The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $1,173,789 in Environmental Education Grants to 68 environmental education projects that will promote environmental stewardship across Pennsylvania.

Twelve conservation districts received funding:

• Adams – $4,889 for “Tour of Best Management Practices at the Adams County Ag Center”
• Blair – $30,000 for “Regional Education on Healthy Soils, Riparian Buffers and Urban Green Spaces”
• Clarion – $19,009 for “Enhancing Water and Climate Education in Clarion County”
• Columbia – $5,000 to host “Composting Towards a Climate Solution”
• Dauphin – $5,000 for the “2025 Stormwater Management for Homeowners Workshop”
• Delaware – $5,000 to host the “Delaware County Annual Sustainability Conference”
• Indiana – $10,180 for “Indiana County Environmental Futures: Education for Water, Climate, and Environmental Justice”
• Lawrence – $4,905 for “Nature Camps for Lawrence County”
• Lehigh – $4,969 for the “Orefield Middle School Outdoor Experience”
• Monroe – $10,400 for the “From Current to Classroom: Educating Through Electrofishing”
• Venango – $4,457 for its “Venango County Youth Agriculture Education Initiative”
• Westmoreland – $3,037 for its “Storm Drain Marker Outreach Project”

Click here to read more. 

 

PACD was awarded a $200,000 Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to continue to offer both programs to conservation districts. This round of grants will have three categories of funding you may apply for:

• Installation of lawn conversion and/or riparian buffer projects with a maximum of $25,000
• Post-planting establishment for DCNR or non-DCNR funded projects with a maximum of $5,000
• Education & Outreach events with a maximum of $1,000

The grant also includes training for conservation district staff. Once again, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay has partnered with us to offer lawn conversion and riparian buffer training. Please stay tuned for future training events!

Please visit our website here to find program information such as guidelines, applications, planting & maintenance plan templates, mid-term & final report templates, resources, etc. 

All applications and supporting documents should be emailed to hmiller@pacd.org. There is no online application. Applications will be approved on a rolling basis until funds are expended.

Thanks to conservation district staff, these programs have been incredibly successful in completing smaller-scale lawn conversion and riparian buffer projects across Pennsylvania. During the last round, conservation district projects covered almost 18 acres of lawn conversion and almost 12 acres of riparian forest buffer. Since 2018, conservation districts have installed nearly 150 acres of riparian forest buffers across PA!

Please get in touch with Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

Submitted by Jennifer Brooks, Environmental Education and Outreach Coordinator, Berks County Conservation District

On May 7 and 8, 2025, the Berks County Conservation District brought its Soil Water AGriculture (SWAG) Bus to the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg for Farm City Days. The PA Department of Agriculture invited the district to bring the SWAG bus to the event.

Farm City Day is an event that promotes agriculture and understanding between rural and urban communities in Pennsylvania. It offers a hands-on experience for students to learn about farming and the food supply chain.

Over the course of two days, more than 1,300 students attended the event. The SWAG Bus was a hit!

PACD extends our thanks to Tetra Tech for sponsoring the 2025 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference!

Tetra Tech works closely with our clients and communities to achieve economic and community goals in conjunction with the reclamation and restoration of legacy AML and AMD sites. Our mining experts conduct investigations (environmental, geophysical, and geotechnical), risk assessments, engineering designs, environmental permitting, feasibility studies, construction management, and completed project monitoring to help abate problems caused by historic mining.

• Development of Plans and Specifications for Reclamation of Abandoned Mine Lands
• Surface Mine and Open Pit Reclamation
• Abatement or Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Water Pollution
• Evaluation/Rehabilitation of Existing Passive or Active AMD Treatment Systems
• Water Line Extension/Water Line Replacement
• Mine Fire Control
• Assessing Mine Pool Hydrology and Discharges
• Mine Subsidence Control
• Mine Refuse and Slurry Impoundment Evaluations and Remediation
• Closure of Mine Openings (shafts, portals, slopes, and adits)
• Water Supply Replacement
• Watershed Assessments and Surface Water Quality Modeling
• Landslide Stabilization and Slope Stability Analysis and Evaluation
• Ecological Surveys and Environmental Studies
• Federal, State, and Local Permitting
• Cost Estimation
• Construction Oversight and Management
• Design-Build

To learn more, visit the Tetra Tech website at Mine Closure and Reclamation or contact Eric Cavazza by email at eric.cavazza@tetratech.com or phone at 412-522-9764.

Nearly 4,000 township officials and guests from across Pennsylvania gathered for the annual Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) Conference and Trade Show, held May 4–7, 2025. As in previous years, conservation districts were proud to be represented with an informational booth at the event.

A special thank you goes out to the dedicated volunteers who helped staff the booth:

• Dean Druckenmiller, Berks County Conservation District
• Danielle Kalp, PACD
• Tyler Keefer, Lancaster County Conservation District
• Jason Fillhart, Washington County Conservation District

Your time and support make participation in events like this possible—thank you for representing conservation districts!

Thirty individuals attended the Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Basic Level, May 5-8, 2025, at the Union County Government Center in Lewisburg, PA. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, PACD, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and affiliates, the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Penn State Extension, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and a nonprofit organization.       

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, Penn State Extension, and PACD coordinate the event.

Submitted by Ryan Harr, Butler County Conservation District Watershed Resource Specialist

On April 16, the Butler County Conservation District (BCCD), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), held a workshop to address the growing threat of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly.

Held at Alameda Park, the workshop featured presentations by BCCD’s Jennifer Barckhoff and PDA Forester Noah Hayslip.  The presentations covered Spotted Lanternfly identification, its lifecycle, and the significance of Tree-of-Heaven. They also discussed current quarantine regulations and property management to help slow the insect’s spread.

The installation of a circle trap was also demonstrated. The program concluded with an interactive Egg(mass) Hunt, where participants learned firsthand how to detect and remove egg masses, a crucial step in controlling the Spotted Lanternfly population. By engaging the community in these hands-on efforts, BCCD and PDA reinforced the role the public has in combating this destructive pest.

The Spotted Lanternfly, originally from Asia, poses a serious threat to Pennsylvania’s agriculture and ecosystems, particularly affecting grapevines, hardwood trees, and other crops. BCCD plans to hold future workshops on other invasive species.

PACD extends our thanks to CACAT for sponsoring the 2025 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference!

The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT) at Penn State Extension is dedicated to supporting Pennsylvania’s ag conservation workforce, especially at county conservation districts. We offer a range of resources to help you continue to deliver impactful, sustainable agricultural practices across the state, including:

• Ag Conservation Currents e-newsletter: Timely updates on agricultural conservation news, resources, funding opportunities, and professional development.
• CACAT Website: Your one-stop hub for technical materials, training events, open job listings, and ACAP updates.
• One-on-One County ACAP Visits: Customized support to help your team strengthen local conservation efforts.
• ACAP Promotions and Outreach: Boosting awareness of conservation funding opportunities and Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation.
• Training Events and Webinars: Offering practical, hands-on sessions to grow expertise.
• Engineering Assistance Request Program (EARP): Need help with an Inventory & Evaluation (I&E), basic surveying, or BMP design? EARP provides technical support from CACAT staff, PA State Conservation Commission engineers, or private-sector partners to keep your ACAP projects moving forward​.

Districts are encouraged to collaborate with CACAT by participating in trainings, promoting success stories, and connecting with our technical services.

Visit extension.psu.edu/cacat to learn more and sign up for our Ag Conservation Currents newsletter at extension.psu.edu/ag-conservation to stay informed!

PACD members and partners are invited to register for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference hosted by the Westmoreland Conservation District. The event will take place July 15-17 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA. Go Laurel Highlands has compiled lots of fun things to do in the area and participants will receive a 20% discount on Seven Springs activity passes, so come early, stay late, and bring the whole family!

On Tuesday, July 15, participants can bike the beautiful Youghiogheny River Trail to Confluence, hike one of the trails at Ohiopyle State Park, or get together for scramble-format golf at the picturesque Highlands Golf Club at Seven Springs. Time has been set aside for members to talk about conservation district funding on Tuesday evening.

Wednesday, July 16, offers two educational tracks, one following the Oven Run AMD Project and one examining Large-Scale Solar in Pennsylvania. Both tracks include a morning session and afternoon tour. The day wraps up with dinner at Seven Springs and a reception celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) sponsored by Go Laurel Highlands. Join us for drinks, snacks, and conservation trivia!

On Thursday, July 17, PACD and the SCC will recognize outstanding members of the conservation community during our joint awards luncheon. The SCC Briefing Session in the morning will feature partner activities and highlight conservation district projects, followed by the SCC business meeting in the afternoon.

Westmoreland Conservation District invites conservation districts to show off their local pride by creating a basket of local items to donate to the basket raffle. Many thanks to Westmoreland for hosting the conference and organizing the basket raffle to benefit PACD.

One article can’t capture all the happenings at this year’s conference, so click here for more information and to register today! 

 

Join us for the next Clean Water Academy Lunch & Learn session on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from Noon–1:00 p.m. with Lisa Blazure, Soil Health Coordinator at the Stroud Water Research Center.

Lisa will present “Building Trust and Relationships with Farmers: Lessons from 15 Years in Agricultural Conservation.” She’ll share practical tips and advice on relationship building with agricultural landowners, along with inspiring success stories drawn from her extensive experience in the field.

Grab your lunch and join us for this engaging and informative discussion! Click here to register. Registration is free but required.

Stay tuned for more Lunch & Learn sessions in the coming months!