Registration is now open for Building for Tomorrow 2019 New Manager Bootcamp training, June 18–20 at Toftrees Resort in State College. The program will include sessions on conservation district history and law, applicable laws and policies, program partners, fiscal management, integrated planning, board relations, and personnel and office management.

This event is designed to deliver information crucial to new conservation district managers and registration is limited to managers that have been in the role for less than five years.

Click here for more information and to register. Please make your room reservations at Toftrees by May 17 (direct 814-234-8000).

The Pike/Wayne Conservation Partnership annual Legislative Breakfast was held on Friday, April 12, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the Wayne County Historical Society in Honesdale, PA. The Pike/Wayne Conservation Partnership is an alliance of over twenty government, non-government, non-profit, and grass roots organizations that work toward common goals for natural resource conservation, sustainable communities, and citizen involvement in community planning in Pike and Wayne Counties.

Pike and Wayne County Conservation Districts take turns planning the annual legislative breakfast. This year, Wayne County Conservation District took the lead with District Manager Jamie Knecht and Watershed Specialist Colleen Campion handling event details.

Legislators from the federal, state, county, and local levels participate. This year, topics related to conservation districts included the Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Roads program, funding for the Watershed Specialist position through the Growing Greener grant program through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Individual National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting process.

Through their 2018-19 Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant (administered by PACD), the Lackawanna County Conservation District conducted two workshops on non-point source pollution. Twenty county residents registered and attended the workshops, including local municipal employees and one county commissioner. The workshops were held in August 2018 and April 2019.

The district educated attendees on the causes of stormwater and ways to use rain barrels to mitigate some of its negative impacts. The project successfully engaged residents of Lackawanna County in managing stormwater in their backyards.

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.

Pat McKinney, aka Porcupine Pat from the Schuylkill Conservation District, visited PA Live on Earth Day. Click here to watch the video.

Follow Porcupine Pat on Facebook @PorcupinePatFanPage.

WNEP featured Columbia County Conservation District (CCCD) and PA Fish & Boat Commission’s Good Water = Good Fishing event on a PA Outdoor Life segment. CCCD Watershed Specialist Brittney Hartzell is featured in the video. Click here to view the nine-minute segment.

The Columbia County Conservation District used a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) mini-grant, administered by PACD, to host a CREP Workshop at the Montour Preserve in Danville, PA on March 28, 2019. Forty-five people attended the workshop and heard presentations from the Farm Service Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and PA Game Commission about the new mid-contract management rules and how landowners can use CREP to improve wildlife habitat and water quality. A demonstration on how to use the Game Commission’s no-till seed drill was also part of the workshop.

Financial support for the CREP 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.

On April 11, 2019, the Lycoming County Conservation District held a legislative breakfast at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, PA. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Williamsport for the event.

Topics of discussion included stream restoration efforts in the county and the state budget.

In February, Jefferson County Conservation District (JCCD) held a manure management workshop in Brookville, PA. The workshop was part of the district’s Manure Management Manual and Chapter 102 Compliance Mini-grant Program project (administered by PACD). Through the project, JCCD reached thirteen farmers.

Financial support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant, the Clean Water Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program (CBRAP).

The National Association of Conservation Districts 2019 Poster Contest theme is “Life in the Soil: DIG DEEPER.” PACD will be accepting photos of your county’s winners until June 30, 2019. We can’t wait to see all the artistic entries for this year’s theme! Contact Jann McNamara at 717-238-7223 x 106 or jmcnamara@pacd.org with questions.

Click here to read more.

The April 30 deadline to recognize a fellow conservationist by nominating him or her for a PACD Award is fast approaching.

• Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director or Associate Director Excellence Award
• Conservation District Employee Excellence Award
• Legislator Recognition Award
• Maurice K. Goddard Award for Excellence in Environmental Recreation

Click here for more information and a nomination form. Contact Jann McNamara at jmcnamara@pacd.org with any questions.