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Conservation Districts in the News
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| Upcoming Events |
April 10, 2014
Forest County Conservation District, Tionesta, PA
PACD South West Region Meeting
April 11, 2014
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA
Agricultural Conservation Technical Training - Level II
April 28-May 2, 2014
Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)
Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Course and Exam
June 25-26, 2014
Civil and Environmental Consultants, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA
PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference
July 9-10, 2014
Blair County Convention Center, Altoona, PA
August 27-28, 2014
Holiday Inn, Williamsport, PA
Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting
October 9-10, 2014
Ramada Conference Center, State College, PA
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PACD Lends Support to 2014 Spring CCAP Conference
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Pictured (left to right) McKean County Commissioner and PACD NW Region Director Cliff Lane; Franklin County Conservation District Board Member Sam Worley; PACD Director of Operations Lisa Suhr; and Bill Worley talk all things conservation during hospitality suite social. Photo taken by Brandi Hunter-Davenport.
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On Monday, March 24, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) hosted a hospitality suite as a part of the 2014 Spring County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) Conference.
The hospitality suite ran from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Harrisburg. There was an estimated 30 or so attendees visiting the suite throughout the evening.
Commissioners from the following counties were in attendance: Adams, Cambria, Chester, Forest, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lycoming, McKean, Sullivan, Tioga, Warren, Washington and Wayne. Representatives from Governor Corbett's Northeast Regional Office as well as other groups such as Axa Advisors and Evaluator Services and Technology, Inc. were also in attendance for a portion of the evening.
"While I am fortunate to work with both conservation districts and as a commissioner in my local county, there are some areas where commissioners and districts may not be as intertwined," said PACD NW Region Director and McKean County Commissioner, Cliff Lane. "This was a fantastic opportunity for county commissioners who may not have been as engaged with their local conservation district to learn more of our efforts and to find ways to partner with districts for the continued conservation of their home communities."
For more information about CCAP, visit www.pacounties.org.
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Agricultural Conservation Technical Training Held at Fort Indiantown Gap
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Thirty-four participants from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, conservation districts, county farmland preservation offices, PA Department of Environmental Protection and Pheasants Forever attended the basic level of the Agricultural Conservation Technical "Boot Camp" Training. The event was held March 31 through April 4 in Lebanon County.
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Bay Meeting Presentations Available
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 Meeting materials from the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Program Conservation District and PA Agency Staff Meeting are available online. The meeting was held on March 10 at Bucknell University. Click here to view the presentations. |
Last Call: Manure Management Mini-grants Available for Conservation Districts
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Through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection, PACD is facilitating a manure management mini-grant program for conservation districts. The grant provides funding for conducting training/workshops for farmers, consultants and others to improve awareness of the revised Manure Management Manual and to assist farmers in completing manure management plans.
The grant is winding down but there is still time to reach out to individuals who need help completing their manure management plan. Additional funding is available above the initial $1,500 limit. Mini-grant activities must be completed and final reports must be submitted by May 30, 2014.
The mini-grant application and guidelines are available here. Contact Shannon Wehinger with questions or to request additional funding. Let's help as many farmers as possible to complete their manure management plans!
Financial support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant, the Clean Water Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program (CBRAP).
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Governor Corbett Announces 2014 Environmental Excellence Award Winners
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Congratulations to Montour, Northumberland, Tioga and Union Conservation Districts
 Governor Tom Corbett announced that 23 organizations involved in 19 environmental projects from across the state will receive the 2014 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence.
Four conservation districts are among the recipients. Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, Montour County Conservation District, Northumberland County Conservation District, Tioga County Conservation District, Union County Conservation District and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Division of Habitat Management partnered together on the Northcentral Stream Restoration Project. The partners used proven in-stream stabilization structures, such as log vanes and mudsills, and agricultural best management practices, such as walkways and fencing. The group was able to implement practices with 18 landowners on 13 streams in four counties. Click here to read more.
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Potter County Conservation District Holds Legislative Luncheon
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Pictured left to right are Deb Rudy of Senator Joe Scarnati's office; Earl Brown, conservation district board chairman; Representative Martin T. Causer, Sheila Sterrett of Senator Pat Toomey's office; Deborah Pontzer of Congressman Glenn Thompson's office; and Chris Mitterer, conservation district manager.
