PACD Front Page 04.15.13

On Wednesday, April 3, PACD Director of Education, Brandi Hunter-Davenport and intern, Jessica Espenshade, spent the day with Glenn Seidel, PACD First Vice-President, for a day of discussion and touring of conservation throughout Berks County.

"Spending some time on Glenn's farm and getting a chance to view the waterways of Berks County was absolutely amazing," said Hunter-Davenport. "Glenn was a wonderful tour guide and teacher and really provided not only the conservation piece of the story but covered the history of the area as well, giving us a clear picture of just how much conservation has always been connected to our lives, furthering our understanding of the environment in Berks County."

Discussion topics explored included branding, district identity, the impact waterways has had on the development of the area and ways to continue supporting one another.

Kate Keppen, Berks' Watershed Specialist & Environmental Educator, also joined the trio for the afternoon portion of their discussion.

It's Not Too Late to Nominate an Outstanding Legislator, Director or Staff Person for a PACD Award!

You have until April 30 to show your appreciation by nominating a special employee, director, associate director or legislator for a PACD award. To submit a nomination, just complete and submit the simple one-page application form, along with a short narrative. Nominations for the Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director (or Associate Director) Excellence Award, the Conservation District Employee Excellence Award and the Legislator Recognition Award are due April 30, so don't delay! Click here for the award nominations forms. Contact Molly Burns at molly-burns@pacd.org with questions.

STOP! Seats are STILL Available for Upcoming E&S Manual Trainings

There are still seats available for both the Scranton and Villanova Erosion and Sediment (E&S) Manual Trainings scheduled for May 2013.

The trainings were developed to provide an extensive overview of the E&S Manual, with specific highlights regarding the updates which became effective in November 2012.

The Scranton session will take place May 15-16 at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Click here for registration details.

The next session will take place May 29-30 at Villanova University at the CEER Building, 800 E. Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085. To register for this session, click here.

Registration for both trainings will close when capacity is reached or May 3, 2013.

There are not any other sessions scheduled or planned for the remainder of the year.

Questions about either of the trainings can be directed to Brandi Hunter-Davenport, PACD Director of Education, at brandi-davenport@pacd.org.

District Employees Attend Advanced Erosion and Sedimentation Control Training

During the first week of April, 37 County Conservation District employees attended an Advanced/Topic-Based Erosion and Sedimentation (E&S) training that included presentations on conducting an E&S inspection by the PA Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Investigation as well as a presentation from the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) on linear projects and FERC regulations.

Attendees had this to say about the training:

"There were some excellent, informative speakers at the training and I learned a lot from the sessions."

"I have to say that the sessions I attended were some of the most useful topics I've heard, and I'm glad I attended."

These trainings were funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and made possible through the cooperation of the PA Association of Conservation Districts, the PA State Conservation Commission, and Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts.

Ombudsman Mini-Grants Available for Conservation Districts

Are you planning a workshop or pasture walk this spring?

The PA Agricultural Ombudsman Program is offering 10 - $500 mini-grants to conservation districts. The funds can be used to host manure management and agricultural erosion and sedimentation control workshops.

Eligible use of funding includes workshop promotion and advertisement, venue and speaker costs, food and beverages, and printing costs.

The workshops must be completed by June 30, 2013.

Click here to view full details about the grant. Questions can be directed to Beth Futrick with the Blair Conservation District's Agricultural Ombudsman Program at 814-696-0877 x. 5 or at bfutrick@blairconservationdistrict.org.

Tioga County Conservation District Holds Women in Ag Event

The Tioga County Conservation District (TCCD) hosted a "Women in Agriculture" event on February 20 at the Tokishi Building in Wellsboro, PA. Twenty-four people were in attendance.

"We had a wide range of participants including people interested in farming, to owning a small farm, to a large scale dairy operation," said project coordinator and district manager Erica Tomlinson.

The topics included pollinator gardens, business planning, soil health, manure management, and program availability from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Penn State Extension, and the Conservation District.

"More and more farms are being run by women. TCCD held this event to give local women in agriculture the tools and resources they need to be successful. A side benefit in holding the event is the new partnerships and connections that will result," Tomlinson added.

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. More information is available at the PA Nonpoint Source Pollution Education Office website.

Congratulations to Schuylkill County's Patrick "Porcupine Pat" McKinney
Schuylkill County Conservation District's environmental education coordinator, Patrick "Porcupine Pat" McKinney was recently named Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year during the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators' Annual Conference last month. Click here to read more.

Conservation Partners Grant Money Available

The Conservation Partners Program is currently accepting pre-proposal requests for project funding. Grants will be used to partner with NRCS field offices to provide technical assistance for top priority conservation areas. Non-profits, farmer led organizations, educational institutions, tribal governments, and state/local governments are all eligible to apply. Grants will range from $50,000 to $250,000. Pre-proposals, which consist of a two-page narrative, are due by April 23. For specific information on use of funds, priority areas and application information, click here.

Upcoming DEP training on NPDES Construction Stormwater General Permit

The Department of Environmental Protection will be offering training on the revised Pennsylvania general NPDES permit for stormwater discharges associated with construction activities (PAG-02). Currently, there are two trainings scheduled in the eastern and central areas of the state. The dates and locations of the trainings are as follows:

April 16 Holiday Inn Conference Center, 7736 Adrienne Drive, Breinigsville
April 23 Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, 1450 South Atherton Street, State College

Another session is being planned for the western area of the state. Details are forthcoming.

All trainings will run from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Professional development hours will be awarded; however, you must pre-register. Please contact Gwen Spells at gspells@pa.gov for a registration form.

Stroud Water Research Center to Host Stream and Buffer Session

A Stream Ecological Services and Riparian Forest Buffer Session will be held May 14 and June 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no cost for attendees and each session includes lunch. Both days will cover the same material.

This session at the Stroud Water Research Center is primarily for anyone who has never been to the Center. It is a Forest Riparian Buffer/Stream Ecology 101. It is suitable for everyone who has an interest in water quality from interns to department heads. The sessions are sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), DCNR Bureau of Forestry and the Stroud Water Research Center. RSVP by May 1 to Richard Shockey at c-rshockey@pa.gov.