Twenty-eight individuals attended the Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Basic Level August 28-31, 2023, at the Union County Government Center in Union County. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, PACD, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and affiliates, Penn State Extension, the PA State Conservation Commission, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection.

This training marked the fifth week of boot camp training in 2023. The next sessions will be held in April/May 2024.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission sponsor the training. PACD works with these partners to coordinate the event.

On Friday, August 25, 2023, the Cambria County Conservation District held a legislative boat tour of Glendale Lake. The lake is located at Prince Gallitzin State Park.

PACD 1^st Vice President Emil Bove represented PACD at the event, which highlighted improvements made to the lake over the last thirteen years.

Click here to read a news article on the event. 

Dickinson College Farm received a $250,000 grant from the Cumberland County Conservation District for a dairy cattle facility as part of significant upgrades for the farm’s innovative biodigester project.

According to Matt Steiman, the farm’s livestock and energy projects manager, the biodigester system will process the manure from 150 local dairy cows plus two tons of food waste daily. The food waste will be sourced from places such as Dickinson’s dining services, Project SHARE, the Carlisle Area School District, and Molly Pitcher Brewing Company (from which the farm has already processed over 70,000 pounds of spent grain). It will generate about 200,000-300,000 kWh per year of renewable electricity. With that electricity, the farm will power its operations and the planned Farm Lab education facility and sell the remainder back to Met-Ed, a Pennsylvania-based power company. This undertaking is designed to be a roadmap for others to follow.

Click here to watch a short YouTube video on the project. 

 

 

The Jefferson County Conservation District held a Farmer Winter Meeting on February 16, 2023, at the conservation district office to share programs, funding, and assistance available to farmers and landowners. Included on the agenda was the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The conservation district also shared CREP resources and materials at the Western PA Grazing Conference and the Jefferson County Fair.

This CREP education and outreach event was 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.

 

PACD is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to deliver a three-day Introduction to Conservation Planning course. This training is scheduled for October 31-November 2, 2023, at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey area) in Grantville, PA.

Intro to Conservation Planning is an introductory course for employees interested in writing conservation plans and becoming an NRCS Certified Conservation Planner. Eligible organizations include NRCS, State Conservation Commission, conservation districts, farmland preservation entities, and non-profits. The training is free, and lunch will be provided.

There is a pre-requisite for the course through AgLearn.

Click here for the application to attend the course. 

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

Ian graduated from the University of Pittsburgh–Johnstown in 2021 with a dual major in Environmental Studies and Geography and obtained his GIS certificate. He grew up in Sullivan County and enjoys camping, cooking, fishing, music, and painting. He also has two dogs at home, a Corgi named Max and a Doberman named Sophie. Their hobbies include stealing socks, wrestling, and belly rubs.

Last Chance to Register for Management Summit & Pre-Con

Management staff can still register for the 2023 Management Summit & Pre-Con September 12-14 at the Wyndham Garden State College. The registration deadline is this Friday, September 1. Visit Building for Tomorrow to register.

2024 Strategic Planning Funding and Support Available for Districts

Districts considering updating or creating new strategic plans can apply for a 2024 Strategic Planning Grant. Visit Building for Tomorrow or contact Leadership Development Coordinator Matt Miller at 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.

Union County Conservation District hosted a booth at Hoover Tractor’s Farm Safety and Wildlife Day on July 22, 2023. Attendees who stopped by the district’s booth learned about the dangers associated with liquid manure storage.

Live demonstrations of real manure agitation were performed with hydrogen sulfide gas monitors placed nearby to pick up readings of the toxic gas given off during manure agitation. Two hydrogen sulfide gas monitors were raffled off to operators with liquid manure storages to keep themselves safe when they handle their manure. Other key safety points included having a fence around the storage with a locking gate and displaying the correct warning signs around the storage.

 

The Lebanon County Conservation District received a CREP mini-grant for $877.00. Using the grant funds, the district offered a field day that included a riparian buffer planting as part of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) education and outreach event. Nineteen volunteers attended to learn about CREP, specifically the installation and maintenance of riparian buffers. Folks who attended received CREP resources such as fact sheets and brochures.

PACD is currently accepting CREP mini-grant applications on a rolling basis until funds are expended. Projects must be completed, and final reports submitted, by December 1, 2023. 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 PACD Administrative Assistant is responsible for clerical duties and provides general program support for the office. This is a part-time position reporting 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 e-mail with the subject heading “Administrative Assistant” to jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 pm EDT on September 5, 2023.