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Conservation Districts in the News
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| Upcoming Events |
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
Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) Course and Exam
August 27-28, 2014
Holiday Inn, Williamsport, PA
PACD South East Region Meeting
October 2, 2014
Franconia Heritage, Telford, PA
Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting
October 9-10, 2014
Ramada Conference Center, State College, PA
PACD North East Region Meeting
October 17, 2014
DEP Northeast Regional Office, Wilkes-Barre, PA
PACD North Central Region Meeting
October 21, 2014
Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA
PACD North West Region Meeting
October 22, 2014
Location: TBA (Erie County)
PACD South West Region Meeting
October 23, 2014
Beaver County Conservation District, Aliquippa, PA
PACD South Central Region Meeting
October 27, 2014
Cumberland County Conservation District, Carlisle, PA
Annual 102-105 Meeting
October 28-30, 2014
Ramada Conference Center, State College, PA
PACD/SCC Winter Meeting
February 9-10, 2015
Ramada Conference Center, State College, PAw
Chesapeake Bay Program Conservation District and PA Agency Staff Meeting
March 10, 2015 (snow date March 12)
Elaine Langone Center, 2nd Floor, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
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PACD Receives Conservation Organization of the Year Award from Cambria County Conservation District
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(Left to right) Pictured are Carol Carlisle, recipient of the Conservation Educator of the Year award, Joseph Shevchik, recipient of the Special Conservation Service Award, and PACD President Jack Tressler accepting the Conservation Organization of the Year Award on behalf of PACD. Photo provided by Cambria County Conservation District.
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On May 14, PACD was honored by Cambria County Conservation District at their annual awards banquet. PACD received the Conservation Organization of the Year Award. The award is given to an organization that has made a noteworthy contribution to the conservation of Pennsylvania's soil, water and related natural resources.
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$1,000 Scholarship Available
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 Each year the PACD Auxiliary offers a $1,000 scholarship for a Pennsylvania college student majoring in an agricultural or environmental field. Please review the eligibility requirements http://pacd.org/education/scholarships/ prior to completing the scholarship application. The deadline to apply for the PACD Auxiliary Scholarship is June 15. Click here for more information.
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Students from Delaware County Take Home 2014 Envirothon Champion Title
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Dave Crowl, PACD Board Treasurer and Northumberland County Conservation District Board Chair, volunteered as a timekeeper during the 2014 event. Molly Burns, PACD Executive Assistant, was on hand as an oral component judge this year. Photo courtesy of PACD.
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The 2014 State Envirothon Competition took place at Susquehanna University May 20 and 21. Various conservation districts were on hand to support the event which saw students from 64 counties from throughout the commonwealth. PACD, one of the sponsors, also provided staff volunteers for the multi-day event. Student teams previously won their county-level competition, making them eligible for participation in the state competition. Congratulations are in order for this year's winning team: Delaware County's Penncrest High School! Click here to read the full press release, including the listing of the top 10 teams this year. For more information about the state competition, visit www.envirothonpa.org.
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Planning for Ag Progress Days 2014 Underway
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 It's that time of year again! Ag Progress Days will be here before we know it and the PACD booth is in need of volunteers. This year's event will take place Aug. 12-14, 2014 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs. Nearly 500 exhibitors and vendors will display various agricultural equipment and services while experts in the field highlight innovative research and explain upcoming regulations.
The show's schedule (and booth volunteer needs) is as follows:
- Tuesday, August 12: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- [First shift: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Second shift: 1-5 p.m.]
- Wednesday, August 13: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- [First shift: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Second shift: 1-5 p.m.; Third shift: 5-8 p.m.]
- Thursday, August 14: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- [First shift: 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; Second shift: 12:30 - 4 p.m.]
PACD is looking to schedule at least two volunteers per shift when possible. Please contact Brandi Hunter-Davenport at brandi-davenport@pacd.org for information on volunteer opportunities. For more information about this year's APD, visit http://agsci.psu.edu/apd.
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Registration for Healthy Watersheds Tour Now Available
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This screenshot was taken from the "LandStudies Healthy Watersheds Tour" video. Click here to view the video http://youtu.be/hs2iMd4IxBY.
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Registration for the Sept. 17, 2014 Healthy Watersheds Tour is now available. PACD has partnered with Lancaster County's Land Studies, Inc. to offer this day-long event which will highlight a comprehensive tour of projects incorporating low-impact development in the Lititz Run region of Pennsylvania. The Healthy Watershed Tour is a hands-on educational experience designed to support the study and advancement of green infrastructure, economic development, and stormwater best management practices (BMPs).
Registration details can be accessed here. Costs is $25 per person and includes meals for the trek. Questions be directed to Brandi Hunter-Davenport at brandi-davenport@pacd.org. Registrations will be accepted until Sept. 3, 2014 or until seats are filled. For more information about the tour, click here. For more information about Land Studies, Inc., visit www.landstudies.com.
