The Sunshine Act is clear that public meetings should be held at public buildings with open public participation whenever possible. If an official emergency declaration prevents that from happening, a meeting via teleconference, webinar, or other electronic method that allows for two-way communication is permissible in most circumstances. (Some agencies may be governed by laws which add requirements beyond those included in the Sunshine Act.)
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It is with sadness that we report the passing of Pat Sueck, former PACD President, on March 13, 2020.
Pat was first appointed to the Board of the York County Conservation District in 1990. In 1998 Pat was elected as the PACD President and served in that position for two years. For 18 years, she served as the PACD representative to the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) representing
Pennsylvania at the national and regional levels. Pat kept busy promoting conservation at countless NACD annual and regional conventions, legislative “fly-ins” to D.C., and Envirothon events at the county, state, and national levels. Pat has chaired the NACD North East Education Committee and served as the NACD North East President. She was also a member of the National Conservation Foundation, which is now the home of the National Envirothon. Pat was the recipient of the District Special Service Award in 1998, the NACD President’s Award in 2010, and the PACD Distinguished Service Award in 2012.
Her dedication to conservation and agriculture was apparent to anyone who met her. Her warmth, caring, and leadership in the conservation community will be missed.
Click here to read her obituary.
New dates have been announced for the 102/105 Basic and Topic-based Technical Training sessions. Both sessions are open to the conservation district and PA Department of Environmental Protection staff who work with the Chapter 102 and 105 programs. At this time, we anticipate opening Basic registration in April and Topic-based registration in mid-summer. We thank our registrants for their patience and understanding during this process.
The new dates are:
June 16-19, 2020
102/105 Basic Technical Training
Wyndham State College, Boalsburg, PA
September 16-18, 2020
102/105 Topic-based Technical Training
Wyndham State College, Boalsburg, PA
March 31 Records Retention Webinar postponed, Staff Conference session video available for viewing
The Records Retention for Conservation Districts webinar scheduled for March 31, 2020, has been postponed. Stay tuned for an announcement on rescheduling for April. In the meantime, videos for the Records Retention and Prevailing Wage sessions at the 2020 Staff Conference are now available for viewing at the Building for Tomorrow website.
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.
The Agriculture Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training Basic and Level II are rescheduled. Participants in Basic received updated information for the webinar sessions and in-person field days this fall. Level II applicants will receive the rescheduled dates once they are confirmed.
The following trainings will be rescheduled due to the coronavirus.
Additionally, all six of the PACD region meetings will be held via webinar. Check PACD’s events page at https://pacd.org/?page_id=65 for the latest information including the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training.
PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Potter County on March 6, 2020, for the district’s legislative luncheon.
The luncheon was held at the beautiful Susquehannock Lodge and Trail Center. It was a productive afternoon with district and legislative updates and a question and answer session. The event is a way to showcase efforts and discuss conservation issues and policies throughout the Commonwealth. The district staff and board have been busy planning and constructing numerous projects to conserve our natural resources in Potter County. Also, the district has been actively assisting and educating farmers and the general public on local resource concerns.
On January 9, 2020, Jefferson Conservation District hosted an “Erosion and Sedimentation Control in our Forests” Workshop for foresters, loggers and contractors at the Cobblestone Inn in Punxsutawney.
Presenters from Bureau of Forestry, PA Fish and Boat Commission, Armstrong Conservation District, Clarion Conservation District and Jefferson Conservation District provided attendees with a wide variety of information about topics including erosion and sedimentation control, Chapter 105 regulations, invasive plant species and ticks, fish and boat regulations, and insects and forest health.
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.
Pennsylvania’s county conservation districts were awarded over $67,000 for forty-one pollution reduction projects in twenty-nine counties. These projects educate adults on water pollution prevention. Projects are funded through the Non-point Source (NPS) Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant Program. The projects will take place over the next year.
Click here to read the entire press release and here for a summary of funded projects.
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.
Close to 4,000 township officials and guests from all over Pennsylvania will attend the annual Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) Conference and Trade Show. Once again, there will be a conservation district booth at the show, which runs from Sunday, May 3, to Tuesday, May 5, 2020.
We are looking for volunteers for the following shifts:
Please consider volunteering for a morning or afternoon shift at the conservation district booth. PSATS is a valuable opportunity to promote districts, explain the type of work they do, and reinforce existing relationships with local township officials.
Contact Jann McNamara at jmcnamara@pacd.org or 717-238-7223 to volunteer.