Conservation Districts are encouraged to regularly reevaluate and update their strategic plans and Building for Tomorrow supports districts by offering grants to offset costs associated with strategic planning activities. The State Conservation Commission has allocated funding for grants to reimburse up to a maximum of $1,500 in expenses related to developing a strategic plan for the 2022-23 program year. Priority will be given to conservation districts that did not receive a strategic planning grant in the past five years—Visit Building for Tomorrow  for information on program requirements. Contact Matt Miller, Leadership Development Coordinator, at mmiller@pacd.org with questions and to discuss planning facilitation and support needs.

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.

PACD is co-hosting a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Review Course. The course will be held at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey on October 25, 2022. The cost is $365 for non-district participants and $175 for conservation district staff (contact hmiller@pacd.org for the discount code). Register online at https://envirocert.org/event/pacd-cpesc-in-person-training.

The review course is open to anyone, including conservation districts, agency staff, or private companies, actively pursuing a CPESC certification through EnviroCert International, Inc. Please pass this information along to anyone who may be interested.

The deadline to register is October 15. Click here for more information. 

The Butler County Conservation District (BCCD) has been helping farmers make wise economic and environmental decisions when determining side dressing nitrogen (N) rates for their corn.

The program started 11 years ago when the BCCD purchased a SPADs chlorophyll meter and started their Early-Season Corn Chlorophyll Test Program. The BCCD felt a need for a test that allowed farmers to adjust their fields, unlike the Late Season Cornstalk Nitrate Test.

Click here to read the entire article. 

 

Delaware County Conservation District planted 2.352-acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer in Haverford Township, Delaware County. The project cost $9,188.86 and was paid for through PACD’s multi-functional buffer sub-grant program. For more information on the program click 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 Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Butler County Conservation District planted 0.36-acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer along a tributary to Big Run in Butler County. The buffer was located on a pasture field. The project cost $2,068.00 and was paid for through PACD’s multi-functional buffer sub-grant program. For more information on the program click 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 Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

On September 16, 2022, PACD’s five-person team traveled to York County for the 15th Annual Sporting Clays Fundraiser benefitting the York County Envirothon.

Congratulations to York County Conservation District on a successful event!

As part of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Outreach Program Office, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and CREP Program Partners will offer a virtual two-day CREP Partner Training to all partner staff involved in the program, including conservation district staff. Registration is free and required.

CREP Partner Training
November 9-10, 2022 | 9:00am – noon

Audience: New and experienced staff working with the CREP program in Pennsylvania

Please click here to view the draft agenda and here to register for the training. 

Contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org with questions.

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.

PACD recently hired Brittany Moore as a Conservation Technician in the Lebanon, PA Technical Center. Brittany graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Biology and Animal Science. Brittany has a background in agricultural research and GIS and was the previous Agricultural Program Coordinator at the Schuylkill County Conservation District. In her spare time, Brittany enjoys kayaking, running, and hiking with her dog, Eleanor.

Brittany can be reached at bmoore@pacd.org.

The PACD Engineering Assistance Program, funded through the Pennsylvania Growing Greener Program and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, provides statewide engineering and soils technical assistance to entities developing or implementing a watershed assessment, watershed restoration plan, or watershed protection plan. Program staff are based out of four regional offices covering all Pennsylvania river basins.

Westmoreland Conservation District recently announced its 2022 awards. Ramsey Excavating LLC was named the J. Roy Houston Conservation Partnership Award. The Lash Family Farm was named Conservation Farmer of the Year.

For articles on the awards program, click here and here. 

PACD is now accepting mini-grant applications for up to $3,000 to implement educational and outreach activities that support and extend the work of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Projects should focus on CREP enrollment, re-enrollment and/or CREP maintenance.

Applications are due November 18, 2022.

The guidelines and application for the new grant round are posted here. Questions should be directed to 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.