PACD Project and Event Specialist Molly Burns and Director of Communications and Education Shannon Wehinger traveled to Franklin County on June 23, 2026, to attend the Franklin County Conservation District’s 70th Anniversary Celebration.

The event honored three significant milestones: the Franklin County Conservation District’s 70th Anniversary, the presentation of the Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award to Samuel Worley, and the recognition of Alan Gift as the Franklin County Conservation Farmer of the Year.

PACD congratulates the Franklin County Conservation District, Samuel Worley, and Alan Gift on these significant milestones.

The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds recently announced more than $300,000 in grant awards to advance the protection and restoration of Pennsylvania’s waterways. Awardees will use the funds to improve water quality and enhance ecosystems across the state through stream restoration, land protection, water quality monitoring, and outreach and education projects.

Somerset Conservation District was awarded $20,000 to improve aquatic passage on North Fork Bens Creek.

The next conservation grant application cycle opens this summer with a first-stage deadline of September 18, 2026. 

Learn more about the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds at www.thefpw.org. 

Congratulations to Armstrong, Chester, Delaware, and Indiana County Conservation Districts on winning the 2026 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence!

The projects awarded include:

• Armstrong Conservation District – Glade Run Streambank Stabilization and Fish Habitat Project
• Chester County Conservation District – Chester County Agricultural BMP Implementation
• Delaware County Conservation District – Little to No Cost Riparian Buffer Plantings along Stoney Creek, A Darby Creek Watershed Improvement Effort in Dense Suburban Area
• Indiana County Conservation District – Lucerne 3A / Waterworks Passive Treatment System

Click here to read the press release.

Registration for the 2026 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference is underway! This year’s conference will bring PACD members and partners together at the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, PA, Tuesday through Thursday, August 4-6. Tuesday will feature a tour of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building and a casual get-together hosted by the SCC’s own Justin Challenger. Many thanks to Justin for his generous hospitality!

Wednesday and Thursday feature the summer PACD Executive Council meeting, an agricultural tour, a meet-and-greet with the new SCC Executive Secretary, and special sessions with a focus on new and emerging technologies.

Click here for more information and to register.

PACD will hold its summer committee meetings via videoconference in July prior to the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference. The meetings are open to conservation district directors, associate directors, staff, partner agency staff, and invited guests. Registration for each meeting is free and required. Please email the listed contact to request a registration link:

PACD Conservation Committee Videoconference
July 14, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link.

PACD District Employees Committee Videoconference
July 17, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Contact hmiller@pacd.org for a registration link.

PACD Education & Outreach Committee Videoconference
July 21, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Contact swehinger@pacd.org for a registration link.

PACD Legislative Committee Videoconference
July 22, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link.

PACD Ways & Means Committee Videoconference
July 27, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Contact abrown@pacd.org for a registration link.

PACD Operations Committee Videoconference
July 28, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Contact mburns@pacd.org for a registration link.

 

PACD is hiring two 100% remote full-time people. One position is based in Western Pennsylvania (with travel required throughout Western Pennsylvania) and one is based in Eastern Pennsylvania (with travel required throughout Eastern Pennsylvania). The positions will pay $50,000 to $55,000/year, depending on experience.

The Engineering Technicians will provide technical and field support for the design, layout, inspection, and implementation of agricultural conservation practices funded through the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP).

The deadline to apply is June 29, 2026. Click here for more information. 

The 2026-27 New Manager Training Program begins in August with a webinar series on District Fundamentals, including topics such as the Conservation District Law and other laws, board relations, and district partnerships. The series will run through October. All webinars are scheduled for Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m., and links to session recordings will be posted. Visit Building for Tomorrow for a detailed agenda and registration link.

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.

 

Submitted by Tammy L. Bartsch, Event Coordinator, Berks County Conservation District

On June 5, 2026, the Berks County Conservation District held their annual legislative breakfast. This year’s breakfast featured a Dirt and Gravel Road Project in Ontelaunee Township, Bowers Road and Lake Shore Drive (Route 73).

Guests enjoyed a delicious lakeside breakfast buffet, followed by presentations and a few speakers.

Dean Druckenmiller, District Executive, gave a presentation on a Dirt and Gravel Road Project, which was to reroute a road to improve access to the parking lot. The total grant amount from the State Conservation Commission (SCC) was $138,927.60, and the in-kind contribution from Ontelaunee Township was $166,882.85. It took a few years and a lot of hard work to get the project completed.

David Osgood, Watershed Specialist, presented information on the Source Water Protection Plan.

To wrap up the morning, the Reading Area Water Authority gave a tour around the lake, which is not accessible to the general public.

There were over 40 people in attendance, including Senator Judy Schwank, Representative Jamie Barton, and Representative Jacklyn Rusnock. Staff from Representative David Maloney’s office, Berks County Commissioners Christian Leinbach and Dante Santoni, and Berks County Controller Joe Rudderrow were also in attendance. A variety of agencies were represented, including the SCC, the Reading Area Water Authority, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Berks County Department of Agriculture, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

 

 

Highlighting PA conservation district employees who go above and beyond. Conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff may highlight outstanding district employees in our weekly e-newsletter by using this form. 

Forty-three learners from 22 conservation districts and the PA Department of Environmental Protection convened for Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training at the Penn Harris Hotel & Conference Center in Camp Hill, PA, June 1-5, 2026.

Participants engaged in a combination of hands-on classroom learning, fieldwork, and presentations on erosion and sedimentation control, including safety on the job site and how to best conduct a technical plan review. The field day featured strategically placed learning stations at two sites, each in a different stage of construction. Special thanks to the York County Conservation District for hosting the field day—the highlight of the week!

This training is funded through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection and made possible through the cooperation of the PA Association of Conservation Districts and Pennsylvania’s conservation districts.