Regional Conservation Partnership Program: “CCCD Partnership for Chesapeake Bay Water Quality”

Submitted by Dan Miloser, Agricultural Team Leader, Chester County Conservation District

The Chester County Conservation District (CCCD) is proud to announce its award for $3.6 million to fund Farm Bill financial assistance applicants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by working with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and agricultural consultants to develop plans and install conservation practices.

CCCD proposed that applicants be given a higher ranking score based on willingness to implement or maintain a stream buffer and commitment to work with one or more of the district’s partners to develop plans and/or best management practices (BMPs). As part of a new initiative for this program, CCCD staff will conduct site visits with each landowner after his or her contract is complete to ensure continued operation and maintenance of onsite BMPs.

In response to the nationwide RCPP announcement, CCCD Managing Director Chris Strohmaier said, “As a result of an increased demand for funding to implement BMPs in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the Chester County District is very excited to have been awarded funds through RCPP to supplement our traditional funding allocations to continue our mission of: Conserving Soil for Clean Water.” 

Click here for more information on RCPP.

On April 19, Lycoming County Conservation District held a legislative breakfast. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Williamsport, PA for the event. Three legislators in attendance spoke about how they are supporting conservation and agriculture.

Click here to read a news article on the event.

Twenty-six individuals attended Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Level II April 23-27, 2018, at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and affiliates, local agricultural preservation boards, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection.

The Level II training consists of two learning tracks: agronomy and engineering. The two tracks allow participants to focus more deeply on their area of study. The event features a balance of classroom work and field work to give participants hands-on experience.

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.

 

Introducing PACD’s New Conservation Engineer in the Somerset Office Danielle Kalp!

Danielle is the PACD Conservation Engineer for the Southwest Region. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering Technology in 2008. She is a licensed Professional Engineer, certified Sewage Enforcement Officer, and certified Bridge Safety Inspector. Her prior experience includes wastewater treatment, water treatment, geotechnical, and structural engineering.

In her spare time, Danielle enjoys spending time in nature, including fishing, hunting, backpacking, and gardening. She also raises chickens and brain tans animal pelts.

Danielle can be reached at dkalp@pacd.org.

Introducing PACD’S New Program Manager Amy Salansky!
By Amy Salansky, PACD Program Manager, asalansky@pacd.org

Before coming to PACD, I worked for ten years with the Luzerne Conservation District as a Conservation Agricultural Specialist. Coordinating the yearly envirothon, writing and implementing growing greener grants, working with PA Department of Environmental Protection special projects, PACD mini-grants, REAP, and Farmland Preservation, and assisting with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Conservation Planning are some of the highlights of my position at the district.

I was raised on a dairy farm in Maryland, where I learned about conservation and conservation districts, and for the past 20 years have raised horses, hogs, sheep, and dairy heifers for my daughters’ 4H projects. I have three beautiful daughters, one grandson (whom I spoil to death) and two more grandsons on the way in June and July. I couldn’t be more excited.

In April 2018, I moved from my Luzerne County home to a home in Lebanon County.

I am super excited to be able to work here at PACD in Harrisburg and continue to work with all my conservation district counterparts.

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) held their 96^th Educational Conference and Trade Show April 22-25, 2018, in Hershey, PA. PACD sponsored a booth at the show.

Thank you to Jefferson County Conservation District Manager Deb Wilson, and Bedford County Conservation District staff Mike Felix and Rylan Schnably, for meeting with attendees and promoting the good work of conservation districts across the state!

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.

Pennsylvania’s county conservation districts were awarded $39,390 for fourteen projects in fourteen counties. The funds were provided by the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Mini-grant Program. Conservation districts will use these grants to work with landowners to prevent pollution in our streams, lakes, and rivers. Projects will take place over the next twelve months.

The following projects were awarded up to $3,000 each as a part of the 2018–2019 CREP Mini-grant round:

County Conservation District	Amount Awarded
Berks	$3,000
Bradford	$3,000
Centre	$2,995
Clarion	$2,000
Columbia	$3,000
Cumberland	$2,440
Greene	$3,000
Jefferson	$2,555
Lancaster	$3,000
Northumberland	$3,000
Perry	$3,000
Sullivan	$2,400
Tioga	$3,000
Wyoming	$3,000

 

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.

Click here to read more about CREP. 

Twenty-three innovative and impassioned initiatives in Pennsylvania were chosen by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to receive the prestigious 2018 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

“DEP received more than 60 applications, which we evaluated for their degree of environmental protection, innovation, partnership efforts, economic impact, consideration of climate change and sustainability, and results achieved,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “It’s an honor to recognize the tremendous impact many Pennsylvanians have in protecting our air, land, and water.”

Potter County Conservation District’s “Water Quality Protection and Education Initiative at Ludington Run and Beyond” was selected to receive the award. The conservation district developed a comprehensive plan to improve water quality and habitat restoration to Ludington Run. Stream bedding materials are enhancing successful fish spawning, runoff carrying sediment and pollutants is discharging in a safe manner, and stream plantings are stabilizing the soil and reversing the trend of thermal pollution.

Click here to read the entire press release. 

Governor Tom Wolf announced the investment of $60 million for twelve drinking water, wastewater, and non-point source projects across twelve counties through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).

Chester County Conservation District received a $327,400 grant to cover costs related to manure storage, concrete heavy use areas, riparian buffers, stream bank fencing, cattle walkways, and storm water controls on a county farm.

Click here to read more. 

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.