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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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Joint Annual Conference - Take Me Out to the Ballgame!
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 This year's conference attendees are in for a special treat, beginning with a sneak peak of the future site of the Blair County Conservation District the evening of Wednesday, July 9. District Manager Donna Fisher will provide a brief tour of the Blair site: 15 acres of property in Hollidaysburg Borough that includes riverfront, floodplain, wetland and upland land uses, with an existing 40x60 bank barn. An educational wetland walkway, wildflower gardens, native species plots and a riparian buffer are just some of the enhancements the district have planned. Next, it's off to the ballpark for an outdoor picnic and to watch the Altoona Curve go to bat against the Erie SeaWolves! Don't miss PACD Executive Director Robert Maiden throwing out the first pitch! Click here for more information and registration details.
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Ways and Means Committee Meeting To Focus on the Detailed, Expanded PACD Budget
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 During this year's Joint Annual Conference, the Ways and Means Committee will focus on the detailed, expanded PACD 2014-2015 proposed budget. We will be getting in the "weeds." PACD's priority is to be open and transparent; therefore, if you are interested in the detailed budget come with your questions and thoughts. The meeting is taking place concurrently with the Conservation, Education & Outreach and Legislative committee meetings. All meetings will be taking place from 9 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9.
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Meet JAC Silver Sponsor: Conservation Services, Inc.!
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 Conservation Services, Inc. (CSI) is a bare root tree planting contractor for conservation projects in the Mid-Atlantic region. Conservation projects include riparian buffers, mitigation banks, wetland restoration projects, stream restoration projects, and more.
Currently CSI focuses heavily on tree planting projects throughout the life of the project. Invasive species control and long-term maintenance are included. CSI also carries a complete line of Tubex™ tree shelters, all of the other pieces that come together for a successful project, and would be happy to ship them directly to your site.
Whether a project is one acre or 100 acres, CSI offers a wide range of services and wants to learn more about project(s) they can assist you with. Take a look at their website (www.conservationservicesinc.com) or give them a call at 877-257-4042 to learn more.
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Pike County Conservation District Wants You to Know Your Watershed
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Pike County Conservation District worked with the County GIS department to develop a watershed map. As part of their non-point source pollution prevention mini-grant project, PCCD developed a watershed brochure and interactive watershed map (pictured) on their website. Click here to view both. Read a news article on the project here.
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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Stormwater Seminar a Hit for Lehigh County Conservation District
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Municipal staff learn about stormwater management during a seminar held by LCCD.
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Thirty-four municipal staff attended Lehigh County Conservation District's (LCCD) Stormwater Seminar on March 11.The seminar focused on the impacts of stormwater runoff and non-point source pollution and how it can be minimized through stormwater best management practices.
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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| Help Determine Training Needs - Take the Survey Today! | |
The Conservation Partnership has developed an inter-agency Training Task Force to identify and coordinate agricultural conservation training needs for its staff. This survey is an effort to inventory anticipated training needs within the conservation partnership for the next two years.
Although there are numerous questions on this survey, we believe they are necessary to provide relevant information about your training needs. However, completing this survey is not a guarantee that all the options will become available since the type and amount of training that can be provided is based on both identified need and available resources. The Training Task Force is interested in knowing your anticipated needs and would greatly appreciate your time to complete the survey.
Please complete the survey using this link by June 30, 2014. Thank you in advance for your help!
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"Waters of the U.S." Comment Period Extended
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 EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are extending the public comment period for the "Waters of the U.S." proposed rule from July 21 until October 20 - an additional 91 days.
Acting Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner stated, "This extension is in response to numerous requests received by the agencies." NACD was among the groups that requested the extension.
Very soon, NACD plans on submitting comments on the Interpretive Rule exempting certain conservation practices from Section 404 permitting requirements for discharges of dredged or fill material. w
Information about the proposed rule may be found at epa.gov/uswaters.
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| NRCS News | |
Local Working Groups to be Held 
Between now and July 15th, 2014 Conservation Districts and NRCS will be hosting Local Working Groups to gather input for FY 2015 Conservation Programs. These meetings are held at the county level throughout the state.
Although the Local Working Groups are advisory in nature, NRCS gives strong consideration to their input and recommendations. Items for discussion may include the most effective use of financial assistance program funds to address local natural resource concerns, recommended distribution of funds for cropping, grazing, and livestock operations, and possible local screening tools to improve the application process. Please contact your local NRCS office for more information.
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Sign Up Announced
USDA recently announced that farmers and landowners committed to protecting and conserving environmentally sensitive land may now sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The Secretary also announced that retiring farmers enrolled in CRP could receive incentives to transfer a portion of their land to beginning, disadvantaged or veteran farmers through the Transition Incentives Program (TIP).
Read more here.
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| Land-use Webinar to Explore Conservation Easements | |
On June 18, Penn State Extension is offering the next in their series of land-use webinars. The focus of the June session will be on conservation easements and their role in enhancing landscapes and greenways in Pennsylvania communities. The webinar will run 12-1:15 p.m. and will be presented by John Turack, Westmoreland County Extension Educator; Andrew Loza, Executive Director of Pennsylvania Land Trust Association; and Donald Bailey, Executive Director of the Chester County Planning Commission.
"Conservation easements are increasingly being used by private land trusts and governments to limit certain uses of land for the purpose of achieving a particular conservation objective, while keeping the land in the landowner's control," noted Turak.
For more information about the webinar, including costs and registration details, contact Jeff Himes at 570-724-9120 or jjh149@psu.edu. You can also click here for more information.
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