The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD) and partners to provide outreach, education, and technical assistance to urban agricultural producers.

This $9 million USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) grant is administered through To Improve Mississippi Economics (TIME) and funds urban farm outreach initiatives in 10 U.S. cities. This grant is part of a broader $40 million investment enabled by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

The funding will support a collaboration among technical service providers to assist urban farmers in learning about and accessing resources. Partners include PASA Sustainable Agriculture, Chatham University, Grow Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, and Hilltop Urban Farm.

ACCD and partners were awarded $894,000, with 38 percent of funding going directly to urban farmers in the form of microgrants to develop critical farm infrastructure. Another percentage supports programs of the partner organizations.

Click here to read more. 

The Bradford County Conservation District and Bradford Solar recently announced their partnership with the launch of a new Renewable Energy Trailer at the Green Jobs Fair at Mount Pisgah State Park.

The Renewable Energy Trailer is an educational tool that will travel around the county to fairs, schools, and community events to teach people about renewable energy. The trailer offers a unique, hands-on experience that will appeal to people of all ages.

At the exclusive event, attendees had the chance to visit the Renewable Energy Trailer and the Bradford Solar vendor booth, where the team answered questions and shared more information about the trailer and the Bradford Solar Project.

Ninety-three conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners participated in the 24th Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place virtually October 1-3, 2024. Watershed specialists learned about PFAS and emerging contaminants from the perspectives of surface water monitoring and safe drinking water, explored the project bidding process, learned about climate change data and initiatives in Pennsylvania, discovered what the science says about water quality in the Susquehanna, and shared project successes and lessons learned. Many thanks to our presenters for sharing their time and expertise.

The conservation district watershed specialists also hold a photo contest during their annual meeting. Here are the 2024 results:

• First Place: Logging in Some River Time by John Levitsky with Luzerne Conservation District
• Second Place: Morning Survey by Bernie Scalzo with Wyoming County Conservation District
• Third Place: Fall in Beech Creek by Ivie Foster with Centre County Conservation District
• People’s Choice: Green Frog in the Water by Ivie Foster, Centre County Conservation District
• Honorable Mention: Dutchman Run Under the Railbed by Cori Trice with Chester County Conservation District

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all those who participated in the contest. It’s great to see photos from across the state! Click here to view the full versions of the winning photos. 

 

 

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Qualified Visual Site Inspector (QVSI) Training Program 

Summary: This training program is comprised of five courses and is for anyone responsible for conducting visual site inspections of earth disturbance activities under Chapter 102. Completing the QVSI Training Program is one of three options in the 2024 PAG-02 General Permit for demonstrating that someone is qualified to conduct inspections on construction sites with PAG-02 coverage. Once all courses are complete, a Record of Completion can be printed and used to verify program completion.

Foundational GIS Pro Training (you must be logged in to view this course)

Summary: This course aims to give you well-rounded training on ArcGIS Pro and familiarize you with many useful tools and concepts you can utilize. The course will get you started with installation and touch on basics like map design, projections, data gathering, and database creation. The further your progress, the more training you will have that will cover more in-depth processes within the ArcGIS Pro software. Topics and exercises covered are Geo-Referencing, Digitizing, Querying, Exporting, Spatial Joins, Editing, Merging, Appending, and Clipping. Once you have become more comfortable with some of these procedures, you will go through more general to advanced GIS skills exercises involving raster analysis. Afterward, you will run through an actual real-world example utilizing the skills you have learned. Lastly, some additional examples of online GIS tools were made to help you think of how you could use your data online.

Watershed Foundations Training Program 

Summary: This training program is comprised of four courses and is helpful for volunteers interested in conservation, local water quality improvement, and restoration. A Completion Certificate (5 credit hours) is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a Completion Certificate.

Questions about Clean Water Academy? Contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org.

Managers – there’s still time to register for Team Management & Strengths-Based Leadership, a one-day training on Wednesday, October 23, at the Ramada Conference Center in State College, PA. The training is open to all district managers and executive directors who have completed a CliftonStrengths assessment. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information. The registration deadline is Thursday, October 17.

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.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the Columbia County Conservation District held its 8th annual Water Education Day at Briar Creek Lake Park in Berwick. About 240 eighth-grade students from three different school districts in Columbia County attended the event. The students rotated through six stations, learning about various aspects of our water sources, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems.

Click here to read more about the event and to see more photos.

The Cumberland County Conservation District recently held its annual awards picnic and board meeting. The district presented four conservation awards for 2024. They were:

• Farmer of the Year – Neil Darhower
• Legislator Recognition Award – Barbara Gleim
• Erosion Control Clean Water Award – Mike Wadel of Wadel-Mell Inc.
• Educator of the Year – Darla Romberger

 

Mark your calendars for Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

Basic will be held once, and Level II will be held twice (if needed). Applicants may apply for one and only one of the three training sessions. Do not apply for both levels this spring.

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

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
March 21 and March 28, 2025 (virtual)
April 7-11, 2025 (in-person)
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

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II (IF NEEDED)
March 21 and March 28, 2025 (virtual)
April 28-May 2, 2025 (in-person) (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 application period will open in early January 2025. Email Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org to receive a notification when the application period opens.

The following sponsors make these training opportunities possible: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

 

October 23 Training Open to All District Managers Participating in CliftonStrengths

New Manager Training sessions on Team Management and Strength-Based Leadership scheduled for Wednesday, October 23, are now open to all district managers who have participated in the CliftonStrengths Initiative. The training will be held at the Ramada Conference Center State College, is free, includes lunch, and registration is required. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information.

“Back to Basics” Fall Leadership Webinar Series

The 2024 Fall Leadership webinar series includes presentations on Act 217 and Conservation History, Applicable Laws & Policies for Districts, and District Board Function and Engagement. These webinars are open to all district personnel and partners.

Strategic Planning Grants

Reminder: Conservation District Strategic Planning Grants are available for 2025. Visit Building for Tomorrow 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.

Sixty-four managers, management staff, and partners attended the 2024 Summit at the Wyndham State College from September 17-19, 2024. Christopher Ridenhour delivered an energizing keynote on Day 1; new managers were introduced and participated in table discussions on capacity building, Carl Deluca presented a PA Department of Environmental Protection update, and Suzanna Windon, Assistant Professor, Youth and Adult Leadership, Penn State Extension spoke on volunteer motivation and engagement. Day 2 featured an Ethics in the Workplace workshop facilitated by Mary Kay Williams. Ten new district managers and 9 partner staff participated in New Manager Training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday.

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.