Ana graduated from Penn State in 2017 with a B.S. in Environmental Resource Management and a minor in Soil Science. Shortly after graduating, she accepted a position as a Soil Conservation Technician in York County, where she cultivated an appreciation for the hard work conservation professionals do across the state. This, in combination with a strong interest in engineering design, is what prompted her to seek this position with PACD.

On a personal note, Ana recently moved to Hummelstown with her boyfriend. She enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, dreaming of DIY home remodeling, and watching Penn State football games. WE ARE…

The 2019 Management Summit was held from September 4-5, 2019, at the Wyndham Garden State College. This year’s Summit featured keynote and workshop sessions on both the theory and practical applications of team leadership and maximizing your team’s performance.

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.

Conservation district managers and staff – next year’s Staff Conference will be Wednesday, February 12, and Thursday, February 13, at the Wyndham Garden in State College. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks!

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.

Agenda Now Available

PACD is partnering with the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to facilitate Chapter 102 Fall Regional Sessions. These free sessions are for conservation district and DEP staff. Click here to view the agenda. Registration will be from 9:00 a.m–9:30 a.m., and the sessions will conclude by 4:00 p.m..

Click here for directions on how to register for these sessions.

Due to limited space, please limit registrations to 3-4 staff per office.

Northwest Chapter 102 Fall Regional Session
October 1, 2019 (deadline to register is September 20)
DEP Northwest Regional Office, Meadville, PA

Southwest Chapter 102 Fall Regional Session
October 2, 2019 (deadline to register is September 20)
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA

Northcentral Chapter 102 Fall Regional Session
October 15, 2019 (deadline to register is October 4)
DEP Northcentral Regional Office, Williamsport, PA

Northeast Chapter 102 Fall Regional Session
October 22, 2019 (deadline to register is October 11)
Back Mountain Regional Emergency Services, Dallas, PA

Southeast Chapter 102 Fall Regional Session
October 29, 2019 (deadline to register is October 18)
DEP Southeast Regional Office, Norristown, PA

Southcentral Chapter 102 Fall Regional Session
October 31, 2019 (deadline to register is October 21)
Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Center, Dauphin, PA

For questions related to the Clean Water Academy, contact Jay Braund at jbraund@pa.gov.

Contact Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org with questions about the fall sessions.

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 $158,000 in sub-grants to 10 conservation districts covering 30 acres of multi-functional riparian buffers.

The guidelines and applications for this new 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.

Conservation district watershed specialists from across the state are registering for the 19th Annual Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which will take place at Toftrees Golf Resort and Conference Center in State College, PA, October 2-4, 2019. This year’s event features two days of educational sessions, plus an optional third-day tour of watershed restoration and riparian buffer projects hosted by the Penn State Ag and Environment Center.

Registration is open to all conservation district watershed specialists and to staff from the PA Department of Environmental Protection by invitation. Click here for more information or to register.

In March, Eric Konzelmann, Assistant District Manager at the Montgomery County Conservation District presented at the 2019 Watershed Congress. Eric spoke about best practices and construction techniques for building rain gardens. The presentation is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/5ma_QIv5UDc.

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.

Washington County Conservation District recognized staff for years of service at a monthly board meeting. These individuals have dedicated years to conserving soil and water health in Washington County and were recognized for their duty, dedication, and loyalty to Washington County Conservation District. Congratulations to Matt, Jennifer, Clarice, and Tom!

Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition, was held August 13-15, 2019, at The Pennsylvania State University’s Research Farms in Rock Springs. PACD and conservation districts from Northumberland, Berks, Union, Cambria, Wyoming, Clinton, Venango, Adams, and Bedford Counties met hundreds of landowners and farmers to discuss local conservation during the three-day event.

Thank you so much to all who volunteered for this great outreach opportunity!

PACD announces the five state-level winners of the National Association of Conservation District’s 2019 “Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper” poster contest.

The winners in each category are:

K-1 Leah Hartman – Carbon County
2-3 Tvisha Jani – Delaware County
4-6 Karlee Dwyer – Delaware County
7-9 Marializ Jordan – Delaware County
10-12 Makenna Bankes – Carbon County

Best wishes to the state level winners in the upcoming national judging competition. For more information about the NACD poster contest, visit https://www.nacdnet.org/general-resources/stewardship-and-education-materials/contests/.