PACD and the Westmoreland Conservation District invite you to mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2025 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, themed Conservation Led Locally. The event will take place at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA. Sessions and conservation tours will take place July 16-17, but the conference workgroup is planning fun tours and activities the day before, so pencil in July 15 and plan to arrive a day early. To top things off, you may want to stay after the conference or come in even earlier to enjoy all that Seven Springs has to offer. There are plenty of family activities, too, so plan to bring the whole gang!

In addition to time for fun and fellowship, district directors and staff won’t want to miss our informational sessions and conservation tours beginning on July 16. Westmoreland is partnering with the Somerset Conservation District to host a tour of district projects, and Penn State Extension Educator Daniel Brockett will continue our series on large-scale solar farms with a session focusing on farmers, landowners, and considerations for land-use.

Registration will open in April. Stay tuned for more details, including much more on our planned sessions and conservation tours!

This fall, Mercer County Conservation District, along with partners on the local Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) pilot program advisory board offered guided pontoon boat tours of Lake Wilhelm at Maurice K. Goddard State Park.

Advisory members and DCNR staff presented topics on invasive species and how they disrupt lake ecosystems. Past, present, and future projects were also discussed. PA SeaGrant donated 50 PA Field Guides to Aquatic Invasive Species, which were distributed during the tours. The project cost $591.20 in grant funding.

Financial and other support for the PRISM Pilot Program in NW Pennsylvania is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Landscape Scale Restoration Grant with the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) held a tour on November 15, 2024, where they visited and viewed best management practices installed on Snyder County farms to prevent nutrient and sediment pollution. The SCCD cooperated with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Middleburg Field Office on the tour.

Sixteen invitees from the Snyder County Commissioners office, state legislator offices, Snyder County Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program committee, and SCCD Board of Directors and staff met at the SCCD office to start the tour. They visited three recently completed projects receiving financial assistance for BMP installation.

Click here to read the entire article and see more photos. 

Mark your calendars for Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training May 19-23, 2025, at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg-Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. This training is open to conservation district and DEP staff who work with Chapter 102. The curriculum is designed for new or newer conservation district technicians and incorporates classroom learning and a field component. Registration will open in March. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

This training was 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.

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend your spring PACD region meeting! All meetings will be held in person with a virtual option.

PACD South Central Region Meeting
March 19, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

PACD North Central Region Meeting
March 25, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. (NEW DATE)
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

PACD South East Region Meeting
March 27, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

PACD South West Region Meeting
April 10, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

PACD North West Region Meeting
April 17, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Lawrence County Conservation District, New Castle, PA

PACD North East Region Meeting
April 25, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.
Schuylkill Conservation District, Pottsville, PA

Crawford County Conservation District and their local Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) Pilot Program advisory board utilized grant funding to hire a summer intern to conduct aquatic invasive species outreach activities.

Accomplishments included conducting launch steward activities at local boat launches, inspecting boats, providing a workshop at Pymatuning State Park, removing European Frogbit with PA SeaGrant and Penn State’s Master Watershed Stewards, and distributing educational materials across the county. This project cost $2,000 in grant funding.

Financial and other support for the PRISM Pilot Program in NW Pennsylvania is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Landscape Scale Restoration Grant with the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Course: Introduction to Wetland Determination – 2024

This course will teach you how to properly recognize wetlands in Pennsylvania. At the conclusion, you will be able to identify and evaluate the three components that make up a wetland: hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soil.

Clean Water Academy takes 7 to 8 hours to complete this entire course. A completion certificate is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a completion certificate.

Course: Susquehanna River Story – What does the science say about water quality? 

The wide and majestic Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. Despite its beauty, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay downstream have been facing the detrimental effects of excess nutrients. This new YouTube video provides a unique synthesis of the story of nutrient water quality in the Susquehanna watershed.

Course: Soils Evaluation and Wastewater Renovation (must be logged in to view)

This course will provide instruction on basic principles of soil science and evaluate and describe soil profiles in the field to determine suitability for wastewater effluent renovation. Topics covered include describing soil properties and identifying limitations to wastewater effluent renovation.

This training was initially developed for Sewage Enforcement Officers; however, the technical content can be valuable to any natural resources professional or those who wish to understand soils better.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions or to create an account.

2025 Staff Training Initiative Announced

Registration is now open for the 2025 Winter Staff Training Initiative. This year’s program features focus topics for district staff with communications and administrative roles. The webinar schedule includes:

• Presentations on agricultural outreach through the PA Ombudsman program
• Understanding the legislative process
• Roundtable sharing sessions on administrative resources and district budgeting
• The 5th Annual Conservation District Video Awards

The initiative is capped off by a training workshop, Inspiring Action with Public Speaking, on March 12 in State College, PA. Programs are open to all district and partner personnel. Visit Building for Tomorrow for registration and session descriptions.

Register Now for 2025 Employment Law Seminars

Adam Long of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC will present Employment Law for Conservation Districts this February. The presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of practice and policy for lawfully and effectively managing conservation district staff, as well as updates on recent and significant employment law developments.

There will be three opportunities to attend: February 18 in Cranberry Township, February 19 in State College, and February 20 in the Allentown area. All conservation district directors, associate directors, management staff, and partners are encouraged to attend. Networking will begin at 9:30 a.m., and seminars will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Seminar registration is $35 per attendee. Lunch and refreshments are provided, and all attendees will receive a bound reference document summarizing the presentation and policy recommendations. Visit Building for Tomorrow to register.

Reminder: Submit your 2024 Video Content for CDVA’s

Attention all district video creators! It’s time to submit your best work for this year’s Conservation District Video Awards. Our 5th Annual CDVA presentation is scheduled for February 13, when we will screen the entries and award the coveted CONDIVA trophy to the top-scoring video for 2024. To submit your video, complete and return the 2024 Entry Form before January 3.

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.

 

Over forty volunteers gathered at Moore’s Lake Park (The Hollow) in Prospect Park on November 23, 2024, for a massive planting of 170 shrubs and trees as part of a restoration effort to enhance the degraded Stoney Creek riparian zone. This was a collaboration by the Borough of Prospect Park, Delaware County Conservation District, and Darby Creek Valley Association.

The diverse variety of shrub and tree saplings were donated by the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, which is backed by the Chesapeake Foundation.

Click here to read the entire article and see more photos. 

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) is calling on passionate individuals to make a difference by stepping into leadership roles within our organization. We are currently seeking a volunteer to join our Executive Board as Treasurer—a vital position to help guide the financial stewardship of PACD.

In addition, we are seeking dedicated conservation district directors or associate directors volunteers to serve in the following Committee roles:

• Conservation District Director/Associate Director for the Conservation Committee
• Conservation District Director/Associate Director for the District Employees Committee
• Conservation District Director/Associate Director for the Operations Committee

Your time and expertise can be crucial in advancing our mission and supporting the vital work of conservation districts across the state.

Are you interested in Serving? Contact Brenda Shambaugh at 717-794-6103 or bshambaugh@pacd.org to express your interest or learn more about these opportunities.