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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
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 8-10, 2014
(October 8 is for new watershed specialists only)
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 10-11, 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
Agricultural Conservation Technical Training - Basic Level
March 30-April 3, 2015
Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)
Agricultural Conservation Technical Training - Level II
April 20-24, 2015ww
Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)
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 Did you know that there are just a few seats left for the September 17 Healthy Watersheds tour? Click here for details and registration. This is an event you don't want to miss!
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Maiden Honored by York County Conservation District
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Earlier this month, PACD Executive Director Robert Maiden received a special recognition during the York County Conservation District's (YCCD) annual awards ceremony. Maiden was presented with the "Special Recognition for Excellence in Leadership and Advocacy" award by the district. Congratulations to all of the awardees this year! Maiden (above left) pictured with Jack Dehoff, YCCD Director. Photo courtesy of Kim Young, YCCD. For a full listing of winners and photos, visit www.yorkccd.org.
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 During this summer's Joint Annual Conference, our keynote speaker, Emilio Williams, touched on individual biases. Whether we recognize them or not, we all have some form of bias. Emilio challenged participants to look at those biases and then work to understand whether or not they are negatively impacting our abilities to forge partnership opportunities with others, be it individuals or organizations.
You are likely thinking to yourself (just as we did when he mentioned it), "I don't have any type of bias. I believe in working with anyone who is fair and just. I'm also ok agreeing to disagree." We then decided to take the bias tests Emilio mentioned and realized we're a bit more biased than we initially thought we were. Even the slightest judgment call could tip the scale in how you approach a situation.
In order for us all to take the next steps in developing new partnership opportunities or furthering currently existing ones, everyone is encouraged to take a look at any biases we may have. Developed by Harvard University, there are a dozen or so Implicit Bias Tests to choose from to test your own biases including gender, disability, race and age. The link to the tests is https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit. You do not need to register on the site as you can enter as a guest.
If you have an opportunity, please explore one or two of the tests. You may learn something about yourself you didn't know. Then together, we will design a blue print for growing even more sustainable partnerships throughout the conservation field.
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Visitors stop by the PACD booth and speak with Tracy Raymond on August 13. Photo taken by Terry Fisher.
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Conservation districts were highlighted at this year's Ag Progress Days (APD). The three-day exhibition, which took place Aug. 12-14, allowed volunteers the opportunity to speak with visitors about the conservation movement and measures we can all take to protect Pennsylvania's natural resources.
"This was a great opportunity to meet people from all over the state. We had homeowners interested in rain gardens, parents and teachers excited about the Envirothon and other educational programs, and farmers interested in everything from manure management to riparian buffers," said Tracy Raymond, recent PACD intern. "It was encouraging to meet numerous 'traditional' farmers who seem really receptive to what conservation districts do and understand the value and the need for our work."
A heartfelt thank you to the volunteers who assisted with booth coverage at this year's event. For more information about APD, visit http://www.visitpennstate.org/calendar/ag-progress-days.php.
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Berks County Conservation District Talks Rain Barrels on Comcast Newsmakers
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In the July 28 edition of Front Page, there was an article about the unique partnership that the Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) had developed with their local prison system to build rain barrels for the county. On August 12, BCCD's watershed specialist, Kate Keppen, had an opportunity to share information about that partnership and the rain barrel program on a segment of Comcast Newsmakers. Visit either of the following links to see Kate in action and learn more about the program:
http://comcastnewsmakers.com/2014/08/07/berks-county-conservation-district-rain-barrel-program
Any districts interested in appearing on an upcoming edition of Comcast Newsmakers should contact Brandi at brandi-davenport@pacd.org to discuss story ideas that could be pitched to the program for consideration.
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Union County Holds Stream Stabilization Field Days
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 | | Modified mud sill on Turtle Creek installed the previous day. Photo by Shannon Wehinger. |
On August 5, PACD Director of Communications Shannon Wehinger and recent intern Tracy Raymond attended the Stream Stabilization and Habitat Improvement Field Day in Union County. The district was part of a collaboration using Growing Greener grant funds to improve Turtle Creek.
The tour offered the unique opportunity to showcase improvements that were established previously and those that were being installed while they watched.
