As part of their Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant Project, the Beaver County Conservation District held two workshops in early March. The goal was to train local farmers in the development of manure management and agricultural erosion and sedimentation plans. Four manure management plans were completed as a result of the project.

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.

With the safety of attendees in mind, the Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting will be moving to a virtual format for 2020. Sessions will take place October 6-8, 2020, as planned, but as a combination of webinars and online meetings.

With the safety of our attendees in mind, the 102/105 Technical Training Planning Workgroup will design a virtual 102/105 Technical Training. Stay tuned for dates in a future edition of Front Page!

PACD created a public service announcement (PSA) to encourage citizens to plant native plants.

Materials include:

• Script and audio for 60-second version
  
  
• Script and audio for 30-second version
  
  
• Script for 15-second version
  
  
• 60-second animated version

Click here to view the webpage of materials https://pacd.org/?page_id=20773. Please share the PSA scripts with your local radio stations. Conservation districts and partners are encouraged to share the animated version on their social media channels.

Mark your calendars for the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training (“Boot Camp” Basic Level and Level II). Conservation district staff are encouraged to take advantage of these free, week-long training opportunities, including classroom learning and experience in the field.

• Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Basic Level
  April 12-16, 2021
  Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)
• Agricultural Conservation Technical “Boot Camp” Training – Level II
  April 26-30, 2021
  Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

Please note these dates are tentative pending funding.

The application period will open on January 22, 2021. Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org.

These training opportunities are made possible by the following sponsors: Natural Resources Conservation Service, State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc.

To help residents keep local lakes clean, the Pike County Conservation District is hosting a free, three-part webinar series titled “How Your Backyard Activities Affect Your Lake.” The webinars include:

• June 23: Ways To Help Your Lake Stay Healthy; 
• July 21: Homeowner Tips To Protect Clean Water; and 
• August 25: Getting To Know Your Drinking Water. 

The webinars are free, but registration is required. Click here for more information and to register. 

Crawford County Conservation District Resource Conservation Technician Sydney Holler recently created a short video, “Are You Ready for Construction Season?” The video provides an overview of an often-missed component of new construction – erosion and sedimentation control.

Click here to view and share the three-minute video. 

Throughout June, Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD) will host a lunch-and-learn webinar series about streams and stormwater. Each week, ACCD staff will walk attendees through an essential aspect of stream health and stormwater systems. Sessions will build on each other to explain the relationship between human activity and water quality. These webinars will also review strategies to improve regional water quality and manage stormwater. Registration is free but required: https://bit.ly/2M7VoGx.

View previous webinars on soil, erosion control, tree planting, and manure management here: https://bit.ly/2TQxBz0.

PACD members and partner agency staff are invited to register for the PACD Executive Council Meeting, which will be held as a Zoom web conference on July 23, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Registration is free and is required to participate. Click here for more information and to register.

Bucks County Conservation District’s summer intern, Baileigh Rosado, launched a web series on backyard vegetable gardening on the district’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bucksccd/.

Every Sunday, she posts a video documenting her journey building a raised garden bed. She shows viewers how to start their own garden, as well as some educational videos along the way. Check out her first video here on the benefits and potential drawbacks of gardening and how to know if it’s right for you!