Water Education Day

Students work at a stream table using flags to identify various parts of a stream, like headwaters, mouth, delta, cut bank, deposition, and erosion. Photo provided by Columbia County Conservation District.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the Columbia County Conservation District held its 8th annual Water Education Day at Briar Creek Lake Park in Berwick. About 240 eighth-grade students from three different school districts in Columbia County attended the event. The students rotated through six stations, learning about various aspects of our water sources, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems.

Click here to read more about the event and to see more photos.

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Cumberland County Conservation District Holds Awards Picnic

District Manager Carl Goshorn (left) and Board Chairman Duff George (right) presented the awards to (left to right) Neil Darhower (Farmer of the Year), Barbara Gleim (Legislator Recognition Award), Mike Wadel of Wadel-Mell Inc. (Erosion Control Clean Water Award), and Darla Romberger (Educator of the Year). Photo provided by Cumberland County Conservation District.

The Cumberland County Conservation District recently held its annual awards picnic and board meeting. The district presented four conservation awards for 2024. They were:

  • Farmer of the Year – Neil Darhower
  • Legislator Recognition Award – Barbara Gleim
  • Erosion Control Clean Water Award – Mike Wadel of Wadel-Mell Inc.
  • Educator of the Year – Darla Romberger

 

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Save the Dates for 2025 Boot Camp Training

Mark your calendars for Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

Basic will be held once, and Level II will be held twice (if needed). Applicants may apply for one and only one of the three training sessions. Do not apply for both levels this spring.

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 11, March 18, and April 4, 2025 (virtual)
March 24-27, 2025 (in-person)
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.
Union County Government Center, Lewisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
March 21 and March 28, 2025 (virtual)
April 7-11, 2025 (in-person)
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II (IF NEEDED)
March 21 and March 28, 2025 (virtual)
April 28-May 2, 2025 (in-person) (if needed)
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

The application period will open in early January 2025. Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org to receive a notification when the application period opens.

The following sponsors make these training opportunities possible: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

 

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Leadership Development Updates

October 23 Training Open to All District Managers Participating in CliftonStrengths

New Manager Training sessions on Team Management and Strength-Based Leadership scheduled for Wednesday, October 23, are now open to all district managers who have participated in the CliftonStrengths Initiative. The training will be held at the Ramada Conference Center State College, is free, includes lunch, and registration is required. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information.

“Back to Basics” Fall Leadership Webinar Series

The 2024 Fall Leadership webinar series includes presentations on Act 217 and Conservation History, Applicable Laws & Policies for Districts, and District Board Function and Engagement. These webinars are open to all district personnel and partners.

Strategic Planning Grants

Reminder: Conservation District Strategic Planning Grants are available for 2025. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information.

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.

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2024 New Manager Training & Management Summit: Inspired!

Summit attendees hiking at Colyer Lake, September 18, 2024.

Sixty-four managers, management staff, and partners attended the 2024 Summit at the Wyndham State College from September 17-19, 2024. Christopher Ridenhour delivered an energizing keynote on Day 1; new managers were introduced and participated in table discussions on capacity building, Carl Deluca presented a PA Department of Environmental Protection update, and Suzanna Windon, Assistant Professor, Youth and Adult Leadership, Penn State Extension spoke on volunteer motivation and engagement. Day 2 featured an Ethics in the Workplace workshop facilitated by Mary Kay Williams. Ten new district managers and 9 partner staff participated in New Manager Training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday.

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.

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Indiana County Hub for the Advancement of Specialty Crops

From https://www.iccdpa.org

The Indiana County Conservation District has created a hub to advance specialty crop production in Indiana County. Their grounds house a greenhouse and high-tunnel, raised garden beds, various species of fruit and nut-producing trees and shrubs, and a row of hops.

Products grown on the grounds are used to populate various community gardens in the county, including the Indiana Community Garden, Chevy Chase Community Garden, and community gardens at various county aging services senior centers.

Photo caption: Photo from https://www.facebook.com/iccdpa.

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Beaver, Blair, and Westmoreland Conservation Districts Hold CREP Workshops

PACD offers mini-grants for conservation districts for up to $3,000 to implement educational and outreach activities that support and extend the work of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

Beaver County Conservation District offered an educational workshop about CREP to 30 landowners. The workshop focused on CREP maintenance, new enrollment, and re-enrollment.

Blair County Conservation District held four multi-functional riparian buffer workshops this year to discuss the benefits of buffers and CREP. Seventy-five people registered for the events. 

Westmoreland Conservation District and partners held a Soil Health Conference that provided information about CREP and its benefits. CREP partners, including the USDA Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, were there to answer questions. Eighty-three landowners and partners attended the conference.

Contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions about the program.

Photo caption: Photos provided by Beaver County Conservation District (top), Blair County Conservation District (middle), and Westmoreland Conservation District (bottom).

Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

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