Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts

We support Pennsylvania’s Conservation Districts who work for clean water and healthy soil every day.

Last Chance to Register for In-Person Director Workshops

Directors, associate directors, and managers – there’s still time to register for the 2022 Director Training workshop on staff retention, the employee lifecycle, and post-COVID policies. This year’s program builds on themes presented in last year’s Management Summit and Fall Leadership webinar series. In addition, it will examine staff retention challenges in the contexts of generational and other workforce changes, focusing on district staffing and employee policies in the wake of COVID-19.

The program is free of charge, and lunch is included for in-person attendees. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information and to register

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.

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More Growing Greener Grants for Conservation Districts Announced

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced projects in Southcentral Pennsylvania.

Approved conservation district projects include: 

  • Berks County Conservation District: Little Cacoosing Creek Restoration, $374,128
  • Franklin County Conservation District: West Branch Conococheague Tributary Floodplain Restoration—Design and Permitting, $117,500 
  • York County Conservation District: West Branch Codorus Creek Stream Restoration Phase 2, $563,365

Three other agencies also received funds to distribute for appropriate projects: the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to administer farmland preservation projects, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for state park renovations and improvements, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority for water and sewer system upgrades.

For more information on Growing Greener go to DEP’s website.

 

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PACD Executive Council Video Conference Held

The PACD Executive Council Video Conference was held on January 27, 2022. In addition to PACD’s business meeting, several partners provided reports.

“While we were disappointed that we could not meet in person, we were happy to connect with each other over Zoom,” said PACD President Kelly Stagen. “We are grateful to PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell and PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn for joining us and for their continued support of conservation districts.”

PACD President Kelly Stagen.

Other key partners providing reports were PA Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary for Animal Health and Food Safety Greg Hostetter, State Conservation Commission Executive Secretary Karl Brown, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships and RCPP Coordinator Susan Marquart.

The next PACD event will be the regional meetings in March and April. Click here for more information.

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Nineteen Growing Greener Grants Awarded to Conservation Districts

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced projects to clean up waters in the state’s northwest and southeast regions through DEP’s Growing Greener Plus program.

Statewide, more than $18 million was awarded to fund over 60 projects to clean up waters. Grantees have up to three years from the award date to implement their projects.

Nineteen of the 65 projects funded in the 2021 Growing Greener Grant round were awarded to conservation districts. This is 29.2% of the total number of projects funded. Of the $18,222,967 in Growing Greener funds awarded, $4,586,041 went to conservation districts. This is 25.2% of the total amount awarded.

Projects announced so far include:

  • Armstrong Conservation District, Mahoning-Redbank Creek Ag BMP Grant, $294,061
  • Columbia County Conservation District, Town of Bloomsburg Kinney Run Watershed Project, $245,000
  • Erie County Conservation District, PA VinES Program (Vested in Environmental Sustainability) in the Lake Erie Watershed, $249,500
  • Jefferson County Conservation District, Rattlesnake Creek Stream Improvement Project, $276,150
  • McKean County Conservation District, Upper Allegheny Ag. BMP Project, $382,492
  • Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD)
    • PACD Agriculture Plan Reimbursement Program, to help farmers statewide develop agricultural plans for their operations, $500,000
    • PACD Engineering Technical Assistance Program, to provide statewide engineering and soils technical assistance to entities developing or implementing a watershed assessment, watershed restoration plan, or watershed protection plan. Program staff are based out of four regional offices and cover all river basins throughout the state, $2,047,769

Conservation district projects funded through Growing Greener will continue to be highlighted as they are announced.

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Last Chance – Register for 2022 Hybrid Staff Conference by February 7

There’s still time to register to attend the 2022 Hybrid Staff Conference on February 16-17, 2022. Day 1 sessions take a close look at how we handle external and internal stress and highlight the talent and hard work that went into conservation district video production from across the state in 2021. Day 2 sessions focus on outreach, working with landowners, and grant management. Individual staff can register to attend in person, and managers can register their districts for virtual access – the deadline for registration is February 7.

Two Days of Learning and Networking, Two Ways to Participate: visit Building for Tomorrow for more information and to register.

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.

