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Conservation Districts in the News
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PA Farmers Union Membership Growth Offers Opportunity for Conservation Districts
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 | | Farmers Union members Roy & Hope Brubaker of Village Acres Farm, awarded Outstanding Small Cooperator by Juniata Conservation District in 1997. |
As the lead sponsor for the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, the Pennsylvania Farmers Union (PFU) sought to connect with conservation districts as part of their efforts to reinvigorate the organization. The mission of the PFU is to enhance the quality of life of family farmers - whom districts work with daily.
For the remainder of the calendar year, Pennsylvania Farmers Union will donate $10 of every new membership or renewal to the member's local conservation district (if so desired by the member). While $10 may not seem like a huge amount, to PFU, it is a demonstration of a commitment to the important work of conservation districts. Of course, PFU also welcomes conservation district employees and board members, particularly those whose families are farming, as members of the Farmers Union so you can add to the legislative voice of the organization.
 Kim Miller, PFU president and member of the Westmoreland Conservation District board, invites your district to include membership information in your newsletter and on your website. Click here for the membership form. Information on the Farmers Union and benefits of becoming a member can be found at www.pafarmersunion.org.
Please contact Executive Vice-President Hannah Smith with any questions.
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Last Call for 2013 APD Volunteers
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 Thank you to everyone has volunteered for this year's Ag Progress Days' event taking place Aug. 13-15 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College.
We are still in need of volunteers for the following days and times:
Wednesday, August 14
- 1-5 p.m. (2 volunteers needed)
Thursday, August 15
- 12:30-4 p.m. (1 volunteer needed)
If anyone is interested in assisting during one of these shifts, please contact Brandi Hunter-Davenport as soon as possible at brandi-davenport@pacd.org. Parking passes are available for all volunteers.
See everyone at this year's APD showing!
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PACD Staff Attend Women's Conference in Harrisburg
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 | | PACD Director of Communications Shannon Wehinger and Intern Jessica Espenshade attended a professional networking women's conference and seminar in Harrisburg on July 23. |
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NACD 2013 Northeast Region Meeting
| |  Registration for the 2013 Northeast Region Meeting is now open! The meeting will be in Dover, DE at the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino September 15-17. Session topics include: hydraulic fracturing, DE sediment and stormwater, and the Chesapeake Bay. There is also an opportunity to participate in either an Ag Conservation or Urban Conservation tour. To view the meeting agenda and to register, visit
www.eventbrite.com/event/5448013154. Please note the early bird registration price of $215 ends July 31. Contact Danielle Dills for more information.
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Northumberland County Conservation District Rehabbing Little Shamokin Creek
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 | | Jaci Harner, Northumberland County Conservation District Watershed Specialist, explains the work being done on Little Shamokin Creek. |
Northumberland County Conservation District (NCCD) was recently featured on CCN News 8 for rehabilitation work on the impaired Little Shamokin Creek. After a year and a half of planning, the project began on July 8. Working with three property owners, NCCD, along with volunteer groups, state and local agencies and municipalities, began putting in stream restoration structures. The goals of the project are to reduce erosion, stock it with trout and to establish a kids' fishing area.
Click here to watch the video.
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Allegheny County Conservation District
Co-Hosts River Sojourn | |
 | | Sunset along the Allegheny. Photo courtesy of ACCD. |
Paddle without Pollution just took their inaugural Allegheny River Sojourn last month. The multi-day event, which was sponsored by the Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD), True North Wilderness Survival School and Exkursion Outfitters, was geared to create a sojourn experience for urban teens from the Pittsburgh area.
"We paddled around 15 miles in three days, spending two nights camping between Franklin and Oil City," said Jamie Shairrick, ACCD Public Education and Outreach Coordinator.
 | | Sojourn participants prepare to go paddling along the river. Photo courtesy of ACCD. |
"The teens were exposed to proper paddling techniques, river safety,
watershed awareness and education, water quality testing, survival training and bird identification. This program was a huge success and we look forward to future excursions."
For more information about Paddle without Pollution, visit http://paddlewithoutpollution.com.
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| National Stormwater Calculator Helps Manage Stormwater Runoff | |
 As part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the National Stormwater Calculator, an innovative addition to the administration's virtual climate resilience toolkit. EPA's new calculator will help property owners, developers, landscapers and urban planners make informed land-use decisions to protect local waterways from pollution caused by stormwater runoff. Preventing stormwater runoff, which can impact drinking water resources and local ecosystems, protects citizen health and the surrounding environment.
The calculator is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of stormwater runoff from a specific site, based on local soil conditions, slope, land cover and historical rainfall records. Users can enter any U.S. location and select different scenarios to learn how specific green infrastructure changes, including how inexpensive changes like rain barrels and rain gardens, can prevent pollution. Further, this information helps users determine how adding green infrastructure can be one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce stormwater runoff. Click here to watch a video introducing the calculator.
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Urban Farming in Reading
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 Fresh lettuce, peppers, kale and collard greens are always grown on idyllic farms in the country, correct? Actually, urban farmers would disagree. Permacultivate, a non-profit that operates an urban greenhouse, has taken root locally in Reading. Reading Roots Urban Farm's nutrient-rich potting soil, made without any pesticides, chemicals or additives is being used to grow local, organic vegetables. To read more about the great leaps in local city farming, click here.
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