PACD Front Page 09.03.13

Anthony Martin and his family (left) opened up his dairy farm for a tour August 29. NRCS State Conservationist Denise Coleman (center) spoke about the PL-566 program which helped implement projects on the Martin farm which is adjacent to the Tulpehocken Creek. PACD First Vice-President and Berks County Conservation District Vice-Chairman Glenn Seidel (right) was also on hand for the tour.

On August 29,more than 40 partners from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Penn State Extension, Berks County Conservancy, local agricultural preservation offices, and several staff members from local congressmen's offices joined Berks County Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff for a "Tulpehocken Creek Celebration." The Celebration included a tour of a local farm and a lake that supplies drinking water for 125,000 residents. PACD Director of Education Brandi Hunter-Davenport and Director of Communications Shannon Wehinger were also in attendance.

"The district put on an excellent tour that showcased two successful projects accomplished by working with partners to improve water quality for all of Berks County," said Wehinger.

NRCS's State Conservationist Denise Coleman was on hand to help kick off the tour which celebrated the PL-566 program. The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL-566) authorizes NRCS to help local organizations and units of government plan and implement watershed projects. This program made the installation of best management practices possible in Berks County. Participants got to see firsthand how federal funding was used to put these practices on the ground. For the PL-566 project, 100 farmers are under contract with NRCS for $4.3 million.

The partnership also kicked off their upcoming Maidencreek Initiative during the tour which already has $1 million in contracts with NRCS so far. Contact Watershed Specialist/Environmental Educator Kate Keppen Kathryn.keppen@berkscd.com with questions about the exciting work happening in Berks County.

Registration Now Available for Annual DEP 102-105 Training

Plans are underway for this year's Annual 102-105 Training. The event will take place Oct. 29-31, 2013 at the Ramada Inn, State College.

For presentation topics and the tentative schedule, click here.

Individuals can register for all three days or for one or two days of the training. Registration details, including hotel accommodation information, can be found here.

Questions can be directed to Brandi Hunter-Davenport at 717-238-7223 x. 17 or brandi-davenport@pacd.org.

Erosion & Sediment Manual Training Available Online

Villanova University is hosting a recording of the Erosion & Sediment Manual training on their media site. It is free and available to the public.

The Erosion & Sediment Manual trainings which began in August 2012 in the northeast region, concluded in May 2013 with the last session taking place on the campus of Villanova University. No further sessions are planned at this time. However, anyone interested in viewing the training online can do so by clicking here. An audio and video of the speaker accompanies the slides.

The PowerPoint slides used for all presentations are also available at http://pacd.org/calendar/es.

If anyone is looking to obtain a copy of the E&S manual, PACD does have a few remaining copies. Contact Brandi Hunter-Davenport at brandi-davenport@pacd.org or 717-238-7223 if interested. The manuals are $25 per copy (to cover the cost of the printing). Shipping costs are to be determined based on location. PACD does not make any profit from these manuals.

Chester County Conservation District Highlights Watershed Restoration Initiative on Plum Run

The Plum Run Restoration, East Bradford Township, Chester County, is funded with a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Watershed Restoration Initiative grant. This phased project began in 2009 to implement a holistic approach and a series of best management practices (BMPs) on contiguous properties within one watershed and/or to one water body. The Chester County Conservation District (CCCD) is the administrator of the Initiative and responsible for plan review and on-site erosion & sediment inspections. The District has received assistance with this effort from the Brandywine Valley Association (BVA).

Present-day construction on Plum Run, showing the creation of a new channel and stream bank stabilization to reduce in-stream erosion and downstream flooding. This is on three contiguous properties along Route 52 south of West Chester, PA. The properties have high visibility to cars on the heavily travelled Route 52. This scene provides education and outreach opportunities with the general public for the District. Both photos courtesy of CCCD.

"BVA was responsible for contacting the landowners, ensuring all of the necessary paperwork was signed, enlisting volunteers for tree plantings, and searching for additional funding to further the work," said Chotty Sprenkle, CCCD Watershed Coordinator. "As partners, we have been able restore seven properties on Plum Run and its tributaries to reduce sediment through in-stream erosion and to reduce flooding with created wetlands and restored floodplains. This effort truly speaks to the power of partnerships and we're excited about future restoration work along Plum Run."

Union Holds Soil Health Workshop

Retired Natural Resources Conservation Service State Agronomist, Joel Myers (shown holding shovel) demonstrates the long-term benefits to soil structure from using no-till cropping methods.

On July 17, the Union County Conservation District hosted a soil health workshop at the Lucas Criswell Farm. The workshop focused on agronomic and environmental benefits of mixed species cover cropping.

The workshop was well attended and 87 percent of the farmers present indicated that they will install some type of new best management practice on their operation as a result of the project.

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.

Berks Conservation District Collects Unused Medicine for Animals
In addition to collecting outdated or unused medicine for humans, the drop box at Berks County Conservation District now collects unused veterinary medicine as well. The initiative will allow farmers to properly dispose of medicines used for their animals. This will prevent pollution from entering the waterways which can result from improper disposal. Read more here.

Pollution Prevention Week

Pollution is currently one of the largest threats to the environment. Creating a pristine environment after a pollution event has occurred is seemly impossible. Therefore it is imperative to prevent the pollution before it occurs. This year's Pollution Prevention (P2) Week will be celebrated September 15 through 21. It is a time to work on shrinking your footprint through activities such as riding a bike to work or drinking from a reusable water bottle. If you are holding an event in recognition of pollution prevention week, please email event stories to brandi-davenport@pacd.org for inclusion in an upcoming edition of Front Page. For more information about P2 Week 2013, visit www2.epa.gov/p2week.