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For the first time, an additional session of the Intro to Conservation Planning course will be offered.

PACD is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to deliver a three-day Introduction to Conservation Planning course. This free training is scheduled for May 7-9, 2024, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey Area) in Grantville, PA.

This training is only for those interested in writing conservation plans and becoming an NRCS Certified Conservation Planner or apprentice.

If you are interested in taking this training, please begin the process of getting an AgLearn account NOW! Please contact Dan Ludwig at 717-237-2256 or dan.ludwig@usda.gov before attempting to register for access to AgLearn or obtaining a USDA eAuthentication account. There is a prerequisite, and it can take months to get an account, so please don’t delay. Click here for information on the prerequisite. 

The event is for entry-level employees of all organizations in Pennsylvania delivering conservation planning technical assistance, including, but not limited to, NRCS, conservation districts, SCC, farmland preservation entities, and non-profits. The training is free, and lunch will be provided.

The application period opens in early January. To receive notification when the application period opens, email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

The 2024 Staff Training Workshop, Emotional Intelligence: Applications for Wellbeing, is scheduled for five locations across the state in February and March. This interactive workshop will include a presentation, group discussion, and activities focusing on concrete applications of emotional intelligence (EI). Workshop attendees will learn techniques and practices to develop and support EI both in and out of the workplace and gain a greater awareness of leadership derailers. EI: Applications for Wellbeing will be facilitated by Sarah Colantonio, founding partner at Lancaster-based Work Wisdom LLC and a previous workshop facilitator at the 2023 Management Summit and Emerging Leaders Pre-Con. Workshops are scheduled for 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. and are open to all conservation district staff. Registration is $35 per attendee, which includes all workshop materials, coffee and beverage service starting at 9:45 a.m., and a lunch buffet from Noon–12:45 p.m. Visit Building for Tomorrow to register.

Our 2024 Winter Webinar Series, Understanding Time Management, is scheduled for three Wednesdays, January 31, February 7, and February 14. This three-part series will examine strategies and methods based on three key time management principles, demonstrate the purpose and value of common time management tools, and uncover the causes of procrastination and ways to eliminate it. Click here to register.

Reminder: Mark your calendars for the 4th Annual Conservation District Video Awards! Tune in on Thursday, February 15, as we screen video entries from across the state, speak with some of the staff who created them, and learn which district will bring home the coveted CONDIVA trophy for 2023. All districts that produced video content this year are encouraged to submit an entry form for 2024.

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.

 

BCTV.org recently released a video on urban agriculture programs. The video features Briana Johanson, Agriculture Resource Conservationist, and host Ryan Bradley, Clean City Coordinator for the City of Reading, discussing urban agriculture programs offered by the Berks County Conservation District.

Click here to watch the video. 

On October 20, 2023, ninety-eight farmers and agency employees attended an educational grazing field day titled “Harvesting Abundance: Sustainability in our Grazing Havens,” held at the Wilson Land & Cattle Co. in Tionesta, PA.

Most attendees plan to implement the conservation practices they learned, including soil health improvement, rotational grazing, biodiversity, and non-point source pollution reduction via cover crop planting with a no-till planter.

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.

The Beaver County Conservation District has been certified as a Stewardship Forest. Jessica Pierce, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Service forester, recently presented the district with a sign noting this achievement. The Forest Stewardship Program is designed to promote the wise use and sustained benefits of forest resources.

To obtain this certification, the district developed a Forest Management Plan to guide the management of the forest resources on the Environmental Center grounds.

The plan has four key goals, which include:

1. Restoration of Native Ecosystems-Forest Health
2. Increase Opportunities for Outdoor Environmental Education
3. Improve Wildlife Habitat
4. Encourage Passive Recreation

This plan details the major forest habitat types and how they will be managed over the next ten years. This plan complements the existing land management and integrated pest management plans previously developed for the environmental center grounds.

The forests and wetlands at the district environmental center grounds are open to the public for hiking, bird watching, and a host of other outdoor pursuits. Come visit the grounds and enjoy the forest!

Register for the 2024 PACD Winter Meeting today! The 2024 PACD Winter Meeting will take place as a series of videoconferences. All six committee meetings and PACD Executive Council will take place via Zoom, with the option to participate online or via phone.

Registration is free and required. You will need to register for each activity separately. To register, please click on the meeting you would like to attend.

Registration for PACD Executive Council:

PACD Executive Council Videoconference
January 25, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Email mburns@pacd.org for a link to register.

Registration for PACD Committees:

PACD Conservation Committee Videoconference
January 5, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Email mburns@pacd.org for a link to register.

PACD District Employees Committee Videoconference
January 12, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Email hmiller@pacd.org for a link to register.

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Videoconference
January 11, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Email swehinger@pacd.org for a link to register.

PACD Legislative Committee Videoconference
January 17, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Email mburns@pacd.org for a link to register.

PACD Ways and Means Committee Videoconference
January 18, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Email abrown@pacd.org for a link to register.

PACD Operations Committee Videoconference
January 19, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Email mburns@pacd.org for a link to register.

Registrants will receive a confirmation email with information to participate via Zoom or phone. Meeting materials will be distributed prior to the meeting.

Video and slides for the first two sessions of the 2023 Fall Leadership Series are posted at Building for Tomorrow. The final webinar in our 2023 Fall series is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13, and will focus on identifying gaps in insurance coverage. Click here to register.

All districts that produced video content this year are encouraged to submit their entries for the 4^th Annual Conservation District Video Awards, scheduled for February 15. The deadline for entries is December 29, 2023.

Strategic Planning Grants are available for 2024. Districts considering strategic planning in the coming year can visit Building for Tomorrow or contact Matt Miller, LD Program Manager mmiller@pacd.org 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.

From: “Conservation Assistance to Farmers” article from WCD Landmarks High Points November 2023 Newsletter.

John Kitz, who recently received the 2023 Conservation Farmer of the Year award from the Westmoreland Conservation District, is now the first farmer in the county to receive funding from the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, or ACAP. Conservation improvements on John Kitz’s Mount Pleasant farm include fencing along streambanks, a stabilized cattle crossing, streambank stabilization, a water trough, a stabilized animal heavy-use area, subsurface drainage, a livestock watering ramp, subdivision fencing, and a riparian buffer with approximately 385 trees and shrubs. Upon completion, approximately 3,500 feet of stream will be improved.

ACAP was created through the Clean Streams Fund to reduce nonpoint source pollution in Pennsylvania’s waterways. It provides funding and technical assistance to implement best management practices on agricultural lands. Funding for the program is provided through local conservation districts. 

Click here to read more and to see before and after photos.

Submitted by Barry Spangler, Ag Conservation Technician, Snyder County Conservation District

The Snyder County Conservation District held a Farming for the Future Day event at the Middlecreek Valley Antique Association Grounds in Selinsgrove on November 1, 2023. Eighteen farmers, landowners, consultants, and conservationists attended the event.

Click here to read more and see more photos. 

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.