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NACD Seeking Input on Interpretive Rule
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 Click here to view the NACD draft comment letter on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Interpretive Rule (IR) clarifying the applicability of the exemption from CWA Section 404 permitting provided by CWA Section 404(f)(1)(A) for "discharges to waters of the United States associated with certain conservation practice standards where they are undertaken as part of an established farming operation."
The Legislative Committee and Natural Resources Policy Committee held a joint call to finalize this in its DRAFT form. We hope you find it helpful, and we are still seeking any additional input you may provide. The comment period deadline is June 5th, though we did request an extension. We are also interested in your feedback on the Proposed Rule defining "Waters of the U.S." Contact Laura Wood Peterson, Director of Government Affairs at laura-wood@nacdnet.org or 202.547.6223.
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Tioga County Conservation District Holds Women in Agriculture Event
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Participants in the 2014 Tioga County Women in Agriculture event built rain barrels. Photo provided by TCCD.
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Thirty-four women attended the Tioga County Women in Agriculture event, hosted by the Tioga County Conservation District (TCCD) in March. Topics included rain barrels and rain gardens, soil health, seed starting and season extenders and manure management.
"The Tioga County Women in Agriculture event was successful in reaching a community of people in which we have been working to increase participation. In reading our evaluations it was clear that the participating women came away with a greater understanding of Nonpoint Source Pollution in general, as well as greater knowledge of rain gardens and rain barrels, business planning, available programs, home energy efficiency, and soil health. The women also commented that they were likely to implement no-till/cover crop practices both farm wide and in their personal gardens and were very excited to receive and use their rain barrels," said Erica Tomlinson, TCCD Manager.
Financial and other support for this project was 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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USDA NRCS News
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Applications Now Being Accepted for State CIG
 For Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, NRCS in Pennsylvania is offering a CIG State Component. NRCS is looking for innovative on-the-ground conservation projects, including demonstrations and pilot projects. Applications must be received at the PA NRCS state office by 4:00 p.m. On June 24th.
NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2014 will be up to $150,000. Selected applicants may receive up to 50 percent of their total project cost and at least 50 percent of the total project cost must come from non-federal matching funds (cash and in-kind contributions) provided by the grantee.
For more information and the announcement of program funding, click here.
New USDA Conservation Initiative Focuses on Public-Private Partnerships
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the launch of what he calls "a new era in American conservation efforts" with an historic focus on public-private partnership.
The new conservation program, called the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), was authorized in the 2014 Farm Bill and will benefit areas all across the nation. RCPP streamlines conservation efforts by combining four previous Farm Bill programs (the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative, and the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion) into one.
The RCPP will competitively award funds to conservation projects designed by local partners specifically for their region. Eligible partners include private companies, universities, non-profit organizations, state and local governments and others joining with agricultural and conservation organizations and producers to invest money, manpower and materials to their proposed initiatives. Click here to read more.
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Federal Funding Opportunities Now Available
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 USDA announced two conservation grant programs totaling $386 million for wetlands, agricultural land protections, and outdoor rec recreational programs in rural America. These are the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP) and Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP). Information and applications are available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. For the full grant announcement, click here.
The US Forest Service is seeking proposals that expand wood energy use and support responsible forest management that reduce consumption of fossil fuels. There are two programs: Haxardous Fuels Wood-to-Energy Grant program has $2.8 million and the Statewide Wood Energy Team cooperative agreement invites public-private teams to seek funding to advance wood energy. For more information on both programs, go to www.na.fs.fed.us/werc.
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Technical Assistance Money Available for Integrated Planning
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 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Wastewater Management is pleased to announce the availability of $335,000 in technical assistance for communities seeking technical support to develop an integrated planning approach to meeting Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements for municipal wastewater and stormwater management. The primary purpose of the technical assistance is to help EPA develop practical examples of how to implement the different steps in developing an integrated plan in order to provide useful information to communities across the nation who are interested in integrated planning.
The value of the total EPA assistance available in 2014 is approximately $335,000, and EPA anticipates providing assistance to five communities. Interested communities are encouraged to respond to our Request for Letters of Interest (LOIs). LOIs must be received by June 27, 2014, 5 p.m. EDT. If additional funding becomes available, EPA may return to the applicant pool identified through this request to select additional recipient communities. For more information, including the application process, click here.
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World Environment Day 2014
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 Every June 5, World Environment Day (WED) is observed globally. WED is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for communities, open spaces and lands, and the overall environment. Throughout time, the designation has become a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in more than 100 countries. For more information about the yearly observance, visit www.unep.org/wed/about/#.U34HT_ldWHg.
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