The submission deadline for the 2021 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest is June 30, 2021. The theme this year is “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities.” Posters must be submitted to PACD via email to dyoung@pacd.org. Click here for more information. 

The deadline of April 30, 2021, is fast approaching to recognize a fellow conservationist by nominating him or her for a PACD Award. Click here for more information and a nomination form.

• Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director or Associate Director Excellence Award
• Conservation District Employee Excellence Award
• Legislator Recognition Award
• Maurice K. Goddard Award for Excellence in Environmental Recreation

Contact Diane Young at dyoung@pacd.org or 717-238-7223 with any questions.

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to use fertilizers responsibly. Please share!

Materials include:

• 120-second video 
• 60-second Script 
• 30-second Script 
• 15-second Script

Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the video on their social media channels.

Thank you to McKean County Conservation District’s Jody Groshek for helping to develop the messages.

On March 13, 2021, the Lehigh County Conservation District, in partnership with the Penn State Extension and Lehigh County Authority, provided a virtual presentation to 50 homeowners residing in Allentown on rain barrels and the importance of managing stormwater runoff.

Each participant received their FREE rain barrel, accessories, and informational brochures the following week at a contactless pick-up event. Partners will reach out to participants in the next weeks to ensure that barrels have been installed correctly. A gallery of painted barrels will be shared with participants.

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.

PACD received a PA Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education grant for Template Watershed Signage. This project aims to provide templates for conservation districts to use for interpretative signage to educate the public on completed stream restoration projects. The topics are vegetative buffers, fish structures, and macroinvertebrates.

At the request of a conservation district, a smaller version of the template signage is now available (18×24”). These smaller templates are NOT editable. Vacker Signs will make updates for you for a very reasonable price. 

Also, additional multi-seat licensed stock photos and a new log vane deflector illustration are available here. (This link includes ALL the template signage materials.)

Thanks to Tammy Piper at Franklin County Conservation District for partnering with PACD on this project. Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org with questions.

Financial and other support for this signage has been provided by the Department of Environmental Protection’s 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program.

PACD is accepting mini-grant applications up to $1,000 (increased from $500) to implement virtual educational and outreach activities that support and extend the work of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Projects should focus on CREP enrollment, re-enrollment and/or CREP maintenance.

The application deadline is April 9, 2021.

Project examples include virtual meetings or workshops, educational videos, educational publications, postcards, and fact sheets.

The guidelines and application for the new CREP mini-grant program for conservation districts are posted here. Questions should be directed to Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org.

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.

As part of the CREP Outreach Program Office, PACD is working with Water Words That Work to offer another round of farmer focus groups throughout the PA portion of the Delaware and Ohio Watersheds. Our local farmers’ input is extremely valuable in helping us understand how to successfully deliver the CREP program so that it meets the needs of landowners. Please help us promote these focus groups to farmers in the Ohio and Delaware areas of the state.

All farmers who participate will receive $125 in return for their time.

Focus Groups will be held for the Delaware Watershed are:

• If you are aged 54 or younger, please register for the focus group on April 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: http://bit.ly/pacd-de-1
• If you are aged 55 or older, please register for the focus group on April 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: http://bit.ly/pacd-de-2

Focus Groups will be held for the Ohio Watershed are:

• If you are farming less than 50 acres, please register for the focus group on April 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: http://bit.ly/pacd-oh-1
• If you are farming 50 acres or more, please register for the focus group on April 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: http://bit.ly/pacd-oh-2

Registration is limited to 12 farmers per focus group meeting on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

PACD now has an Instagram account, “paconservation.” 

Find other conservation districts on Instagram at the following handles:

• Armstrong, armstrong.cd
• Berks, berkscoconservationdistrict 
• Bucks, bucksccd 
• Cambria, cambria_conservation_district 
• Centre, centrecountycd 
• Clearfield, clearfieldcountyconservation 
• Fulton, fultonco.conservation.district 
• Lehigh, lehighcountyconservation 
• Pike, pike_conservation 
• Potter, potter_conservation_district
• Schuylkill, schuylkillcd 
• Susquehanna, susquehanna_cty_conservation 
• Wayne, wayneconservationdistrictpa 
• York, yorkccd 

Please let us know if we missed your district’s Instagram account by emailing swehinger@pacd.org.

The 2021 New Manager Training Program will feature a hybrid format, including online and in-person instruction focused on manager leadership, district administration, and partner programs. Online sessions are scheduled for Wednesdays starting May 19 and run through August, and the program wraps up with a pair of in-person workshops scheduled in conjunction with the Management Summit in September.

This year’s program is open to all district managers who started in their position less than three years ago. Assistant managers who have been approved for this training by their district and the Leadership Development Program may also participate. For more information, please visit the Building for Tomorrow website, or contact Leadership Development Coordinator Matt Miller at mmiller@pacd.org.

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.

PACD members and partners are reminded to register for the spring PACD region meetings, which begin this Thursday, March 18. Registration for all six web meetings is free and required. To register, please email mburns@pacd.org for the registration link.

PACD North Central Region Video Conference
March 18, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD South Central Region Video Conference
March 24, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD South East Region Video Conference
March 25, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD South West Region Video Conference
March 30, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North West Region Video Conference
April 8, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North East Region Video Conference
April 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon