Video and slides for the first two sessions of the 2023 Fall Leadership Series are posted at Building for Tomorrow. The final webinar in our 2023 Fall series is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13, and will focus on identifying gaps in insurance coverage. Click here to register.

All districts that produced video content this year are encouraged to submit their entries for the 4^th Annual Conservation District Video Awards, scheduled for February 15. The deadline for entries is December 29, 2023.

Strategic Planning Grants are available for 2024. Districts considering strategic planning in the coming year can visit Building for Tomorrow or contact Matt Miller, LD Program Manager 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.

From: “Conservation Assistance to Farmers” article from WCD Landmarks High Points November 2023 Newsletter.

John Kitz, who recently received the 2023 Conservation Farmer of the Year award from the Westmoreland Conservation District, is now the first farmer in the county to receive funding from the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, or ACAP. Conservation improvements on John Kitz’s Mount Pleasant farm include fencing along streambanks, a stabilized cattle crossing, streambank stabilization, a water trough, a stabilized animal heavy-use area, subsurface drainage, a livestock watering ramp, subdivision fencing, and a riparian buffer with approximately 385 trees and shrubs. Upon completion, approximately 3,500 feet of stream will be improved.

ACAP was created through the Clean Streams Fund to reduce nonpoint source pollution in Pennsylvania’s waterways. It provides funding and technical assistance to implement best management practices on agricultural lands. Funding for the program is provided through local conservation districts. 

Click here to read more and to see before and after photos.

Submitted by Barry Spangler, Ag Conservation Technician, Snyder County Conservation District

The Snyder County Conservation District held a Farming for the Future Day event at the Middlecreek Valley Antique Association Grounds in Selinsgrove on November 1, 2023. Eighteen farmers, landowners, consultants, and conservationists attended the event.

Click here to read more and see more photos. 

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.

The Washington County Conservation District offered a Buffer Workshop over the summer that focused on riparian forest buffers and other Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) best management practices. CREP materials and resources were provided at the workshop.

The workshop had 15 participants and cost $994. CREP education and outreach events were funded through the CREP Mini-grant Program for Conservation Districts. 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 4^th Annual Conservation District Video Awards presentation is scheduled for Thursday, February 15, 2024, from Noon – 1:00 p.m. Deadline for entries is Friday, December 29. Visit Building for Tomorrow for information on submitting your video.

Last week’s Financial Issues webinar included information on grant management, internal controls, and SCC policy on donations and fundraisers. Session video and materials are posted at Building for Tomorrow. There’s still time to register for the remaining two sessions in the 2023 Fall Leadership Series. A Tech Roundtable Meeting on Website Accessibility is scheduled for November 29, and a session on Identifying Gaps in Insurance Coverage is planned for December 13. Visit Building for Tomorrow to register.

Friday, December 22, is the deadline for districts to submit a Letter of Intent for the 2023-24 Strategic Planning Grants program. Interested districts can find more information and review the program requirements at Building for Tomorrow or contact Leadership Development Program Manager Matt Miller.

Stay tuned for big announcements on 2024 Staff Training and Director Training Workshops!

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 Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) held a tour this summer that showcased best management practices installed on farms to prevent nutrient and sediment pollution. The SCCD cooperated with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Middleburg Field Office and other agency staff to offer the tour. Twenty-six participants learned about various conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

This CREP education and outreach event was funded by a $3,000 CREP Mini-grant for Conservation Districts. 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.

Elk County Conservation District planted 0.13 acres of multifunctional riparian forest buffer along Bennett’s Branch in Bennezette, Elk County. The project cost $1,751.48 and was paid for through PACD’s riparian 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.

The submission deadline for the 2024 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest is June 30, 2024. The theme is “May the Forest Be with You Always.” Click here for the poster contest flyer. More information will be shared as NACD makes it available.

The PACD Administrative Assistant is responsible for clerical duties and provides general program support for the office. This part-time position reports 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 email with the subject heading “Administrative Assistant” to jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. EDT on November 21, 2023.

Please mark your calendar and join us for the PACD spring region meetings! All meetings will be in-person with a virtual option.

PACD South Central Region Meeting
March 7, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

PACD North Central Region Meeting
March 19, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

PACD South East Region Meeting
March 28, 2024 | 9:30 a.m. to Noon
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

PACD North East Region Meeting
April 4, 2024| 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Monroe County Conservation District, Stroudsburg, PA

PACD South West Region Meeting
April 18, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

PACD North West Region Meeting
April 23, 2024 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Armstrong Conservation District, Kittanning, PA

Click here to find your region.