Armstrong Conservation District planted 2.4-acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer along Crooked Creek in Burrell Township, Armstrong County. The project cost $12,434.00 and was paid for through PACD’s multi-functional buffer sub-grant program: https://pacd.org/?page_id=17536 

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 Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Beaver County Conservation District planted 6.5-acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer at Zelienople Airport in Beaver County. The project cost $24,948.00 and was paid for through PACD’s multi-functional buffer sub-grant program: https://pacd.org/?page_id=17536 

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 Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

 

On June 29, 2022, Jefferson County Conservation District held a grazing field day at Sandy Lick Farm in Summerville, PA. Thirty-seven farmers and agency personnel attended the event. Attendees were able to see first-hand the benefits of a rotational grazing system, utilizing a roofed heavy-use area and manure storage for the winter months.

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.

Clearfield County Conservation District held a field day for farmers on July 29, 2022, at a dairy farm in Dubois, PA. Seventy people attended the event. Topics included cover crops and nutrient management.

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.

Discounted conservation district registration is available.

PACD is co-hosting a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course. The course will be held at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey on October 25, 2022. The cost is $365 for non-district participants and $175 for conservation district staff (contact hmiller@pacd.org for the discount code). Register online at https://envirocert.org/event/pacd-cpesc-in-person-training.

The CPESC certification is a professional designation for erosion and sedimentation technicians, engineers, and other specialists involved in the design, construction, inspection, or other aspects of erosion and sedimentation control.

The review course will ensure CPESC applicants understand which concepts will be covered by the exam and acts as a review for most of those concepts. Applicants for the exam should have a sufficient combination of education and experience to be able to independently study the materials identified in the General Principles Review Manual.

The review course is open to anyone, including conservation districts, agency staff, or private companies, actively pursuing a CPESC certification through EnviroCert International, Inc. Please pass this information along to anyone who may be interested.

*If you have not yet started the CPESC certification process, we recommend you go to the Envirocert International, Inc. website and review the requirements and process now. Please see the link below for certification instructions.

Click here for more information. 

Registration is open for the 2022 Management Summit Conference, scheduled for September 13–15, 2022, at the Wyndham Garden State College Conference Center in Boalsburg. This year’s event starts with a Pre-Con meeting on Leadership Fundamentals on Tuesday, September 13. It is suitable for all new and first-time managers, assistant managers and team leaders, and any other staff aspiring to management roles in their districts. The traditional two-day Summit meeting on Wednesday, September 14, and Thursday, September 15, features sessions on strengths-based management, partner relations, and financial topics, including budgeting and program cost assessment.

Visit Building for Tomorrow for Summit Conference agenda and registration.

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.

 

Join the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Office of Environmental Justice and the Allegheny County Conservation District for a webinar on Pennsylvania’s environmental justice policy updates.

After 18 years, DEP is updating its Environmental Justice Policy. The current policy—the department’s first-ever—was adopted in 2004. Learn about how the revamp embeds environmental justice principles throughout the department. Also, learn about the department’s efforts to use new factors to define environmental justice areas in the Commonwealth.

Speaker: Ngani Ndimbie is a regional coordinator in the Office of Environmental Justice at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. She worked at the Black Political Empowerment Project, ACLU of Pennsylvania, and Bike Pittsburgh before earning her master’s degree in Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. Ngani is passionate about fostering equitable, healthy communities.

Date and Time: Tuesday, August 16, 2022 | 1:00 PM–2:00 PM

Registration is free. Click here to register.

Why is the Pennsylvania Envirothon so successful? It’s because of our commitment to conserve and sustain our natural resources for future generations. To keep the program thriving, we need dedicated individuals with fresh ideas, a commitment to conservation, and a willingness to collaborate with like-minded individuals to help us.

The Pennsylvania Envirothon Board of Directors currently has openings for director and associate memberships. With that in mind, we invite district directors and staff members to serve as Directors on the Envirothon Board.

Click here to read the entire letter. 

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.