Participants from conservation districts, the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and others joined the Clean Water Academy’s Lunch and Learn, “Landowner Outreach: Communicating the Value of Riparian Buffer Installation” on May 14, 2026.

Lamonte Garber, Watershed Restoration Coordinator from the Stroud Water Research Center, led the session. Lamonte provided an overview of effective strategies for engaging landowners in conversations about installing riparian buffers. Drawing from recent field experience, it highlighted practical approaches for communicating the value of buffers, addressing common concerns, and building trust with landowners.

Click here to view the recording on Clean Water Academy. You must be logged in to view it.

The Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy is an online training library administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and supported by PACD. It provides training for DEP staff, Conservation District staff, Sewage Enforcement Officers (SEOs), and the public.

  

 

PACD has about $80,000 remaining to fund the current round of APRP, which covers farming operations in the Delaware, Ohio, and Chesapeake Bay watersheds.

We are accepting applications on an ongoing basis through June 30, 2026, or until all funds are spent, whichever comes first. Plans must be completed within 90 days of application and final reports must be submitted by October 1. Plans eligible for reimbursement include:

• New or updated Manure Management Plans
• New or updated Agricultural Erosion and Sediment Control Plans (Ag E&S Plans)
• New or updated Act 38 Nutrient Management Plans or NRCS 590 plans
• New or updated Conservation Plans

We do not currently have funding for another round but will keep you posted if that should change. Click here for more information. 

 

The first QuickBooks User Forum was held in March to establish and begin building a peer-based support network for district QuickBooks users. The next quarterly Forum is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The Forum agenda is developed by attendee survey. At the June Forum the group will be looking at resources for basic QuickBooks training through PA CareerLink, transitioning from desktop to online, and working with reports. Click here to register for the June 10 Quarterly QuickBooks User Forum. 

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.

The Beaver County Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Program and the Beaver County Conservation District held a tire collection event on May 2, 2026, at the district grounds. This year, with the help of participants who braved the cold, blustery weather, over 1,200 tires were collected! The hosts would like to thank everyone who participated and helped to reduce mosquito breeding habitats in local communities.

The tire collection is a great outreach and educational event for the mosquito-borne disease control program. The program offers information on ticks and mosquitoes and emphasizes the importance of personal protection while enjoying the outdoors.

Click here to read the entire article. 

As part of the Lawn Conversion Sub-grant Program, PACD is partnering with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to offer Lawn Conversion Training for Conservation Districts!

A virtual training will be offered via Zoom on June 24, 2026, from 10 a.m. to Noon. An in-person training will be provided on July 15, 2026, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA. Please note that there is a 35-person limit for the in-person training, and it is not required to attend both. Please use the links below to register for free.

Ryan Davis, Associate Forests Program Director from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, will lead both sessions.

Virtual Lawn Conversion Training for Conservation Districts
June 24, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.-Noon

In-Person Lawn Conversion Training for Conservation Districts
July 15, 2026 | 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

The deadline to register for the in-person training is July 6, 2026. Lunch will be provided.

This training is part of the Lawn Conversion Sub-grant Program for Conservation Districts. It is encouraged to attend one of the training sessions before applying for a lawn conversion sub-grant.

Please get in touch with Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org with any questions.

The Lawn Conversion & Riparian Buffer Mini-Grant Program for Conservation Districts is financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Environmental Stewardship fund, under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Penn State Ag Progress Days will be held August 11-13, 2026, at the Russell E. Larson Agriculture Research Center at 2710 West Pine Grove Road in Pennsylvania Furnace. Nine miles southwest of State College, PA, this event will feature the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs, and guided tours.

This event is an excellent opportunity to highlight the work and programs of the conservation districts.

We are looking for volunteers for the conservation district booth for this event (2 volunteers are needed per shift). If you’d like to schedule a shift, send your name, contact information, and preferred shift(s) to swehinger@pacd.org.                                                                         

The open shifts are:

Wednesday, August 12: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  
Wednesday, August 12: 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 13: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

When available, volunteers will be sent a final volunteer schedule, parking passes, and other show information. For more information on Ag Progress Days, visit their website at https://agsci.psu.edu/apd.

PACD Director of Communications & Education Shannon Wehinger was honored to participate in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s 2026 Education Summit held in Harrisburg this week. The event was organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and connected seven locations around the Bay via shared virtual sessions.

PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, PA Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding, PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley, and PA Department of Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe all participated in the event.

PACD President Emil Bove led the annual Westmoreland Conservation District’s Pedaling for Conservation bike ride on the Five Star Trail in Greensburg.  Twenty-six cyclists joined this ride on an urban rail with trail and learned about a variety of conservation topics, including urban stormwater issues, abandoned mine drainage, sewage treatment, a recent trail relocation project, a community art project, and mosquito and tick monitoring in the county.  

 

Local elementary school students released trout they had raised in their classrooms. The video features Lackawanna County Conservation District Watershed Specialist, Bailey White, explaining the benefits of the program.

Click here to watch the video. 

 

Congratulations to the following conservation districts for receiving PA Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grants:

• Erie County Conservation District: $30,000 for the “Hidden Creeks Public Art Project,” which will create and install 8 public art pieces and accompanying signs, 2 stand-alone signs, and an interactive website to highlight the history of the Mill Creek Flood, the engineering of the Mill Creek Tube, the impact on water quality by burying a creek beneath city infrastructure, and how the community can assist with the preservation and conservation of our water supply.
• Lehigh County Conservation District: $5,000 for the “Reclaiming Roots: From Classroom to Courtyard” program, which, in partnership with Whitehall-Coplay Middle School, will transform an underutilized courtyard into a vibrant outdoor classroom that will offer hands-on learning opportunities that connect students to concepts of climate resilience, water systems, and sustainability
• Luzerne Conservation District: $4,987 for “Fostering Inclusive Connections to the Watershed,” which, in partnership with Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and North Branch Land Trust, will hold six high school-level workshops for underserved communities. The workshops will address PA Academic Standards and engage the audience in hands-on activities, classroom, and field experiences.
• Schuylkill Conservation District: $3,751 for the “Outdoor Wildlife Learning Summer Nature Camp,” which, partnering with Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary School in an environmental justice area, will deliver the nonformal four-week Outdoor Wilderness Learning (OWL) Summer Nature Camp in 2026, with funding requested for three weeks.
• Wayne Conservation District: $867 for “Under the Leaves: Exploring the Lacakwaxen River,” a hands-on streamside workshop for members of the public to learn about stream ecology and water quality using the Stroud Leaf Pack Network, tree identification, and fishing recreation, in partnership with volunteers from Trout Unlimited chapter #462. 

Congratulations also to Pennsylvania Envirothon Inc. for receiving $55,173.

Click here to read about all the funded projects.