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Conservation Districts in the News
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Due to the Independence Day Holiday, the next issue of Front Page will be distributed from the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference on July 15.
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Exciting Updates on the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference
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 | | Photo from http://pcntv.com. |
We are excited to announce that Corinna Vecsey Wilson, Vice President of Programming and Host for the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN), will be acting as emcee for the PACD/SCC Awards Luncheon, which will be filmed and televised by PCN!
In addition, the Tuesday afternoon tour has been expanded to include a stop at Walnut Green, one of Chester County's premier thoroughbred horse breeding farms, before continuing on to Marlboro Mushrooms, the only solar powered mushroom farm in the world and the oldest continually operated mushroom farm in North America.
The final day to pre-register for the conference is only a week away on Monday, July 8. Don't miss the opportunity to take part in this year's conference. Click here and register today!
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We have a pig! Help us win the challenge!
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 A few weeks back, we announced that Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts' Executive Director, Robert Maiden, would kiss a pig if the "Conservation Districts Sustain Agriculture: A Farmer's Story" video reached 1,000 viewers.
We're getting close. With 800 viewers as of June 28, we don't have much further to go! Please continue sharing the video link, with your networks and help us reach 1,000 viewers by July 15. Thanks to Chester County Conservation District for securing the pig!
Also, if anyone is interested in receiving a DVD copy of the video, we have about 10 available and they will be issued on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Brandi directly at brandi-davenport@pacd.org or at 717-238-7223 x. 17 to request a DVD.
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Mike Lovegreen Receives 2013 Conservationist of the Year Award
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 | | PACD Executive Director Robert Maiden, Mike Lovegreen, and PA Department of Environmental Protection's Deputy Secretary Kelly Heffner pose during the 2013 Conservationist of the Year Reception. |
Conservationists took over the East Wing of the state Capitol on June 25 to honor Bradford County Conservation District Manager Mike Lovegreen. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation presented Mike with the 2013 Conservationist of the Year Award. Many staff members from conservation districts, PACD, the State Conservation Commission, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PA Departments of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation were in attendance to recognize Mike's commitment to the Chesapeake Bay and Pennsylvania's rivers and streams.
Senator Gene Yaw presented Mike with a citation from the Senate and Representatives Tina Pickett and Matthew Baker presented a citation from the House of Representatives.
While accepting the award, Mike credited "an amazing culture" created at Bradford County Conservation District as the keystone to the district's success. He said the three items the district focuses on are the needs of the local community, realizing that people are the key and partnerships. Of his retirement Mike stated, "Having this culture live on in the board, staff and partners is reward enough." Please join PACD in congratulating Mike for this well deserved honor.
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Cameron Conservation District Offers "Growing Up WILD"
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 | | Pictured in their safari hats and camouflage vests are: (front row): Kristina Glover, Donna Glover, Kendra Grahm, Heidi Aikens (2nd row): Brandi Burgoon, Cassandra Lyon, Dawn Long (3rd row): Shelbie Eshleman, Shannon Terry, Kristen Eckert, Wanda Smith *Sheri Harrier is missing from the photo. Photo provided by CCCD. |
The Cameron County Conservation District (CCCD), Cameron County Outdoor Youth Activities, Sinnemahoning State Park, and the Department of Environmental Protection recently offered a PA Game Commission created "Growing Up WILD" workshop for environmental educators. Attendees came from Lycoming, Potter and Cameron Counties.
Attendees learned many unique and delightful activities to engage three to nine-year-olds in the joys and marvels of nature. A few of the activities involved worm art, spider web races, discovering owl pellets, camouflage animals, seed dispersion and a five-senses Nature Walk. All of the lessons are aligned to the PA Department of Education's State Standards.
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No-till Farmer Field Day to be Held in Union County
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 | | Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS. |
You're invited to a No-till Alliance Field Day on July 17 at Criswell Farms, 6229 Col. John Kelly Rd., Lewisburg, PA. The day will be filled with knowledgeable speakers, cover crop trials, soil pits and lunch! The event is approved for four CECs in the no-till/cover crop category for Certified Conservation Planners. Click here to view the event flyer. RSVP to Beth Rider at
beth.rider@pa.usda.gov.
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. Other sponsors are listed on the flyer linked above.
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$23 Million Available in Growing Greener Plus Grants
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 The Department of Environmental Protection will begin accepting applications on June 22 through the Growing Greener Plus grant program for watershed protection and abandoned mine drainage projects. Local governments, non-profits, schools, municipal authorities and watershed associations are eligible to apply.
Applications must be postmarked no later than Aug. 16, 2013 and mailed to the DEP Grant Center at P.O. Box 8776, Harrisburg, PA 17105. If hand delivered, the package must be received by the Center by 4 p.m. on August 16. Late submissions will not be considered. Read more here.
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Chesapeake Bay Watershed Tillage Survey Underway
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 | | Survey Technician Ross Stowell from Berks County, PA takes a closer examination of a surveyed field. Photo provided by Capital RC&D. |
Data collection for a survey of cropland, in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, to determine the extent of conservation tillage practices, is almost complete. The survey conducted by Capital Resource Conservation & Development Area Council (RC&D), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and 25 county conservation districts, will result in tillage information for 28 Pennsylvania counties in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The survey has taken place over two years and measures the tillage methods used for crops grown in each county. The data will also be used by DEP to update their conservation tillage estimates for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
For additional information contact Cheryl Burns at Capital RC&D via email at cburns@capitalrcd.org. Funding support has been provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
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2014 Keystone Coldwater Conference Call for Speakers and Posters
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 Proposals are now being accepted for presentations and posters for the 2014 Keystone Coldwater Conference, titled "Coldwater Resources: Current Practices in Conservation, Protection and Restoration." This conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, will take place Feb. 21-22, 2014 at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania.
Proposals are welcome on topics related to the conservation, protection and restoration of our coldwater resources in Pennsylvania. For more information please visit http://coldwaterheritage.org/keystone-coldwater-conference.
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