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Register Now for 2022 Director Workshop Series on Addressing Staff Retention Challenges

Mary Kay Williams

District directors, associate directors, and managers are invited to participate in this year’s Director Workshop Series: Staff Retention, the Employee Life Cycle, and Post-Covid Policies, presented by Mary Kay Williams of State College-based MindShift Consulting and Matt Miller with PACD. The workshops will give an overview of the current district staffing situation, background, and concepts that underlie successful retention strategies for conservation districts. These sessions are intended to allow district leaders from across the state to share and discuss their own problems and solutions. Workshops are scheduled for February 24 at Westmoreland Conservation District, March 3 at Clinton County Conservation District, and March 9 in Harrisburg (and streaming online via Zoom). They are free of charge and include lunch for in-person attendees. Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information and to register.

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.

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Shambaugh, Dryzal, and Thompson Testify Before House

(Left to right): John Dryzal, Brenda Shambaugh, and Chris Thompson testify before the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on January 24, 2022.

Representatives from PACD testified before the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on January 24, 2022. The testimony favored House Bill 1901, which would help ensure clean water for all Pennsylvanians.

PACD endorses HB 1901 because it would start several programs. First, this would put much-needed Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the ground. These BMPs would reduce the amount of pollution getting into Pennsylvania’s ground and surface water.

Brenda Shambaugh, Executive Director of the PA Association of Conservation Districts, testified in favor of the legislation. PACD represents the state’s 66 conservation districts. Also, John Dryzal, Cambria County Conservation District Manager, and Christopher Thompson, Lancaster County Conservation District Managing Director, spoke in favor of HB 1901.

“Clean water is vital to all Pennsylvanians. HB 1901 provides a way to use federal dollars in various programs. We hope that this bill passes. In addition, we ask legislators to consider future funding to continue controlling pollution,” said Shambaugh.

HB 1901 would provide additional resources to conservation districts. With this support, conservation districts will better address clean water issues. This includes helping farmers to reduce pollution. 

The entirety of the testimony is available here: https://tinyurl.com/HB1901

 

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Reminder: Building More Competitive Projects and Proposals: A NFWF Grants Writing Workshop for PA Conservation Districts

On February 1, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PACD will host a virtual National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Grants Writing Workshop. While there will be some focus on the Bay, the webinar will apply to all counties in PA.

This training aims to improve the ability of conservation districts to take advantage of NFWF funding opportunities. Staff, directors, and associate directors from Pennsylvania’s conservation districts are encouraged to attend.

Registration is free, but advanced registration is required. Click here for the flyer and here to register. 

Please get in touch with Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

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Staff Conference Day 2 Sessions Focus on Outreach, Management Tools

Public perception of conservation work is generally positive, but sometimes navigating the gap between perceptions and reality can be frustrating. Staff Conference Day 2 on February 17 begins with a general session, presented by Eric Eckl of Water Words that Work, on The World Outside: What They Say About Why Your Work Matters. The presentation will explore what polls, surveys, focus groups, and other research tools used by social scientists and market researchers teach us — and how they mislead us — about the public’s attitudes toward conservation work.

Eric will focus specifically on agricultural outreach in an extended breakout workshop on Closing the Deal With Rural Landowners. This session will cover successful strategies and tactics for getting rural landowners to say yes to conservation practices. In addition, it will cover landowner decision-making, negotiations, the roles of persistence and cultivating your reputation, and how to provide good customer service while managing an ever-expanding workload.

Other Day 2 breakout sessions will focus on technology. Cybersecurity and internet safety best practices for work and home are especially important now that the boundaries between workplace and home have become more fluid. Grant Management Tools will build on the foundation of last year’s QuickBooks webinars with tips and tricks to ensure accuracy in tracking and reporting. Lastly, a facilitated panel/roundtable discussion on Outreach and the New Normal will provide an opportunity for staff to share and compare successful outreach strategies and tactics and to discuss new tools, technology, and best practices to help get the most out of virtual events.

Two days of learning and networking, two ways to participate – Visit Building for Tomorrow for more information and registration. The deadline for 2022 Hybrid Staff Conference registration is February 7.

Eric Eckl, Owner/Principal of Water Words That Work, has over 20 years of environmental outreach and communications expertise. Drawing from his experience in both the private and public sectors, Eric is a sought-after speaker, has appeared on CNN, and has been quoted in the New York Times.

Kevin Stouffer, CPA, has over 17 years of experience working with local governments. Kevin is an instructor for SEK’s in-house training programs on governmental accounting, serves as a member of the firm’s Accounting & Auditing Committee, and presents on grant guidance, fraud prevention, internal controls, and audits.

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.

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PACD Creates Responsible Use of De-Icers PSA – Please Share!

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to reduce the use of salt and de-icers to prevent pollution. Please share!

Materials include:

Click here to view the webpage of materials. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. In addition, conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the video on their social media channels.

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