Ian graduated from the University of Pittsburgh–Johnstown in 2021 with a dual major in Environmental Studies and Geography and obtained his GIS certificate. He grew up in Sullivan County and enjoys camping, cooking, fishing, music, and painting. He also has two dogs at home, a Corgi named Max and a Doberman named Sophie. Their hobbies include stealing socks, wrestling, and belly rubs.

Last Chance to Register for Management Summit & Pre-Con

Management staff can still register for the 2023 Management Summit & Pre-Con September 12-14 at the Wyndham Garden State College. The registration deadline is this Friday, September 1. Visit Building for Tomorrow to register.

2024 Strategic Planning Funding and Support Available for Districts

Districts considering updating or creating new strategic plans can apply for a 2024 Strategic Planning Grant. Visit Building for Tomorrow or contact Leadership Development Coordinator Matt Miller at mmiller@pacd.org for more information.

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.

Union County Conservation District hosted a booth at Hoover Tractor’s Farm Safety and Wildlife Day on July 22, 2023. Attendees who stopped by the district’s booth learned about the dangers associated with liquid manure storage.

Live demonstrations of real manure agitation were performed with hydrogen sulfide gas monitors placed nearby to pick up readings of the toxic gas given off during manure agitation. Two hydrogen sulfide gas monitors were raffled off to operators with liquid manure storages to keep themselves safe when they handle their manure. Other key safety points included having a fence around the storage with a locking gate and displaying the correct warning signs around the storage.

 

The Lebanon County Conservation District received a CREP mini-grant for $877.00. Using the grant funds, the district offered a field day that included a riparian buffer planting as part of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) education and outreach event. Nineteen volunteers attended to learn about CREP, specifically the installation and maintenance of riparian buffers. Folks who attended received CREP resources such as fact sheets and brochures.

PACD is currently accepting CREP mini-grant applications on a rolling basis until funds are expended. Projects must be completed, and final reports submitted, by December 1, 2023. Click here for more information and to apply.

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.

 

The PACD Administrative Assistant is responsible for clerical duties and provides general program support for the office. This is a part-time position reporting to the Executive Director in the Harrisburg, PA office. Salary range: $20-22/hour plus benefits.

Click here for the full announcement. Please apply by e-mail with the subject heading “Administrative Assistant” to jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 pm EDT on September 5, 2023.

PACD was awarded a $210,000 Landscape Scale Restoration grant from the USDA Forest Service to pilot a Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) program in the North West region of Pennsylvania. The NW region covers 13 counties: Erie, Warren, McKean, Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Forest, Elk, Lawrence, Butler, Clarion, Jefferson, and Armstrong.

The NW conservation districts will form advisory groups consisting of local partner organizations and community members to identify and prioritize projects in their counties. Projects may be educational events and/or treatment projects.

$40,000 of the grant will be used for education & outreach mini-grants. Click here for more information on the Education & Outreach Mini-grant Program.

$149,000 will be used for invasive species treatment and management projects. Click here for more information on the Management Project Sub-grant Program.

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 from the USDA Forest Service. “This institution is an equal opportunity provider.”

The Union County Conservation District held a Regenerative Dairy Meeting in Lewisburg on June 13, 2023. Dairy farmers and manure handlers were invited to attend.

The meeting intended to introduce operators to newer, regenerative practices that can mainly be implemented on dairy operations and provide the necessary resources to help get all conservation practices on the ground. There was a discussion targeted toward manure handlers and the considerations that must be accounted for before field applying manure. The meeting was approved for Certified Manure Hauler/Broker Continuing Education credits.

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.

On August 11, 2023, Indiana County Conservation District held a Legislative Bus Tour. District Manager Doug Beri, Jr. said, “The bus tour was another great success. We toured six project sites, including four DGLVR projects that featured practices including stream crossings, road fill, and cross pipes; a future rotational grazing system that will be funded through ACAP; and an oxic limestone drain that is part of nine phases of abandoned mine drainage restoration in the Bear Run Watershed which drains to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Thirty attendees representing local, state, and federal legislative offices as well as several partners participated in the tour.”

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.