Forty-eight individuals attended a legislative tour hosted by Susquehanna County Conservation District on September 8, 2022. Participating dignitaries included: Agricultural Secretary Russell Redding, Tom Williams with Senator Lisa Baker’s office, Susquehanna County Commissioner Elizabeth Arnold, Susquehanna County Commissioner Judith Herschel, and Representative Jonathan Fritz. PACD North East Region Director Chuck Gould (Monroe County Conservation District) represented PACD at the event.

Tour stops included Aldrich Homestead, a seventh-generation innovative dairy farm; Harford Farm and Flower Market, a Certified organic vegetable farm with 49 acres of farmland specializing in organic produce and flowers; and a dirt and gravel road project site.

On August 22, 2022, the Indiana County Conservation District (ICCD) held a legislative bus tour. The thirty attendees visited a Community Garden Project, two Low Volume Road Projects, and an acid mine drainage project site. PACD Second Vice President Emil Bove (Westmoreland) represented PACD at the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Oven Run Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Project Re-Dedication Ceremony was held on September 1, 2022. The tour highlighted the complete reconstruction of five AMD passive treatment systems on the Stonycreek River that will continue to be responsible for the historic improvement in water quality in the watershed. PACD 2^nd Vice President Emil Bove (Westmoreland) represented PACD at Somerset Conservation District’s recent ceremony.

U.S. Senator Robert Casey, State Senator Patrick Stefano, PA Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer, former Congressman John Murtha’s Chief of Staff John Hugya, representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection, and local conservation groups spoke during the event.

Click here and here to read articles about the event.

Mark your calendars for the 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.

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
March 27-31, 2023
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
April 17-21, 2023
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Please note these dates are tentative pending funding.

The application period will open in early January 2023. Being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is currently required to attend this training. 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.

PACD’s new Conservation Technician in the Bloomsburg office is Kyle Pierce. Kyle graduated from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics and a minor in Mathematics. He previously worked as a construction laborer for Don E. Bower Inc. Kyle resides in Berwick, PA, with his fiancé Kiersten and their dog, Ashtyn.

On June 15, the Dauphin County Conservation District held a workshop where homeowners learned about stormwater and the effects their actions have on the quantity and quality of stormwater generated on their property. In addition, various best management practices were discussed for attendees to consider implementing on their property.

Thirty-four participants attended the workshop and received one rain barrel per household. In addition, one lucky household received a rain barrel painted by a local high school art student (pictured).

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.

 

It’s time to RSVP for your fall region meeting! All meetings will be held in-person with the option to attend virtually. Please click on your region meeting below for RSVP information and other details.

Topics of discussion include a legislative update, including format changes for the annual highlights pages; a PACD program update; a statewide Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) program update; and whether conservation districts want to fund a statewide salary study to support district funding levels in the state budget.

PACD North West Region Meeting
September 21, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Kinzua Bridge State Park, Mount Jewett, PA

PACD South West Region Meeting
September 28, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

PACD South East Region Meeting
September 29, 2022 | 9:30 a.m. to Noon
Henning’s Market, Harleysville, PA

PACD South Central Region Meeting
October 5, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Cumberland Conservation District, Carlisle, PA

PACD North Central Region Meeting
October 18, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Clinton Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

PACD North East Region Meeting
October 25, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Schuylkill Conservation District, Pottsville, PA

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 9-11, 2022, at The Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. PACD and conservation districts from Berks, Bucks, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Lehigh, and Union counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation during the three-day event.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered to share the great work of conservation districts with the public! Also, a special thank you to Jonathan Yoder and Carey Lightner from Huntingdon County Conservation District for setting up the booth for us.

 

All management staff and aspiring managers are encouraged to register for the 2022 Summit and Pre-Con, September 13-15 at the Wyndham Garden State College.

This year’s Summit begins on Tuesday, September 13, with a dedicated Pre-Con meeting on Leadership Fundamentals, perfect for first-time and new managers, assistant managers, team leaders, and other staff who aspire to management roles. The Leadership Fundamentals workshops will focus on foundational interpersonal and self-leadership skills for managers and future managers. The morning session, presented by Jacqui Catrabone of Erie-based Strategy Solutions Inc., will look at team roles and dynamics and will examine the concepts of engagement and empowerment and their role in healthy organizational culture. Jonathan Cleck of Greencastle Consulting Associates of West Chester will present the afternoon session focusing on the roles of self-awareness and regulation, trust and vulnerability, crucible moments, and resilience in developing high-performance leaders.

Strengths-Based Management is the theme of the Wednesday, September 14, Keynote workshop. This session will begin with an introduction using reports from the CliftonStrengths for Managers initiative; all registered attendees will be invited to participate in this assessment before the Summit. The workshop by Jonathan Cleck will guide participants in identifying and understanding their dominant and secondary talent themes. It will also examine ways to integrate their strengths with management roles and styles to improve performance, team cohesion, and problem-solving. The Wednesday afternoon session features an interactive workshop and panel discussion on Partner Relations and Communications, facilitated by Rita Coleman-Graham. Participants will explore aspects of working collaboratively and communicating effectively with various district partners and will interact with partner panelists on improving communication and interactions by understanding shared goals, expectations, and roles.

The Summit wraps up on Thursday, September 15, with a manager networking TEDx screening, a facilitated group discussion on Budgeting, Assessing Program Costs, and Other Financial Questions, and a Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership presentation.

The deadline for registration is September 2 – visit Building for Tomorrow for Pre-Con and Summit registration links and event agenda.

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.

 

Franklin County Conservation District received a Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant to hold a Summer Conservation Farm Luncheon on August 9, 2022, at the Lurgan Lions Club near Roxbury. The district also took this opportunity to honor the 2022 Franklin County Conservation Farmer of the Year, Bryan and Tina Kyle of Chambersburg.

The grant funding enabled the Franklin County Conservation District to provide meaningful education on Best Management Practice (BMP) benefits to approximately 55 attendees. Attendees visited the Kyle beef farm and saw firsthand the benefits of no-till cropping and various BMP improvements that have been implemented. They also learned how BMPs can reduce nonpoint source pollution. After touring the Kyle farm, guests returned to the Lurgan Lions Club, where they could view the club’s recently-completed stream restoration project.

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.