Submitted by Jennifer Bratthauar, Ag Conservation Technician, Franklin County Conservation District

The Franklin County Conservation District (FCCD) held its second annual Summer Conservation Farm Tour on August 1, 2017, which was made possible through a PACD Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant. In addition to recognizing the FCCD’s Conservation Farmer of the Year, this tour also provides attendees with a first-hand look at best management practices that reduce soil and nutrient runoff leaving the farm.

Click here to read more.

 

Submitted by Kent Himelright, Watershed Coordinator, Berks County Conservation District

In 2016, the Berks County Water & Sewer Association and the Berks County Planning Commission were interested in developing a county-wide program to combine source water protection and stormwater management activities. By working with a number of local water systems, they helped develop a program that would implement management strategies that crossed both watershed and municipality boundaries.

Community water systems use a variety of surface waterways and groundwater wells and springs to provide safe, clean, drinking water to about 70% of Berks County residents. To help protect the drinking water, water systems representatives and volunteers from other local agencies, organizations, and businesses, worked with the Department of Environmental Protection and other partners to develop a source water protection program. This voluntary program will help ensure the quality of the watershed, and will benefit not only the people served by these systems, but also the people living and working in the county. Some management strategies include public education, partnering with the Berks County Department of Emergency Services, and working with local businesses to reduce pollutants entering the watershed.

Along with source water protection, the program will assist participants with some stormwater management solutions required by Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requirements. Staff from the Berks County Conservation District will provide ongoing leadership for the program, which will be funded through donations and fundraisers from the Berks County Water and Sewer Association.

For more information, please contact Kent Himelright at Kent.Himelright@berkscd.com.

On August 22, 2017, the Cumberland County Conservation District held their annual conservation district picnic. During the picnic, the district presented several awards.

Ag Progress Days at Penn State was held August 15-17, 2017. PACD organized a booth for conservation districts to speak with attendees.

Several volunteers made the booth possible: Ann Donovan (Centre), Eric Naguski (Dauphin), Eric Ernst (Union), Shanon Burkland Stamm (Union), Abbe Hamilton (Huntingdon), Pierce Wilson (Fayette), Joe Dietrick (Westmoreland), and Rob Shannon (Centre). Thank you for your time and for helping to make the booth a success!

As is their custom, the Pennsylvania House and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees held a joint informational meeting on August 16, 2017 at Ag Progress Days. The session covered the state’s contributions to the multi-state effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay. The second hearing was organized by Congressman Thompson and addressed the state of agriculture in Pennsylvania in front of a panel consisting of the PA Farm Bureau President, two congressmen, and the Secretary of Agriculture. 

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh provided testimony during these two sessions. Click here to read the text of Shambaugh’s testimony titled, “Conservation District Activities within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” and here for “Barnyard Discussion: Issues Driving the State of Pennsylvania Agriculture.”

Click here to read more about the meeting. 

 

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Outreach Program Office (hosted by PACD) is hosting a series of workshops in the Delaware River Basin (DRB). The purpose of the workshops is to ensure CREP partners, associates, and district staff understand the program and to introduce CREP to landowners and producers. The workshops are focused on introducing CREP in the seven PA DRB counties; however, they are open to partners and producers outside those counties.

CREP Partners and Associates Workshop
Attendees will leave with a basic understanding of CREP, including eligibility, benefits, and responsibilities. They will be able to respond to inquiries about CREP, direct potential applicants to the proper agencies, and identify producers and sites that may be eligible for CREP. Click the link below for more information or to register.

• Lehigh County – August 22, 2017

CREP Landowner/Producer Workshops

These workshops are open to all landowners who would like to learn about CREP and see if it is a good fit for their situation. Farmers can register online or by calling the Montgomery or Monroe Conservation District offices. See the links below for more information, district contacts, or to register online.

• Montgomery County – September 7, 2017
• Monroe County – September 19, 2017

Please feel free to share this information with interested contacts and partners, and to invite any producers in the DRB who may be interested in the CREP program. Contact Terry Fisher at PACD with any questions or for additional information at 717-238-7223 or tfisher@pacd.org.

By Jason Childs, Potter County Conservation District Manager

On Wednesday July 26, 2017, a volunteer crew cleaned up the Allegheny River from Burtville to Port Allegany. Lots of junk and litter was collected making our river a better place to paddle.

Many thanks to our partners: McKean County Conservation District, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Pennsoil RC & D, Liberty Township, Potter County Conservation District, Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, and PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

On July 26, 2017 Tioga County Conservation District held a Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Bridge Demo Day at Salt Spring Road in Liberty to educate local Municipalities on how to construct a GRS Bridge.

The Salt Spring Road project includes the replacement of two double pipe structures in close proximity to one another. Both structures created complete barriers to aquatic organism passage (AOP), including native brook trout. By removing the two structures and constructing GRS Bridges, approximately 11 miles of stream will be open to AOP, connecting the entire main stem of Salt Spring Run.

Funding for this project was provided through the Penn State Dirt and Gravel/Low Volume Road Program, Liberty Township, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

 

 

Mark your calendars for July 15-18, 2018, because the 2018 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Northeast Regional Meeting is coming to Pennsylvania! The meeting will be held in conjunction with the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel in Lancaster, PA. Look to future editions of Front Page for more information.

PACD is pleased to announce the five state level winners of the National Association of Conservation Districts 2017 “Healthy Soils are Full of Life!” poster contest.

The winners in each age category are:

K – 1^st Grade: Elijah Ritter, Delaware County
2^nd – 3^rd Grade: Shreeya Ilayanambi, Delaware County
4^th – 6^th Grade: Hanna Winslow, Berks County
7^th – 9^th Grade: Hailey Keperling, Berks County
10^th – 12^th Grade: Anna Rihan, Delaware County

To promote the idea that healthy soil affects many aspects of life, students from kindergarten through twelfth grades entered posters conveying their thoughts and ideas through original artwork. Submissions were judged based on the entry’s conservation message, visual effectiveness, originality, and universal appeal.

PACD thanks all of the participants in the contest for their interest and dedication to conservation. Best wishes to the state level winners in the upcoming national judging competition. Click here for images of the winning posters.

Click here for more information about the NACD poster contest.