| Upcoming Events |
Fall Region Meetings
Annual 102-105 Training
October 29-31, 2013
Ramada Conference Center, State College, PA
Manure Management "Train the Trainer" Event in Clearfield County
November 12, 2013
Brady Township Community Center, Luthersburg, PA
Manure Management "Train the Trainer" Event in Lancaster County
November 14, 2013
Lancaster Farm and Home Center, Lancaster, PA
PACD/SCC Winter Meeting
January 28-29, 2014
Ramada Conference Center, State College, PA
Intro to Conservation Planning
March 4-6, 2014
Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey, Grantville, PA
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Watershed Specialists Meet in State College, Hold Photo Contest
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 | | During the meeting's photo contest, Lori Davis's "Pine Creek clean-up paddle" was voted the favorite of the judges and the attendees. Lori is the watershed specialist at the Tioga County Conservation District. |
The 13th Annual Statewide meeting of the Conservation District Watershed Specialists (CDWS) took place October 11-12 in State College. In attendance at this year's meeting were 59 watershed specialists representing 58 conservation districts. The highest rated sessions included a watershed specialist project showcase, regional breakouts with PA Department of Environmental Protection watershed mangers, and the "Basic Connections in Stream and Watershed Ecology" session by Dr. John Jackson, Senior Research Scientist with Stroud Water Research Center.
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.
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Registration Deadline is Next Week for Two Manure Management Training Sessions
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 A limited number of seats are still available for two "train-the-trainer" events on the manure management manual. These trainings are for new conservation district staff or those who want a refresher from when the same training took place during the 2011-12 winter season. In addition to conservation district staff, Penn State Extension and DEP staff may attend.
The sessions are as follows (click on the title to register):
Manure Management "Train the Trainer" Event in Clearfield County
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Brady Township Community Center
71 Community Center St.
Luthersburg, PA 15848
Manure Management "Train the Trainer" Event in Lancaster County
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Lancaster Farm and Home Center
1383 Arcadia Rd.
Lancaster, PA 17601
The deadline to register is October 30. Contact Terry Fisher with questions about the trainings.
Financial support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant and the Clean Water Fund. Please join PACD in thanking DEP for these funds to allow conservation districts to work one-on-one with their constituents.
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Crowl, Zinser and Maiden Travel to Columbia County for Board Meeting
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 | | (Left to right): Columbia County Conservation District (CCCD) Commissioner Director Chris Young, CCCD Associate Director Doug Brown, CCCD Director Dennis Levan, PACD Executive Director Robert Maiden, PACD North Central Regional Director Edward Zinser, CCCD Director Joseph Hoosty, CCCD Vice-Chairman Donald Edwards, CCCD Farmland Preservation Administrator Ed Lease, CCCD Chairman Richard Fetterman, PACD Treasurer Dave Crowl, and CCCD Director Cheryl Brobst. The meeting was held Oct. 2, 2013. |
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Come one, come all! Calling all Farm Show Volunteers!
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 With the 2014 state Farm Show just a couple of months away, PACD is busy preparing for the outreach to be conducted during the 2014 showing but we are in need of district volunteers for the upcoming exhibition.
Farm Show will run Jan. 4-11, 2014 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. Volunteers are asked to take half-day shifts over the course of the seven-day extravaganza. The first shift will run from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Second shift will run from 12:30-5 p.m. each day of the week. All volunteers will receive parking passes to cover the cost of parking the day of their shift.
"Last year, we interacted with more than 600 attendees during the week-long event," said Hunter-Davenport. "Farm Show grows every year so I'm certain we'll have a chance to dialogue with even more people in 2014. It's a fantastic opportunity to connect residents with their local conservation districts so we definitely want to do what we can to support the event."
Please contact PACD Director of Education, Brandi Hunter-Davenport, at brandi-davenport@pacd.org if you're able to staff one of the shifts.
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Watch Conservation District Segment on Good Day PA
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 As previously reported in Front Page, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, Cumberland County Conservation District Watershed Specialist Vince McCollum and PACD Executive Director Robert Maiden appeared on ABC 27's "Good Day PA" program. Robert and Vince talked about conservation districts and conservation practices that can be implemented around the home including the use of rain barrels. The 3 minute video is now available for viewing here. |
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Lehigh County Engineering Delegation - A Look Back...One Year Later
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Submitted by Lehigh County Conservation District
 | | Garrett Cook, Lehigh County Conservation District Engineer. |
In July of 2012, the Lehigh County Conservation District (LCCD) elected to take on the Engineering Delegation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). The decision was made in order to better serve the Lehigh County development community and design engineers. The LCCD can now conduct technical and engineering reviews for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the PA DEP. By taking on the Engineering Delegation, applicants and their design engineers have the full benefit of "one stop shopping" to discuss the project with the conservation district engineer and staff before making a formal submission. Click here to read the entire article.
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Schuylkill County Conservation District Hosts Successful Farm Tour
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The Schuylkill Agri-business Committee celebrated local agriculture with a bus trip of 46 passengers who were curious about the wide range of products made in Schuylkill County. The day-long trip was held on Saturday, October 12. Click here for full details and event photos.
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Centre County Conservation District Celebrating Farm-City Week 2013
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National Farm-City Week Nov. 22-28, 2013
In recognition and celebration of Farm-City week in Pennsylvania, the Centre County Conservation District is hosting their 2013 Centre County Farm-City Dinner Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at New Hope Lutheran Church in Spring Mills. "This annual dinner highlights the importance of the relationships between our farmers and our urban neighbors," said Sue Kauffman, Centre County Conservation District Farm-City Committee Chair. "Pennsylvania proudly proclaims agriculture as our number one industry and we all depend upon farmers for our food. Please join in the celebration of National Farm-City Week."
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with a Dairy Princess Milk and Cheese Reception. A turkey and ham dinner will then be served at 6:30 p.m. During the evening event, the Clean Streams Award for Excellence in Erosion Control, the Outstanding Conservation Farmer-Cooperator Award and the Watershed Stewardship Award will also be presented. Tickets are $11 for adults and $6.50 for children under age 12. To purchase tickets, contact: the local Farm Service Agency (814-355-2447), Cooperative Extension (814-355-4897), Natural Resources Conservation Service (814-355-2447) or the Centre County Conservation District (814-355-6817). Tickets must be purchased by Nov. 1, 2013 as they will not be any sold at the door the night of the event.
National Farm-City Week is being observed this year November 22-28 as a time to celebrate the relationships between the city and farmers. If any other districts are hosting an event in honor of this annual designation, please email details (including photos) to brandi-davenport@pacd.org for inclusion in an upcoming edition of Front Page.
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Funding Opportunity: Chesapeake Bay Trust Grants Program
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 The Chesapeake Bay Trust's (CBT) grant-making strategies are shaped by three core objectives: environmental education, demonstration-based restoration, and community engagement. CBT uses these objectives as basic touchstones for developing their grant programs.
To support the objectives, CBT makes awards through 10 grant programs under each of the objectives. To learn more about the available CBT grants, click here. Questions about the available grants can be directed to Kacey Wetzel.
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