April 30 is the last day to submit a nomination for a PACD Award. Don’t miss this opportunity to recognize a deserving district director, associate director, or employee, or to honor administrative excellence in environmental recreation!

• Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director or Associate Director Excellence Award
• Conservation District Employee Excellence Award
• Legislator Recognition Award
• Maurice K. Goddard Award for Excellence in Environmental Recreation

Click here for more information and a nomination form. Contact Diane Young at dyoung@pacd.org with any questions.

Video and materials from the 2022 Hybrid Staff Conference have been uploaded and posted at Building for Tomorrow.

District managers and other management staff should mark their calendars for the 2022 Management Summit Conference, scheduled September 13–15 at the Wyndham Garden Conference Center in State College. This year’s expanded event includes a dedicated pre-conference meeting on September 13 to focus on leadership fundamentals for new managers and management staff, in addition to the traditional two-day Summit, which will include topics for all managers and management staff on identifying and leveraging management strengths, staff retention, assessing true program costs, and partner relations. Stay tuned for a registration announcement and draft agenda in June.

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.

Secretary Russell Redding held a press conference at the Indiana Conservation District office on April 7, 2022, to discuss spotted lanternfly prevention in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania. Emil Bove (Westmoreland), PACD Second Vice President, represented PACD at the event.

Secretary Redding recognized the work conservation districts are contributing to the control efforts.

Click here to read the press release and here to watch the video. 

 

Snyder County Conservation District hosted an informal training to educate landowners, watershed associations, and conservation groups on the proper techniques for harvesting and planting live stakes. On March 8, 2022, this hands-on training was held at Faylor Lake in Beaver Springs. Participants learned how to identify live stake species, proper harvesting and planting methods, and how cost-effective live stakes are at reducing streambank erosion along local waterways.

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.

On Saturday, March 26, 2022, the Berks County Conservation District held a “Barrels and Beer” rain barrel workshop at Saucony Creek Brewery in Kutztown. Participants learned about the benefits of installing a rain barrel on their property, along with engaging in clean water trivia throughout the afternoon. The rain barrels were painted and designed by each participating group, while the 20 registered individuals enjoyed a local brew provided by Saucony Creek Brewery.

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.

Submitted by Stephanie Harmon, Watershed Specialist

On March 22, 2022, an unseasonably pleasant day with hints of spring, nearly one hundred energetic middle and high school Envirothon students from Lebanon County school districts, including ELCO, Northern Lebanon, and Palmyra, got their hands dirty at an Envirothon Soils Training held at the Lebanon Expo Center. 

Click here to read the entire article. 

The submission deadline for the 2022 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest is June 30. The theme this year is “Healthy Soil, Healthy Life.” Posters must be submitted to PACD via email to dyoung@pacd.org. Click here for more information. 

Bucks County Conservation District (BCCD) recently created a brochure on rain garden maintenance. The district included information in English and Spanish. The brochure is part of their Residential Stormwater Management project that includes stormwater workshops. The project is funded through PACD’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant Program.

BCCD Erosion and Sediment Control Technician Chris Cook decided to include both languages in one brochure to make it more convenient to carry around in the field and hand out while he is performing fieldwork. “My thinking was that if one version covered both languages, it would allow the material to be passed around and referenced by landscape crew members with varied English/Spanish reading, writing, and comprehension skills,” said Cook.

The brochure can be viewed here. 

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.

In Selinsgrove, the Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) held its annual Farmers Winter Meeting on February 18, 2022. Seventy-five people attended the event. Topics included nutrient stewardship and management and the importance of farm recordkeeping.

Click here to read more. 

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.

On Tuesday, April 5, 2022, the Berks County Conservation District hosted a “Working with the Conservation District” workshop for contractors working in Berks County. The workshop was held in the auditorium of the Berks County Agriculture Center. A dozen members of the regulated public attended.

The five members of the district’s Urban Team made presentations on the general regulatory requirements of Chapter 102; Compliance vs. Enforcement, Inspection Procedures; Proper BMP Installation and Maintenance; Post Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM) and Notice of Termination (NOT); and Chapter 105 – Concerns. These presentations showed typical site construction problems that can easily be avoided. These problems prevent construction compliance and add costs to projects, delay construction, and can result in the termination of permits. All presentations were received well by the attendees, who appreciated the guidance.