Submitted by Columbia County Conservation District

On Saturday, July 29, 2023, the Columbia County Conservation District, in conjunction with the four non-profit watershed organizations in the county, hosted the 2nd Annual Susquehanna Valley Watershed Festival at Briar Creek Lake Park in Berwick, PA. 

The main goal of the festival is to educate the public, especially kids, on the importance of our watersheds, water quality, and all of our natural resources as well as raise awareness for conservation needs and the continuous hard work that many non-profits, government agencies, and private organizations put in to achieve conservation goals and protect our resources.

Click here to read the entire article. 

 

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 8-10, 2023, at The Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. PACD and conservation districts from Berks, Clinton, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Lehigh, and Union counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation during the three-day event.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered to share the great work of conservation districts with the public! Also, a special thank you to Huntingdon County Conservation District for setting up the booth.

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 October 31-November 2, 2023, 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 to get an AgLearn account NOW! There is a prerequisite, and it can take months to get an account.

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.

To receive information on this training as it becomes available, including the online prerequisite, email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

Attention all district management staff – the deadline for making a reservation from the Summit room block is this Friday, August 11. Attendees who plan to reserve a room should contact the Wyndham Garden State College directly at 814-466-2255 and provide Summit group code 091123MAN to receive the discounted rate. The 2023 Summit features a dedicated day for emerging leaders and a varied conference program for all district managers, visit Building for Tomorrow for more information and to register.

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.

Submitted by Butler County Conservation District

The Butler County Conservation District hosted a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program/Best Management Practices (CREP/BMP) Field Day on July 28, 2023, at the BGN Farm owned by Jeff Grazier. Farmers interested in participating in CREP registered with the USDA Farm Service Agency for the event. This was an opportunity to learn about Jeff’s operation and the different programs and funding sources available to assist farms in Butler County. The field day was funded through the CREP Mini-grant Program for Conservation Districts. Click here for more information and to apply. 

Click here to read more. 

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.

On July 31, 2023, Berks County Conservation District held its Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner. The event was held at the Oley Fairgrounds in Oley, PA. During the celebration, the district awarded $24,000 in scholarships and recognized several businesses and individuals.

Award Winners:

• Chair’s Award – John Ravert
• Contractor of the Year – H&K Group
• Plan Preparer of the Year – LTL Consultants
• Conservation Organization of the Year – Blue Marsh, US Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia Division
• Conservation Individuals of the Year – Tami Hildebrand and Joseph Boyle, Mt. Penn Water Authority
• Farm of the Year – Vista Grande Farms, LLC, the Bitler Family

 

 

Mark your calendars for Verbal Judo training October 12-13, 2023, in State College, PA. The spring Verbal Judo series met with such overwhelmingly positive response that PACD and DEP are coordinating another, centrally located, session for conservation district and DEP staff. This course is specifically designed to for those involved with regulatory inspections and enforcement, but is useful for anyone who deals with the public. Registration will be free and required. Stay tuned for more details.

 

Indiana County Conservation District Manager Doug Beri presented at the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ 75^th Annual Meeting. Doug’s topic was, “Maximizing Total Compensation to Retain and Motivate Talented Employees.” The meeting was held in Springfield, Illinois from July 16 to July 18, 2023.

Registration is open for the 2023 Management Summit and Pre-Con, September 12-14 at the Wyndham Conference Center State College.  For the third year in a row, the conference features a Tuesday Pre-Con meeting dedicated to new and first-time managers, assistant managers, team leaders and other management-aspiring district staff.  This year’s Pre-Con program for emerging leaders features a morning workshop focusing on executive & supervisory skills and an afternoon workshop focusing on emotional intelligence.  

Wednesday’s Summit keynote, presented by Sarah Colantonio of Lancaster-based Work Wisdom LLC will examine the connections between stress, burnout, and emotional intelligence and their effects on organizational culture and leadership.  The Summit program also features breakouts on financial topics and strengths-based performance reviews, a workshop session on Change Management & Maximizing Total Compensation, partner presentations, and an opportunity to meet the new district management staff and new CDFRs.

Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information and to register.   Please note that the deadline for making a reservation from the Summit room block is August 11 – attendees should contact the Wyndham Garden State College directly at 814-466-2255 and provide Summit group code: 091123MAN

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.

 

At the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) on July 20, 2023, the Association elected a new slate of officers. Among them was Cambria County Conservation District Chairman Dennis Beck, who was elected President.

Previously, Beck served as the Association’s First Vice President and Second Vice President.

The 2023 PACD officers elected are as follows:

• President: Dennis Beck, Cambria County Conservation District
• 1st Vice President: Emil Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• 2nd Vice President: Kelly Stagen, Pike County Conservation District
• NACD Director: Ron Rohall, Westmoreland Conservation District

Executive Board Members not up for election and continuing to serve their terms:

• Secretary: Charles Duritsa, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Treasurer & Interim South Central Region Director: Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District
• North Central Region Director: Dr. Robert Shannon, Centre County Conservation District
• North West Region Director & NACD North East Region Representative: Cliff Lane, McKean County Conservation District
• North East Region Director: Thomas Herbert, Luzerne Conservation District
• South East Region Director: Piper Sherburne, Berks County Conservation District
• South West Region Director: Vacant