Every year, we recognize and celebrate the hard work of talented conservation staff from across the state who produce and share video content for their districts. The 2024 video entries are in, and our judges are hard at work scoring them to determine the winners of the 5th Annual Conservation District Video Awards. This year’s awards presentation will feature clips from ten different video submissions, and we will also hear from some of the content creators as they compete for the fabulous and coveted CONDIVA trophy for the highest-scoring video. Who will bring home the trophy (and bragging rights) for their district this year? Register and tune in on Thursday, February 13, from Noon – 1:00 p.m. to find out!

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 application period for Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II) is now open. Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

The Basic level will be held once, and the Level II training will be held twice if needed. You may apply for one training only. Do not apply for both Basic and Level II this spring.

March 11, March 18, and April 4, 2025 (virtual)        
March 24-27, 2025 (in-person)              
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.  
Union County Government Center, Lewisburg, PA

March 21 and March 28, 2025 (virtual)  
April 7-11, 2025 (in-person)                  
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II  
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.  
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA                                                               

March 21 and March 28, 2025 (virtual)  
April 28-May 2, 2025 (in-person)           
Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II (IF NEEDED)      
Both in-person and all virtual training sessions are required to complete the course.  
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County) and the USDA NRCS State Office, Harrisburg, PA

The deadline to apply is January 29, 2025.

Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org with questions.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission sponsor the training, and PACD coordinates with these partners.

 

January Board Development Video: Policy Audits & Employment Law

New for 2025, Leadership Development will post a monthly series of short videos to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics. The January installment of this series includes an overview of the importance of employee policy audits, review reminders about our online sample policy catalog and some of the focus topics for the upcoming Employment Law Seminars scheduled for February.

Register Now for 2025 Staff Training Initiative

All district personnel are encouraged to register for the upcoming 2025 Staff Training Initiative, which runs online and in-person from January through March. This year’s program features a variety of topics, with a focus on communications and admin roles. Webinar topics include the PA Agricultural Ombudsman Program and Understanding PA’s Legislative Process, and interactive roundtables for sharing admin and budgeting tips and best practices. An in-person training workshop on public speaking will present an audience-driven approach to super-charging any district presentation. It will provide a valuable opportunity for practice and confidence-building for all staff members in public-facing communications roles. Lastly, don’t forget the 5th Annual Conservation District Video Awards, where we will award the coveted CONDIVA trophy to the highest-scoring district video entry from 2024. Visit Building for Tomorrow for information & registration links.

Fall Leadership Webinar Series Videos Available

The 2024 Fall Leadership Video Series is posted at Building for Tomorrow, along with references and other supporting documents. The series focused on “Back to Basics” topics appropriate for all new district personnel, but particularly for new directors and managers, including an overview of Act 217, Other Applicable Laws for Districts, and a 2-part presentation on Board Function and Engagement.

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.

Jefferson County Conservation District and the local Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) pilot program advisory board conducted a pasture walk on a beef operation in September 2024 to spotlight problematic invasive plants on the farm and how to control them. The project cost $1,129.61 in grant funding.

The district’s other PRISM project involved signage and was highlighted in the November 25, 2024, issue of Front Page.

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 with the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT) for corn is a tool that can be used to assess the soil nitrogen (N) supply and determine a sidedress N application recommendation. Effectively applying nitrogen can help lower fertilizer application costs while maximizing crop production and minimizing environmental N loss.

Lebanon County Conservation District is now offering free testing to farmers in Lebanon County. Farmers who choose to participate will receive soil sampling, testing and a sidedress recommendation at no cost.

More information can be found at www.lccd.org/psnt.

Click here to play a holiday edition of Two Truths and a Lie with the PACD staff.

PACD and the Westmoreland Conservation District invite you to mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2025 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, themed Conservation Led Locally. The event will take place at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA. Sessions and conservation tours will take place July 16-17, but the conference workgroup is planning fun tours and activities the day before, so pencil in July 15 and plan to arrive a day early. To top things off, you may want to stay after the conference or come in even earlier to enjoy all that Seven Springs has to offer. There are plenty of family activities, too, so plan to bring the whole gang!

In addition to time for fun and fellowship, district directors and staff won’t want to miss our informational sessions and conservation tours beginning on July 16. Westmoreland is partnering with the Somerset Conservation District to host a tour of district projects, and Penn State Extension Educator Daniel Brockett will continue our series on large-scale solar farms with a session focusing on farmers, landowners, and considerations for land-use.

Registration will open in April. Stay tuned for more details, including much more on our planned sessions and conservation tours!

This fall, Mercer County Conservation District, along with partners on the local Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) pilot program advisory board offered guided pontoon boat tours of Lake Wilhelm at Maurice K. Goddard State Park.

Advisory members and DCNR staff presented topics on invasive species and how they disrupt lake ecosystems. Past, present, and future projects were also discussed. PA SeaGrant donated 50 PA Field Guides to Aquatic Invasive Species, which were distributed during the tours. The project cost $591.20 in grant funding.

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 with the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) held a tour on November 15, 2024, where they visited and viewed best management practices installed on Snyder County farms to prevent nutrient and sediment pollution. The SCCD cooperated with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Middleburg Field Office on the tour.

Sixteen invitees from the Snyder County Commissioners office, state legislator offices, Snyder County Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program committee, and SCCD Board of Directors and staff met at the SCCD office to start the tour. They visited three recently completed projects receiving financial assistance for BMP installation.

Click here to read the entire article and see more photos. 

Mark your calendars for Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training May 19-23, 2025, at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg-Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. This training is open to conservation district and DEP staff who work with Chapter 102. The curriculum is designed for new or newer conservation district technicians and incorporates classroom learning and a field component. Registration will open in March. Questions? Contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

This training was 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.