Conservation district directors, associate directors, and staff; partner agency staff; and invited guests are encouraged to register for the PACD Executive Council Video Conference, which will take place from 10:00 a.m. to Noon on July 29, 2021. With PACD committee meetings concluded, this will be the final event in the 2021 Virtual PACD Annual Conference video conference series.

Registration is free and required. Registrants will receive a link to the Zoom meeting, instructions to participate, and a phone number for anyone who needs to participate via conference call. To request a registration link, contact mburns@pacd.org.

Register today 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. All webinars will be held 10:00 a.m.-Noon.

Click here for descriptions of each training and the registration links. Please get in touch with Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

Mark your calendars for the 2021 Building for Tomorrow Fall Leadership Webinar series, scheduled for three Wednesdays, October 27, November 3, and November 10. The Fall Leadership webinar series is intended for directors and managers, but is open to all conservation district personnel and partners. Similar to last year’s series, webinars will begin at noon, and registration is separate for each – please stay tuned for further announcements.

This year’s program features a two-part workshop on Succession Planning & Management, presented by Dennis Gilbert, Appreciative Strategies LLC. Employee turnover, retirements, and labor force issues can cause stress and uncertainty for small organizations. Participants will learn about the importance of succession planning and the true costs of lack of preparedness.

Also presenting will be Justin Dula, Regional Coordinator, DEP Office of Environmental Justice. Building on last year’s PA Environmental Rights Amendment webinar, Justin’s presentation will examine the concept of environmental justice and the ways that disproportionate environmental impacts can affect conservation districts’ work in the communities they serve.

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.

As part of the CREP Outreach Program Office, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and CREP Program Partners offered a CREP Partner Training Webinar Series to all partner staff involved in the program. The trainings took place on May 27, June 3, and June 10, 2021.

The trainings introduced administrative components, highlighted CREP practices, and provided tips for working with landowners.

Recordings of the webinars and a CREP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document are available to view on the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy. New and experienced staff working with the CREP program are encouraged to view the trainings.

CREP Partner Training Webinar Series: https://pacleanwateracademy.remote-learner.net/course/view.php?id=580

Financial and other support for the CREP Partner Training is provided through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

Pennsylvania Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) partners have updated the “Landowner Guide to Buffer Success” that was last published in 2007. Like the previous guide, this one is set up calendar-style with pages for notes. In addition, the guide features key tasks by season, tips to improve outcomes, example photos, summaries of how riparian forest buffers help streams, and links to resources. PACD has 2,500 calendar style guides available for distribution. Contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org to request copies and to make arrangements for pick-up.

Thank you to all our CREP partners who contributed to the Landowner Guide to Buffer Success!

Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

This year PACD offered a short round of Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) mini-grants to Pennsylvania conservation districts. PACD awarded $500 to Cameron County Conservation District, and $1,000 to Indiana County Conservation District. The grants were used to implement virtual educational and outreach activities that support and extend the work of the CREP program. For more information about the mini-grant program, please get in touch with Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org.

Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant 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 and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.

PACD partnered with Water Words That Work to offer farmer focus groups and interviews across Pennsylvania to discuss the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The goal was to learn how we can successfully deliver the program and gain more interest in CREP.

On June 24, 2021, a virtual presentation was offered to partners to discuss the results. To view the presentation of the results, click here. Click here for the written report.

In the 2020-21 Nonpoint Source Pollution mini-grant round, 26 projects were completed by 20 conservation districts, reaching over 1,460 adults. Click here to see the outcomes and here to see a map of projects completed.

Financial and other support for the NPS Mini-grant Program 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 Beaver County Conservation District held two agricultural workshops in May. The Agricultural Gathering and Manure Management Plan Writing Workshop were held outside at the district pavilion. Participants learned about grazing and forage management, agricultural erosion and sedimentation, and manure management.

Financial and other support for the NPS Mini-grant Program 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.

Leadership Development training returns to an in-person format in September with the 2021 Management Summit. The disruptions of the past 18 months have demonstrated the crucial importance of staff development and retention to district operations, and this year’s Summit focuses on these areas with keynote workshops and interactive group-led activities.

The 2021 Summit is scheduled for September 15 & 16 at the Wyndham Garden State College. The Summit also includes a dedicated New Manager preconference Session day on September 14 for 2021 New Manager Training participants to complete their training course with in-person management leadership workshops. Summit sessions on Wednesday, September 15, and Thursday, September 16, are open to all district managers, assistant managers, team leaders, and agency partners.

For more information and to register visit the Building for Tomorrow website or contact Matt Miller, Leadership Development Coordinator. 

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.