Conservation Districts in the News
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Farmer Tells Story of Conservation District's Impacts
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The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) has released "Conservation Districts Sustain Agriculture: A Farmer's Story." The two-and-a-half minute video highlights the types of work districts do to support the state's residents and the economy.
"This video, while short in length, is long in reach and explains how the districts help sustain the state's number one industry: agriculture," said PACD Executive Director Robert Maiden. "Many times, the conservation districts assist farmers with their nutrient management plans and installation of best management practices (BMPs) so they can stay productive. Agriculture feeds families."
You can access the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oQl9fLSZ0mM.
PACD is asking the legislature to provide funding through the state's general fund to support the districts' work in 66 Pennsylvania counties.
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Seats are still available for the upcoming Environmental Educator Conference
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Seats are still available for the 2013 Environmental Educator Conference in Harrisburg on June 19!
The event will take place at the Benjamin Olewine III Nature Center, Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110.
Running from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the conference is an opportunity for conservation district education and outreach staff, teachers and other educators to learn about environmental education resources that are available to them and also to network with other education professionals.
"The day-long session will allow attendees to gain insight about programs such as Expedition Chesapeake and the LEAF Pack Program," said Brandi Hunter-Davenport, PACD Director of Education. "This conference is designed to be a real exchange of resources, ideas and information as we all work to continue educating citizens about our surrounding environment."
There is a $25 registration fee which includes program materials, lunch and refreshments. For registration details, including the complete agenda and session descriptions, click here.
The conference is made possible by a grant from the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection Environmental Education Grants Program through the Northumberland County Conservation District. For more information about the conference, contact Terry Fisher at terry-fisher@pacd.org or Brandi Hunter-Davenport at brandi-davenport@pacd.org. You can all also call PACD at 717-238-7223.
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PACD Discusses Role of Conservation Districts at Local Career Fair
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Hunter-Davenport joins representatives from Harrisburg High School's Gear Up and SBI Programs Deborah Reeves-Waters; Christina Wood (Harrisburg Area Community College); Keith Edmonds; Clenistine Dunson and Dr. Jeremy Rier (cardiologist). Photo taken by Jess Espenshade.
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On Tuesday, April 30, Brandi Hunter-Davenport and Jess Espenshade interacted with nearly 150 high school students at the Harrisburg High School Gear Up/SBI Career Fair. The duo shared information with students about the work conservation districts are doing daily and what it means to work toward caring for the environment. The 10th, 11th and 12th graders showed off their environmental expertise with fierce competition during multiple rounds of Conservation Jeopardy throughout the day.
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Espenshade interacts with students at Harrisburg High School. Photo taken by Hunter-Davenport.
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"This event gave us a real opportunity to connect with our future on a one-on-one level," said Hunter-Davenport.
"Many of these students found themselves applying their classroom learning to the overall discussion and we could see several 'aha' moments when they made the connection between the natural environment, the work of the districts and their roles as residents. I hope we're able to get out to more of these events and continue to provide that awareness."
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Loan/Grant Calculation Worksheets Available
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One of the first questions people ask about the PENNVEST Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program is, "Will we be able to get a grant?" PACD developed the Loan/Grant Calculation Worksheets to help potential applicants answer that question before they start the online application process.
While some grants are available for nonpoint source projects, it's important to remember that PENNVEST is primarily a low-interest loan program. It is designed to be self sustaining by rolling loan payments back into available funds that are then on hand for more projects. PENNVEST's interest rates are in the range of one- to three-percent for a 20-year term, so anyone receiving a PENNVEST loan is still realizing substantial savings over commercial loan rates.
Grants may be awarded for eligible projects when the benefactor responsible for repaying the loan does not have the ability to cover debt service on that loan. The decision to offer a loan or grant is based on an objective review of the benefactor's financial information from the three previous years. PENNVEST considers cash flow, current debt load, revenues and other factors in this process.
The Loan/Grant Calculation Worksheets take the benefactors through a series of "tests" that assess their ability to cover debt service. It evaluates the same financial information and uses essentially the same process that PENNVEST will employ in their financial review. Upon completion of the worksheets, a benefactor will know if they are "eligible" to receive a grant or if they will be more likely offered a loan.
While the worksheets are relatively easy to use, an accurate estimate of proposed project costs and information from tax returns, financial statements and other sources is necessary. Understanding exactly what information is needed can be a little confusing, so some applicants consult their accountant or professional tax preparer to ensure correct and complete data is used.
The worksheets will give an indication of what to expect from PENNVEST; but it is not a guarantee that an offer will be made or of what type of offer it may be. The financial considerations are only one piece of the decision-making process. Relative quality of the project, total funds available, the number of projects being considered and other factors are all part of the final award decision.
To access the worksheets, visit http://pacd.org/pennvest-application-assistance/loangrant-calculation-worksheets. For more information about the PENNVEST application process, contact Terry Fisher at terry-fisher@pacd.org or 717-238-7223.