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Conservation Districts Participate in Lower Susquehanna Panel Discussion
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Eric Naguski, Dauphin County Conservation District Manager (left), and Matt Kofroth, Watershed Specialist with the Lancaster County Conservation District, were among panelists who spoke to work at the local level during the afternoon segment. Photos courtesy of Terry Fisher, PENNVEST NPS Application Developer.
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On Monday, March 31, conservation districts joined representatives from multiple agencies and levels of government to participate in a day-long summit on the campus of Penn State-Harrisburg. "The Lower Susquehanna Land and Water Conservation Summit" was an opportunity for more than 80 individuals to discuss success stories from the Lower Susquehanna Watershed and also identify barriers they may face individually when looking to implement green practices, while exploring partnership opportunities to move forward collectively. The day concluded with discussion about a conservation tracking tool being developed. For more information about the event, visit https://allianceforthebay.org/2014/02/ls-forumplus-event.
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Wallace Covers Flooding and Storm Water on Central PA Live
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Jody Wallace from the Blair County Conservation District talked about flooding and storm water on Central PA Live on March 27. Click here to watch the video.
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2014 Farm Bill Offers New Partnership Program
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 The new Farm Bill facilitates the coordination between NRCS and its partners in delivering conservation assistance to producers and landowners through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
Through RCPP, NRCS and its partners help producers install and maintain conservation activities in selected project areas. Partners leverage RCPP funding in project areas by conducting outreach, helping producers apply for assistance, providing technical assistance to plan and implement practices, and report on the benefits achieved. The Secretary of Agriculture may also designate up to eight critical conservation areas to focus RCPP assistance.
Partners are responsible for contributing to the cost of the project, conducting outreach and education to eligible producers for potential participation in the project and for conducting an assessment of the project's effects. In addition, partners may act on behalf of the eligible landowner or producer in applying for assistance and for leveraging financial or technical assistance provided by NRCS with additional funds to help achieve the project objectives.
For more information on RCPP and other Farm Bill programs, visit www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov.
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DEP to Hold Webinar on Chapter 105 Proposed Technical Guidance Documents
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 The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that it will hold a webinar at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, April 10 to discuss Chapter 105 Proposed Technical Guidance Documents.
The webinar will provide an overview of the four proposed technical guidance documents and discuss the need, benefits and purpose of the documents. A technical guidance document provides information to the regulated community about how to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Information concerning the proposed in lieu fee program, that involves the restoration, establishment, enhancement and/or preservation of aquatic resources, will also be provided.
The webinar is geared toward, but not limited to, homeowners, developers, transportation engineers, mining operators and oil and gas operators. Click here for more information.
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Center to Hold Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance Courses
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 The Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies is holding Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance (ESM) Courses. The training is an intense two-day classroom session focused on providing the knowledge and tools necessary for road owners to maintain roads in a more cost-efficient and environmentally sensitive manner. The Center's holds approximately 10 ESM courses at locations around Pennsylvania yearly. The course runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for two days and includes lunch. The course is free to municipal, county, and state agencies involved with PA's Dirt and Gravel Road Program. This course provides 1.3 Continuing Education Units from the PSU College of Engineering. Click here for more information.
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Family Farm Programs Funded
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 Farm Aid's mission is to keep family farmers throughout the United States on their land. Farm Aid supports organizations that work to maintain a family-farm system of agriculture and that promote solutions to the challenges facing rural communities. Grants of $3,000 to $10,000 are provided in the following categories:
- Growing the Good Food Movement supports programs that build local and regional food systems, connecting farmers directly to consumers and creating new value-added markets for family farmers.
- Helping Farmers Thrive focuses on projects that provide farmers with the resources needed to get started on the land, access new markets, transition to more sustainable farming practices, produce renewable fuels, and stay on the land in the face of financial crisis and natural disasters.
- Taking Action to Change the System funds organizations that promote fair farm policies and grassroots organizing campaigns to defend family farm agriculture.
Letters of inquiry are due by May 1, 2014; full proposals must be submitted by Aug. 1, 2014. Grant application guidelines are available on the Farm Aid website.
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EE Week April 13-19, 2014
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 Sponsored by Samsung, National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is the nation's largest celebration of environmental education. It is observed annually the week before Earth Day. This year's theme is Greening STEM: Engineering a Sustainable World, and will explore the application of engineering sustainable solutions for a healthier planet and healthier people.
Since its inception nine years ago, EE Week has impacted millions of students and educators around the country. For more information about the national designation, including resources, visit http://eeweek.org/ee-week.
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