Slate Ridge Dairy Farm is the 2020 recipient of the Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award®.

Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the prestigious award recognizes farmers, ranchers and foresters who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat resources in their care.

In Pennsylvania, the $10,000 award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, American Farmland Trust, The Heinz Endowments, and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Ben and Sharon Peckman, who own and operate Slate Ridge Dairy Farm near St. Thomas receive $10,000 and a crystal award for being selected. The Franklin County dairy farmers were revealed as the recipients during the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s virtual Annual Meeting.

Click here to read more about Slate Ridge Dairy Farm. Click here to view a video on the recipients. 

PACD held a Fluvial Geomorphology Training as a four-part webinar series concluding on November 13, 2020. Ninety-eight conservation district staff and partners attended the training.

Instructor David Williams from the International Erosion Control Association covered fluvial geomorphology and natural channel design indices, stream restoration/rehabilitation, and streambank protection.

On November 5, 2020, Kevin Brown, agricultural resource specialist at the Bradford County Conservation District, shared his experiences with no-till gardens for every size property.

Participants learned how you can spend less time weeding, have a productive garden, and improve water quality and soil health in your backyard!

Click here to view the Better Gardens, Better Soil webinar. 

The Westmoreland Conservation District (WCD) produced two videos to show their 2020 award recipients’ contributions.

They are:

• The Ralph Frye family and their operation, Pleasant Lane Farms of Unity Township – 2020 Conservation Farmer of the Year. Click here to watch the video. 
• The Municipality of Murrysville – 2020 J. Roy Houston Conservation Partner. Click here to watch the video. 

Traditionally, the district presented these awards and celebrated the winners at a reception at their headquarters. But this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, WCD opted to present them in small, private ceremonies at each winner’s location in October. The videos allow everyone to celebrate the accomplishments of these outstanding conservationists.

 

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is offering free technical training to Pennsylvania’s conservation districts on native plants and pollinators. The webinar will take place Thursday, February 18, 2021, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am.

Training Description:

Proper plant selection is the first step to ensuring the success of ecological conservation and habitat development projects for native wildlife and pollinators. In this Pennsylvania-focused technical training, conservation district participants will learn about resources available from multiple agencies to help improve planning for native species plantings. Participants will receive an overview of Pennsylvania-specific climate adaptation resources that can be used to make an informed decision on plant selection. Participants will also gain an understanding of at-risk pollinator and wildlife species needs and user-friendly modeling that can be used to aid in proper planning and better communication with landowners.

Presenters:

Amy Brown, PACD Program Manager
Greg Czarnecki, PA DCNR Director of Applied Climate Science
Peter Hoagland, USDA NRCS State Forester
Kathy Patnode, USFWS Fish & Wildlife Biologist
John Taucher, PGC Private Lands Section Chief

Click here to register by February 16, 2021. 

 

Reminder: PACD is accepting sub-grant applications to implement multi-functional riparian buffers. The implementation of these grants will help the commonwealth achieve its goal of planting 95,000 acres of riparian buffers by 2025.

To date, PACD has awarded $311,822 in sub-grants to 16 conservation districts covering 63.95 acres of multi-functional riparian buffers.

This grant is 100% paid. There is no match required.

The guidelines and applications for the statewide sub-grant program for conservation districts are available here. Direct questions to Amy Brown at abrown@pacd.org.

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.

Twenty-nine students completed the Intro to Conservation Planning Course in Lebanon, PA, from November 4-6, 2020. The training was targeted to entry-level conservationists and included classroom and field experience. The students were introduced to the conservation planning process in Pennsylvania.

Participants attended the three-day training free of charge thanks to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission’s generous sponsorship. PACD provided administrative support for the course.

Mark your calendar for your Spring 2021 PACD Region Meeting! All six meetings will take place virtually in March and April of 2021.

PACD South Central Region Video Conference
March 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North Central Region Video Conference
March 18, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD South East Region Video Conference
March 25, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD South West Region Video Conference
March 30, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North West Region Video Conference
April 8, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North East Region Video Conference
April 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

The week of October 12-16, 2020, the Beaver County Conservation District (BCCD) held a virtual workshop for homeowners on stormwater management. Susan Boser from Penn State Extension presented a program focusing on watersheds, nonpoint source pollution, and stormwater best management practices. The presentation is available here. BCCD Watershed Specialist Hannah Ward demonstrated how to build a rain barrel via video. Click here to view the video. Participants received a rain barrel kit after completing the online workshop.

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.

• Adaptive Strategies and Contingency Planning
  Adaptive Strategies & Contingency Planning for Conservation Districts workshop videos and materials from the October 20 and 27 sessions have been posted at Building for Tomorrow. Click here to view.  For those not able to attend, please review the separate workshop videos for managers and directors and plan on joining us for a combined Session 3 on Tuesday, November 17. Click here to register. 
• Strategic Planning Grants application deadline is November 20
  Reminder to Managers and Directors: Conservation districts interested in participating in the Strategic Planning Grants Program for 2020-21 must submit a Letter of Intent by November 20. Click here for more information and program requirements or contact Leadership Development Coordinator Matt Miller with questions.
• Save the Dates: 2021 Board Leadership Webinar Series
  Conservation District Directors – mark your calendars for Building for Tomorrow’s 2021 Board Leadership Webinar Series, scheduled for February 15, 16, 17, 23, and 24. Sessions will be held during the day and evening. Topics will include Ethics & Conflict of Interest, District Success Stories, Board Committees & Effective Governance, and Strategic Planning. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.

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.