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.

This year’s 102/105 Topic-based Technical Training took place April 10-12, 2018, at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. A record 125 participants from 47 conservation districts and the PA Department of Environmental Protection received in-depth training on Post Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM), Chapter 105, and other topics that support clean, accessible, water for Pennsylvania’s citizens.

This annual 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.

On April 5, PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Northumberland County for the district’s legislative breakfast. During the breakfast, the district thanked state legislators and the commissioners for their continued support.

On April 6, 2018, a retirement party was held for Pike County Conservation District Manager Sally Corrigan in Lake Ariel, PA. The event was attended by both the conservation community and elected officials. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Pike County for the event. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement, Sally!

 

The Blair Conservation District held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, March 29, 2018, for Blair County’s first environmental-specific park. The park, located at 10 Bedford Street in the Borough of Hollidaysburg, has been named “NatureWorksPark”.

Construction is slated to be completed by late summer 2018 and will include a walkway with instructional signage, a mitigated wetland and boardwalk, a pollinator garden, “soft access” to the Beaverdam Branch of the Juniata River, two pavilions, an amphitheater, demonstration areas for plants/crops, stormwater alternatives, riparian buffer establishment, and wetlands.

The project was partially funded by a $250,000 grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,  and $4,000 from the Altoona Sunrise Rotary, . The remainder of the funds will come from the Conservation District Account funded by the Public Utility Commission through the Marcellus Shale program.

Click here to read the entire press release.

The Washington County Conservation District and the Greene County Conservation District used Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant funds (administered by PACD) to produce a video of a municipal streambank tour and restoration event.

The video highlights the event and provides basic information about stream banks and restoration. So far, the Washington County Conservation District has received two calls from residents who saw the video and want to conduct restoration projects on their property.

The video can be accessed at the following URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W52sKqAI_AQ

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.

 

 

Thirty individuals attended Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Basic Level April 2-6, 2018, at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and affiliates, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection.

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.