PA Association of Conservation Districts
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In This Issue
Thanksgiving Wishes
Winter Meeting Registration Opens Today
Fall Region Meetings Conclude in Cumberland County
Williamsport E&S Session has been Rescheduled
Best Management Practices Bus Tour Hosted by Montgomery County Conservation District
Don McNutt Speaks about Success of Agriculture in the Chesapeake Bay Region
National Farm City Week
Conservation Districts in the News
Upcoming Events

 

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November 19, 2012

Thanksgiving Wishes

Happy Thanksgiving clipart

Happy Thanksgiving to our conservation family!

 

 

 

-From the PACD Staff

Winter Meeting Registration Opens Today

This year's PACD/SCC Winter Meeting offers more ways to register. Members can register online and pay by either credit card (using PayPal) or by check. Additionally, individuals can also submit a paper registration form and pay by credit card or check as well.

 

We hope these additional options make the registration process even easier for our members to join us January 23 and 24, 2013 in State College.

 

Materials for the PACD Executive Council Meeting taking place January 24 will be distributed separately to each conservation district via e-mail today, so that your local board can review the information prior to the meeting.

 

Michael Kumer

The January meeting is sure to provide a ton of information for you to use in your home districts. We're very excited about the Local Board Development and Leadership Workshop by Michael Kumer (pictured) of Boards Made to Order. This two-hour session will address board member recruitment and retention, with the goal of providing each district with an action plan that speaks to board member engagement. For more information about Mr. Kumer and Boards Made to Order, visit  
www.boardsmto.com.

 

For more information about the January meeting, including registration information, click here.

 

We look forward to seeing you in January!

Fall Region Meetings Conclude in Cumberland County

South Central Region Meeting
York County Conservation District Director Wayne Sweitzer (left) and Franklin County Conservation District Director Sam Worley during the PACD South Central Region Meeting November 9 at the Cumberland County Conservation District.

The sixth and final PACD fall region meeting took place November 9 at the Cumberland County Conservation District office. During the region meetings, PACD Executive Director Robert B. Maiden collected input on the principals that PACD will advocate to target audiences.

 

Each region submitted three ideals which were brought to the PACD Executive Board. The Board then developed five overarching principles, combining the regional submissions. The five principles will be brought to the Executive Council for voting during the PACD/SCC Winter Meeting in January. Thank you to the members who attended their region meeting and provided input on this project!  

Williamsport E&S Session has been Rescheduled

Calendar The Erosion & Sediment Manual Training originally scheduled for Oct. 30 and 31, which was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy, has been rescheduled.

 

The training will now take place Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20, 2013.

 

All attendees who were previously registered already have reserved seats for the new dates and will not need to take further action. If these dates do not work for anyone who is registered, please send an email to [email protected] and a refund will be processed for you. In requesting your refund, please provide the name of the registrant and as well as the names of the individuals you are cancelling for if you registered more than person for the session.

 

Anyone who previously requested and received a refund would need to re-register for the March dates if interested in attending. If you are interested in attending the new dates, you will need to send an email to [email protected] to determine if the seats are still available. Available seats have been opened to any other individuals interested in attending the new dates.

 

Additionally, if anyone needs overnight accommodations, you can contact the Williamsport Holiday Inn (where the session is being held) at 570-327-8231 directly. Rooms will be available at a discounted rate of $129 per night with availability for this rate on March 18 and 19. When you call, ask for the PACD room block. All rooms must be reserved no later than Feb. 18, 2013 to guarantee this rate.

 

Please feel free to contact Brandi at [email protected] or 717-238-7223 with any questions regarding this session. Additional trainings have not yet been set for 2013.  

Best Management Practices Bus Tour Hosted by Montgomery County Conservation District

Montgomery bus tour
The above photo is of the Black Rock Sanctuary, a county park and interpretative center. The discussion at this site was led by representatives from KMS, a local environmental consulting/landscape architecture firm. Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County Conservation District.

On October 24, approximately 60 individuals participated in a tour of Stormwater and Sustainable Open Spaces sites throughout Montgomery County. The bus tour was open to all interested individuals, which included state representatives, environmental professionals and members of the public.

 

A variety of sights were visited to provide the attendees with an overall picture of current best management practices (BMPs). The tour made six location stops which included commercial complexes, residential lots and private lands. At each of the sites, the guests heard from speakers who covered topics such as BMP approaches and integrated environmental curriculum.

This program was funded through a Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Education grant. Additional sponsorship was obtained through the PA Landscape and Nursery Association and the Montgomery County Farm, Home & 4-H Center. 

Don McNutt Speaks about Success of Agriculture in the Chesapeake Bay Region

Don McNutt
Lancaster County Conservation District Manager Don McNutt addresses attendees at the 2012 Customer Classic. The event, which took place November 14 and 15 in Lititz, is an outgrowth of the recently formed Ag Council. McNutt serves as an advisory member to the Council. The Council works to promote Lancaster County agriculture using a proactive approach in addressing issues that would limit the future growth of agriculture. McNutt addressed members of the agriculture and conservation community for an hour-long session both days. Photo taken by Shelly Dehoff.

DEP Schedules 20 Webinars On New Permitting Tools And Permit Decision Guarantee 

PA DEP The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled 20 webinars between November and next June to discuss how the agency will use electronic permitting tools to implement the Permit Review and Decision Guarantee Process.

 

Ten webinars will focus on the general aspects of the program. The first will take place Monday, November 19, beginning at 10 a.m. Ten additional webinars will follow, focusing on specific programs:

-- November 20: Waste Management, starting at 10 a.m.;
-- November 20: Active and Abandoned Mine Operations, starting at 1:30 p.m.;
-- November 26: Safe Drinking Water at 1:30 p.m.
-- November 27: Point and Non-Point Source Management at 1:30 p.m.;

-- November 28: Storage Tanks, starting at 10 a.m;
-- November 28: Oil and Gas Management, starting at 1:30 p.m.;
-- November 29: Radiation Protection, starting at 10 a.m.;
-- November 29: Air Quality, starting at 2 p.m.;
-- November 30: Waterways Engineering & Wetlands, Chapter 102, starting at 10 a.m.;
-- November 30: Waterways Engineering & Wetlands, Chapter 105 & Dam Safety, at 1:30 p.m.

 

Click here for the full schedule and links to sign up for the webinars.

National Farm City Week

Peppers Beginning Friday, November 16 and running through Thanksgiving, National Farm City Week is observed annually to celebrate the connection between farms and urban areas in providing food, fuel and fiber. The week's observance was established to help residents make a connection between the food they eat daily and the land, soil it comes from. Additionally, the week-long designation highlights the health of the nation's food supply and the corresponding connection to healthy communities. The yearly celebration always begins the Friday before Thanksgiving and concludes on the holiday.

 

For more information about the National Farm-City Council or the yearly observance, visit www.farmcity.org/index.html .