On July 20-21, 2022, PACD and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) held the first in-person, joint conference since 2019. There were over 90 participants. During the meeting, the following business took place:

– The three-year proposed dues schedule passed.

– The following slate of officers was re-elected:

• President – Kelly Stagen, Pike County Conservation District
• 1st Vice President, Dennis Beck, Cambria County Conservation District
• 2nd Vice President, Emil Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Secretary, Charles Duritsa, Westmoreland Conservation District
• Treasurer, Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District
• NACD Director, Clifford Lane, McKean County Conservation District

– The budget for the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 was approved.

PACD award recipients and PA Poster Contest Winners were announced during the meeting, and board and partner reports were given.

 

PACD is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 “Healthy Soil: Healthy Life” statewide poster contest.

The winners and the county conservation district that submitted the posters are:

Category: Kindergarten through First Grade

• William Petrunak, Lehigh County Conservation District

Category: Second through Third Grades

• Rishwita Bhavirisetti, Delaware County Conservation District

Category: Fourth through Sixth Grades

• Grace Petrunak, Lehigh County Conservation District

Category: Seventh through Ninth Grades

• Philip Polstra, Columbia County Conservation District

Category: Tenth through Twelfth Grades

• Eric Chen, Bucks County Conservation District

Each state-level winner will be submitted for judging in the upcoming national competition this winter. The National Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the national contest. Click here for more information. Click here to read the press release and here to view the full sized posters. 

PACD’s annual conference was held in Harrisburg, PA. Several conservationists were recognized during the awards luncheon on July 20, 2022.

The 2022 PACD honorees are as follows: 

Legislator Leadership Award

Representative James B. Struzzi II

The Indiana County Conservation District nominated representative Struzzi.

President’s Award

PACD Ad Hoc Budget Committee

Members of the committee include:

• Christopher Thompson (Lancaster County)
• John Dryzal (Cambria County)
• Josh Longmore (Luzerne County)
• Mark Hamilton (Tioga County)
• Emil Bove (Westmoreland County)
• Douglas Beri Jr. (Indiana County)
• Christopher B. Snyder (Juniata County)

Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director Excellence Award

Ted Veresink, Northampton County Conservation District

Conservation District Employee Excellence Award

Scott Metzger, Franklin County Conservation District

Conservation District Trash Champion

The Washington County Conservation District collected 46 bags and 10 tons of trash and tires! As a result, the district won the Trash Champion Award for the second year.

Conservation District Employee Service Recognition Awards

With 35 Years of Service:

• Sandy Thompson, McKean County
• Susan Moon, Somerset County

With 40 Years of Service:

• Ed Magargee, Delaware County
• Gerald Heistand, Lancaster County

Click here to read the entire press release and here to view more photos. 

PACD was awarded a $500,000 Growing Greener Grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection to offer an Ag Plan Reimbursement Program for conservation districts from 2022-2024.

Please join us on August 9, 2022, for an informational webinar about the program. Use the link below to register. The webinar will introduce the program, review guidelines and instructions, and allow for questions and answers.

Webinar: Introducing PACD’s Ag Plan Reimbursement Program
August 9, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

To learn more about the program, please visit https://pacd.org/?page_id=69. Here you will find guidelines, application forms, and reporting templates. Please get in touch with Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with any questions.

Financial and other support for the Ag Plan Reimbursement 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.

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 November 1-3, 2022, 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.

In the 2021-22 Nonpoint Source Pollution mini-grant round, 86 projects were completed by 49 conservation districts, reaching over 13,530 adults.

• 2021-22 NPS Educational Mini-grant Program Outcomes
• Map of 2021-22 Nonpoint Source Pollution Mini-grant Projects

There are currently 33 projects underway in the 2022-23 mini-grant round. The next round will open in January 2023.

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.

The “SWAG BUS” Conservation Education on the Move!

The Berks County Conservation District has been secretly working hard on an exciting mobile education unit to increase accessibility to their programs. They can’t keep it a secret any longer!

The SWAG Bus (Soil, Water, and Agricultural Education) will be outfitted with hands-on displays and program materials that build awareness about conserving and valuing our precious natural resources. The SWAG BUS will provide quality hands-on conservation education programs for schools, local organizations, and special events.

They hope to be on the road by the Spring of 2023! Check out the SWAG Bus at the Berks County Fair for a sneak peek.

 

Pennsylvania’s County Conservation Districts thank the Pennsylvania legislature for supporting conservation districts in the state budget.

Pennsylvania Conservation Districts assist landowners through technical assistance, permit reviews, site inspections, and education in a safe, efficient, and effective manner. The goal of conservation districts is to protect our natural resources, keep food on tables, and ensure public safety. 

Through the efforts of the PA General Assembly, the “Transfer to the Conservation District” lines in the 2022-2023 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture budgets were collectively increased by $6.8 million. 

“The conservation districts play an important role in protecting the Commonwealth’s resources. By including an increase in the state budget for conservation districts, the

Pennsylvania General Assembly is investing in the conservation district mission of clean water and healthy soil for all Pennsylvanians,” said Brenda Shambaugh, PACD Executive Director.

As a result of the legislator’s actions, conservation districts will continue to review permits, assist farmers, assist municipalities in preparing to fix low-volume roads and dirt and gravel roads throughout the state and help control mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus and Zika Virus.  

 

The Conservation Technician for the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) provides technical assistance to the Growing Greener program and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The area covered includes 17 counties in the South Central and South East Region.

This position will: provide technical assistance to area partnership Growing Greener personnel and NRCS in the planning, design, and construction of engineering practices; prepare designs of agricultural conservation practices and water quality best management practices (BMPs), which are site-specific and require coordination among various groups and individuals; and provide engineering assistance in conducting preliminary investigations.

Click here for the full job description. Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter to PACD at jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. on July 21, 2022.

Chester County Conservation District and Warren County Conservation District completed projects through PACD’s multi-functional buffer sub-grant program. 

• Chester County Conservation District planted 1.1 acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer on a dairy farm in Chester County. The project cost $9,850.
• Chester County Conservation District planted 5.5 acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer on a farm in the White Clay Creek watershed in Chester County. The project cost $52,289.
• Warren County Conservation District planted 1.3 acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer on a farm in the Conewango Creek watershed in Warren County. The project cost $4,252.94.

Click here to read more.