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Sullivan/Lycoming Envirothon Awards Scholarships
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Staff from Sullivan and Lycoming Conservation Districts pose for a photo with PACD North Central Region Director Edward Zinser (front row, blue shirt) during the county level Envirothon Competition on April 23. They are (front row, left to right): Rod Morehart (LCCD), Jacquelyn Rouse (SCCD), Curtis Swanger (LCCD), Carey Entz-Rine (LCCD), Edward Zinser (SCCD), and Corey Richmond (SCCD) Back row: Joe Agnoni (LCCD), Chad Bower (LCCD), Mark Davidson (LCCD), and Randy Reibson (SCCD).
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The Sullivan (SCCD) and Lycoming County Conservation District's (LCCD) conducted their 2013 County Envirothon Competition on April 23rd at the Consolidated Sportsmen of Lycoming County grounds north of Montoursville.
During the Envirothon, five member teams tackle questions in five subject matters including: Soils and Land Use, Forestry, Aquatics, Wildlife and the current issue of Grazing Lands and Pasture Management.
Sullivan County's A Team captured top honors for the event. New for 2013, each of the five team members was awarded $500 scholarships for their efforts by the Sullivan County Conservation District. LCCD also awarded $500 scholarships to their top scoring team's members from Loyalsock High School.
"This was the first year that Sullivan and Lycoming Counties offered scholarships to the students and we are proud to be able to do that for these kids that take on the extra workload, on top of what they have to do for school, and learning more about our natural resource issues," said Corey Richmond, Sullivan County Conservation District Watershed Specialist/Chesapeake Bay Technician.
Both Sullivan's A Team and Loyalsock High School's A Team will move on to compete in the Pennsylvania Envirothon taking place on the campus of Juniata College in Huntington, PA on May 21 and 22, 2013.
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Additional Funding Announced for National Water Quality Initiative Conservation in PA
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As part of its commitment to improving impaired watersheds, the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced additional funding for the second year of its National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).
Up to $1,100,000 in financial assistance will be made available to Pennsylvania farmers and forest landowners in three selected watersheds to implement conservation practices intended to improve water quality.
The selected watersheds include the Upper Kishacoquillas Creek in Mifflin County, the Upper Maiden Creek in Berks and Lehigh counties, and Sacony Creek in Berks County. With help from state agencies, partners and the NRCS State Technical Committee, these watersheds were identified as priority areas in 2012 because on-farm conservation investments will deliver the greatest water quality improvement benefits. For more information, click here.
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Web Soil Survey Version 3.0 to be Released | |
The WEB Soil Survey Platform provides on-line access to soil maps and data for more than 95 percent of the nation's counties. In late May, 2013, Web Soil Survey Version 3.0 is scheduled to be released and will bring many changes. Some of the highlights of Version 3.0 include:
- The Area of Interest (AOI) has been expanded to 100,000 acres from the traditional 10,000 acres, which is a major benefit for users working on watershed-level or MLRA-level projects. The AOI can be saved for later use or can be exported to your GIS system for incorporation into other projects or you can import an AOI from a GIS project or zip file. The user can also use a specific property address to identify the AOI and use the polygon feature or rectangle feature to highlight the area of interest to clip the soils data.
- SSURGO and STATSGO2 data can now be downloaded directly from the Web Soil Survey.
- The Soil Data Mart platform will be discontinued. There are many more options available for displaying the soil maps and information that include having the ability to change the soil boundary color, soil boundary thickness, soil label size, and background image.
- The map legend has been updated to enable users to customize the legend according to their needs.
- The Soil Explorer tab enables the user to generate reports relating to Soil Suitabilities and Limitations, Soil Properties and Qualities and/or Ecological Site Assessments.
Please be on the lookout for the release of Web Soil Survey 3.0 in late May and the many new features available for using soils information. For additional information relating to Web Soil Survey and the many features click here.
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Asbestos and the Pennsylvania Conservation Districts | |
A message from The Mesothelioma Center
Did you know that Pennsylvania is third in the U.S. for mesothelioma and asbestosis deaths?
The use of asbestos has been reduced dramatically in recent decades. The asbestos mines in Southeastern Pennsylvania were closed long ago. Tighter regulations enforced by the EPA have helped everyone feel safer from this scourge.
Yet the threat remains. Vigilance is crucial. More than ever, asbestos awareness is a necessity.
Throughout the state, tons of asbestos products still are capable of causing a variety of respiratory illnesses, including lung cancer, mesothelioma cancer and asbestosis. It's still in the walls, floors and ceilings of both commercial and residential construction built before the late 1980s.
It also has become more dangerous with age, particularly when disturbed through a renovation or demolition that sends the microscopic and toxic asbestos fibers into the air and into the lungs of unsuspecting people.
It can take anywhere from 10 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos before symptoms of a serious illness appear, a latency period that produces an uncertain future for many.
More than 3,000 people in Pennsylvania died of an asbestos-related illness in a recent 20-year stretch, ranking third highest among all states in America.
Asbestos was once coveted for its ability to insulate, fireproof and strengthen almost anything. It was part of the plumbing, the roofing, and the building of our state. It's everywhere still.
Be aware.
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