The 2021 Virtual PACD Annual Conference will take place as a series of video conferences this July. The six PACD committees will meet virtually between July 8 and 22, followed by PACD Executive Council on July 29.

Registration is open to all conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff, as well as partner agency staff and invited guests. Registration for each meeting is free and required. Registrants will receive a link to the Zoom meeting and instructions to participate. A phone number will also be provided for anyone who wishes to participate via conference call.

To request a registration link, please email the listed contact for each video conference you’d like to attend.

PACD Conservation Committee Video Conference

July 8, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD District Employees Committee Video Conference

July 9, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact hmiller@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Education and Outreach Committee Video Conference

July 14, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact swehinger@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Legislative Committee Video Conference

July 15, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Ways and Means Committee Video Conference

July 20, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact abrown@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Operations Committee Video Conference

July 22, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

PACD Executive Council Video Conference

July 29, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

Contact mburns@pacd.org to request a registration link.

 

Mark your calendars for August 12, September 9, and September 23, 2021, from 10:00 a.m.-Noon for the QuickBooks Training Webinar Series! PACD has partnered with SEK CPAs and Advisors to offer free QuickBooks training statewide to conservation districts. August 12 will feature basic training, September 9 will be an advanced training, and September 23 will focus on payroll.

More information to come! Registration will open this summer. Please contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

Westmoreland Conservation District planned to host a workshop/pasture walk for equine owners. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the project was reimagined as a video series. The conservation district created a three-part video series showing the connection between horse farm practices and water quality and how the use of manure management plans and good pasture management will reduce those impacts.

• The first video is an introduction to nonpoint source pollution and how horse farms may impact water quality. 
• The second video walks the viewer through writing their farm’s manure management plan. 
• The third video discusses the importance of pasture management. 

The videos contain helpful tips and suggested resources that will help horse owners achieve their goals. The videos are available on the Westmoreland Conservation District YouTube channel. 

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 Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) held its Farmers Spring Thaw Meeting on April 9, 2021, in the Paxtonville United Methodist Church’s roofed picnic pavilion.

Fifty-six people attended the meeting. Topics included better management of farm soils and manure, updates on Snyder County’s Action Plan, USDA program updates, and protecting water resources while mixing and loading.

Guest presenters from the conservation district, Snyder County Commissioners, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), and Penn State Extension presented either in person or through recordings.

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.

Greene County Conservation District staff and Greene County Farm Bureau held a Clean-up Day on April 28, 2021. They collected 43 bags of trash!

The Bucks County Conservation District (BCCD) wrapped up April with an Adopt A Highway cleanup along Ferry Road in Plumstead Township. Through this cleanup and others during April, BCCD staff removed at least 400 pounds of trash that would have otherwise washed into local waterways.

The “DCNR 2021 Riparian Forest Buffers Series” is available to the public on the Clean Water Academy website. These fifteen webinars are provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Note: Internet Explorer is not recommended for using the Clean Water Academy.

Participants are asked to note the new 10:00 a.m. start time for the Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to Noon on both May 19 and 20.

Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting
May 19 and 20, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon – New Start Time!

The event is open to entities involved in Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management projects, including conservation district staff, DEP and EPA staff, incorporated watershed associations, counties, municipalities, councils of governments; 501(c)(3) non-profits, educational institutions, and municipal authorities.

Click here by Friday, May 14, 2021, for more information and to register.

Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) held four half-day manure management plan writing workshops in October 2020 and March 2021. Thirteen farmers attended.

Barry Spangler, SCCD Agricultural Conservation Technician, gave an overview of the new Manure Management Manual and other agricultural environmental regulations. He gave a step-by-step process of writing manure management plans that meet these new regulations.

Spangler also showed a video demonstrating PAOneStop, a free Penn State-managed website where farmers can create their own maps. 

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.

After receiving a tip from a concerned citizen, the Jefferson County Conservation District helped remove material dumped in North Fork Redbank Creek. The district collected 11 bags of trash.

The district is participating in the Elk County Conservation District trash challenge. The deadline to participate in the challenge is July 1, 2021.