Westmoreland Conservation District hosted the 2025 Southwest PA Soil Health Conference in Latrobe, PA, where participants learned about various agricultural innovations. Topics focused on soil health, and included cover crops, riparian buffers, maximizing forage inventory, grazing research, and grant programs available to the agricultural community, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Multiple continuing education credits were available. The project cost $1,941 and was funded through PACD’s CREP mini-grant program.

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.

Lancaster County Conservation District received a billboard donation from Lamar. The district used the donated space to advertise its tree seedling sale. The donation includes 13 locations for two weeks!

This generous donation enhances the district’s efforts to advertise the tree sale and inspires more people to plant trees.

Submitted by Matthew Long, Manager, Lycoming County Conservation District

Lycoming County Conservation District hosted their 2nd Annual Ag lunch on February 25, 2025, in Williamsport, PA. It was a successful event that brought together farmers and several partnering agencies, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency, Penn State Extension, and Stroud Water Research Center.

Representatives from PA Representative Jamie Flick’s office and U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson’s office were also present, further strengthening the event’s connection to local government support.

The gathering provided an opportunity for farmers to enjoy a meal, network with experts, and earn spray credits while learning about sustainable practices. This event was attended by 67 individuals, which represented a large increase from last year’s turnout. The collaboration between these agencies and government representatives highlights the importance of partnerships in promoting conservation and education within the farming community.

It’s time to RSVP for your spring region meeting! All meetings will be held in person, with the option to attend virtually. Please click on your region meeting below for RSVP information and other details.

Items for discussion include a proposed three-year dues schedule and an update on PACD strategic planning.

PACD South Central Region Meeting
March 19, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

PACD North Central Region Meeting
March 25, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

PACD South East Region Meeting
March 27, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

PACD South West Region Meeting
April 10, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

PACD North West Region Meeting
April 17, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Lawrence County Department of Public Safety, New Castle, PA (New Location)

PACD North East Region Meeting
April 25, 2025 | 10:00 a.m.
Schuylkill Conservation District, Pottsville, PA

 

Clean Water Academy is excited to launch our new Lunch & Learn Webinar Series! Our first session will take place on Thursday, March 27, from Noon–1:00 p.m. and will feature David Wise, Watershed Restoration Manager at Stroud Water Research Center.

David will present “The Overlooked Half of Forested Buffers: Stream Ecology and Trees,” exploring the critical connections between stream health and riparian forests. This session will provide valuable insights into how trees influence stream ecology and why they are essential for watershed restoration.

Grab your lunch and join us for this engaging and informative discussion! Click here to learn more and register. Registration is free but required.

Stay tuned for more Lunch & Learn sessions in the coming months!

Jefferson County Conservation District recently held a Farmer Workshop in Brookville, PA. The workshop included presentations on manure management guidelines, improving soil health, and pond management. Each presentation reviewed the impacts of nonpoint source pollution and conservation practices that keep manure, sediment, and pesticides out of our waterways.

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.

 

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award®.

The award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land.

Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present Leopold Conservation Awards to private landowners in 28 states. In Pennsylvania, the $10,000 award is presented with The Heinz Endowments, Horizon Farm Credit, and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Award nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may nominate themselves. The nomination form can be found at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/ApplyLCA.

The nomination deadline date is August 1, 2025. Nominations must be emailed to PennsylvaniaLCA@sandcountyfoundation.org.

The Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the generous support from American Farmland Trust, The Heinz Endowments, Horizon Farm Credit, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Sand County Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and The Nature Conservancy.

For more information on the award, visit www.leopoldconservationaward.org.

Over 75 conservation district personnel and partner staff attended the three Employment Law for Conservation Districts seminars on February 18, 19, and 20. Adam Long of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC presented the seminars on best practices for hiring and managing employees, wage and hour laws, leave rights, policy review and updates, discriminatory harassment, and employment law trends for 2025 and beyond.

A seminar reference book is posted at Building for Tomorrow, and a follow-up webinar to address detailed employment law and policy questions is scheduled for March 18.

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.

Individuals working in agricultural conservation can dive into professional development opportunities by attending the “ACAP Ag Conservation Con,” April 1-3, 2025, at Best Western Premier: The Central Hotel and Conference Center at 800 East Park Drive in Harrisburg, PA.

This conference is designed for conservation district employees, agricultural conservation professionals, and anyone associated with the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) or other conservation financial assistance programs.

Click here for more information and to register. A discounted early registration fee of $55 is available through March 7, 2025.

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension was formed in 2023 along with partners at the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) and the Pennsylvania State Office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Funding for the center is provided through the state Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP). 

Pennsylvania Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has provided $500,000 per super gauge for the U.S. Geological Service to install and monitor super gauge monitoring stations at the following locations: Chiques Creek – Lancaster County, Swatara Creek, and Dauphin County. The newest ones being installed are on Swift Run – Adams County, Towanda Creek – Bradford County, Saucony Creek – Berks County, Fishing Creek – Clinton County, and Conneaut Creek – Crawford County. The real-time, continuous sampling devices contain sensors capable of collecting data on temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, nitrites, and turbidity.

Increments of monitoring will be every 15 minutes. This is a significant departure from monitoring samples that occurred during high flow or on an established date once per month. Other factors are estimated using a surrogate regression model. For instance, suspended sediment is determined via turbidity measurements while total nitrogen is calculated from nitrate and nitrite levels, and total phosphorus is predicted from temperature, specific conductance, and turbidity. This information is useful in determining water quality and provides an indication of the results of conservation efforts higher in the watershed.

The map above shows current National Water Quality Initiative watersheds in the state as well as the location of the USGS Super Gauge sites that NRCS has allocated funds to install. It is anticipated that NRCS will continue to support these super gauge stations for the next ten years.