This year PACD offered a short round of Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) mini-grants to Pennsylvania conservation districts. PACD awarded $500 to Cameron County Conservation District, and $1,000 to Indiana County Conservation District. The grants were used to implement virtual educational and outreach activities that support and extend the work of the CREP program. For more information about the mini-grant program, please get in touch with 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.

PACD partnered with Water Words That Work to offer farmer focus groups and interviews across Pennsylvania to discuss the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The goal was to learn how we can successfully deliver the program and gain more interest in CREP.

On June 24, 2021, a virtual presentation was offered to partners to discuss the results. To view the presentation of the results, click here. Click here for the written report.

In the 2020-21 Nonpoint Source Pollution mini-grant round, 26 projects were completed by 20 conservation districts, reaching over 1,460 adults. Click here to see the outcomes and here to see a map of projects completed.

Financial and other support for the NPS Mini-grant Program 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 held two agricultural workshops in May. The Agricultural Gathering and Manure Management Plan Writing Workshop were held outside at the district pavilion. Participants learned about grazing and forage management, agricultural erosion and sedimentation, and manure management.

Financial and other support for the NPS Mini-grant Program 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.

Leadership Development training returns to an in-person format in September with the 2021 Management Summit. The disruptions of the past 18 months have demonstrated the crucial importance of staff development and retention to district operations, and this year’s Summit focuses on these areas with keynote workshops and interactive group-led activities.

The 2021 Summit is scheduled for September 15 & 16 at the Wyndham Garden State College. The Summit also includes a dedicated New Manager preconference Session day on September 14 for 2021 New Manager Training participants to complete their training course with in-person management leadership workshops. Summit sessions on Wednesday, September 15, and Thursday, September 16, are open to all district managers, assistant managers, team leaders, and agency partners.

For more information and to register visit the Building for Tomorrow website or contact Matt Miller, Leadership Development Coordinator. 

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 created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to leave a buffer next to waterways. 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.

 

The 2021 Virtual PACD Annual Conference will take place as a series of video conferences this July, beginning with the PACD Conservation Committee on July 8 and ending with PACD Executive Council on July 29. Registration is open to all conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff; partner agency staff; and invited guests. Registrants will receive a link to the Zoom meeting and instructions to participate online or via phone.

Please email the listed contact for each video conference you’d like to attend to request a registration link.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference

July 8, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference

July 9, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact hmiller@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference

July 14, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact swehinger@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference

July 15, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference

July 20, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact abrown@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference

July 22, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Executive Council Video Conference

July 29, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

Monroe County Conservation District and Butler County Conservation District completed buffer projects through PACD’s Multi-functional Buffer Sub-grant Program in May 2021. 

Click here to read the entire article. Contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org for more information on the buffer sub-grant program.

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 Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. 

PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Franklin County Conservation District on June 14, 2021, to celebrate Associate Director Sam Worley’s 100th birthday!

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 to take place October 19-21, 2021, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey area) in Grantville, PA.

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.