Prerequisite and Application Information Available

PACD partners with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to deliver a three-day Introduction to Conservation Planning course. This free training is scheduled for November 4-6, 2020, at the Pennsylvania NRCS State Office, USDA Conference Center, Harrisburg, PA.

The event is for entry-level employees of all organizations in Pennsylvania delivering conservation planning technical assistance including, but not limited to, NRCS, conservation districts, SCC, farmland preservation entities, non-profits, and private consultants. The training is free, and lunch will be provided.

An online prerequisite is required. Click here for instructions on the prerequisite. Email completed prerequisite certificates to Shannon Wehinger at swehinger@pacd.org. Click here to apply for the course. The application deadline is September 18, 2020.

Registration is open for the Management Summit 2020 Webinar Series, scheduled on Wednesday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. from September 2 through September 30. This year’s program features a variety of topics including Managing Remote Teams, Negotiation Skills, and Volunteer Engagement, as well as a follow-up session from the Summer Employment Law webinar series. The Summit Series program will be bookended by the Manager Forum meetings on Wednesday, August 26, and October 7, allowing Managers to discuss resilient leadership and team cohesion in times of uncertainty.

Agenda and registration for the Summit Series can be found at the Building for Tomorrow website. 

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 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.