There were more than 100 people attending the field days, including staff from Bradford, Lycoming, and Mifflin County Conservation Districts. Click here to read details about the stream project. Click here to view photos from the event.
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Shanon Stamm, Union County Conservation District Watershed & Program Specialist, speaks to participants about the use of aerial photos in selecting sites for stream improvement with the landowner. Photo by Shannon Wehinger.
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Montgomery County CD Works with Students to Restore Streams
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Article submitted by Krista Scheirer, Montgomery County Conservation District Watershed Specialist
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MCCD's Eric Konzelmann inspects the rain garden installed at Christopher Dock High School.
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This spring, the Montgomery County Conservation District (MCCD) worked with Christopher Dock High School in Towamencin Township to install a 1,000 square-foot rain garden on campus to process stormwater from a parking lot and athletic fields. The rain garden will filter polluted runoff, recharge local groundwater, and improve the quality of water entering a headwater tributary to Skippack Creek, which is impaired for sediment and phosphorus. The project was funded through a grant from the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund and is part of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary's Schuylkill Action Students initiative to partner with schools to implement innovative stormwater management practices. Click here to read the entire article.
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Clinton County Holds Successful Conservation Summer Day Camp
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Camp Director Scott Koser of the Clinton County Conservation District explains why healthy streams are important to trout, macro-invertebrates, and people.
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Twenty-seven campers attended the 2014 Conservation Summer Day Camp hosted by Clinton County Conservation District. The event ran from July 28-August 1 at the Sieg Conference Center.
Click here to read the entire article and see more photos.
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Elk to Hold Trail Race Fundraiser
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 The 3rd Annual Les Haas Memorial Trail Challenge 7K & 14K race will be September 20 at the Laurel Mill Trail near Ridgway. There will also be a two-Mile "Fun Walk." Proceeds from this event will go to the Conservation District's Environmental Education Program.
More information can also be found on the Conservation District website.
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Cumberland County Field Tour Day
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Terry Fisher (left) and Vince McCollum reviewing the history of the Burd Run Stream Restoration Project in Cumberland County. Photo taken by Brandi Hunter-Davenport.
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On August 8, PACD's Brandi Hunter-Davenport and Terry Fisher joined Vince McCollum, Cumberland County Conservation District Watershed Specialist and Field Technician, for several site visits throughout the county. Throughout the course of the day, the trio visited two farms and a stream restoration project. "Each of the sites visited had practices that were implemented more than 10 years ago," said Fisher. "These projects clearly demonstrated that conservation practices and controls are working.
Cumberland County is my home county so it was nice to learn more about what's happening in my own backyard." The day concluded with a look at the best management practices in place at the conservation district. A special thank you to Vince for taking time out of his schedule to provide the tour.
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Conservation District Staff Invited to Attend Wetland Identification Workshop
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 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Natural Resources Conservation Service will be conducting an introductory three-day wetland identification workshop regarding the Eastern Mountains and Piedmont Regional Supplement to the 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual. The workshop, which is being sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will be at the Berks County Agricultural Center, 1238 County Welfare Rd, Leesport, PA 19533 Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2014.
This workshop will be limited to approximately 30 participants. Please contact Frank Plewa by e-mail (frank.plewa@usace.army.mil) or at 717-249-2522 to reserve a seat. Click here for more details.
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NRCS Showcases Soil Health at Ag Progress Days
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 | | NRCS's Unlock the Secrets in the Soil main display. Photo provided by NRCS. |
For the second year, NRCS featured soil health at Ag Progress Days. In cooperation with partners such as Penn State Extension, PA No-Till Alliance, USDA Agricultural Research Service and others, the "Unlock the Secrets in the Soil" exhibit featured 14 stations this year, with displays, demos and tours that highlighted what healthy soil is, why it's important and what everyone can do to manage soil health. New this year, NRCS State Soil Scientist Joe Kraft showcased an actual soil heath pit that demonstrated soil properties beneath the surface that impact plant growth in the field. Also, the Penn State Ag and Environment Center participated this year with their Healthy Soils for Healthy Watersheds display, where participants could learn their watershed address, learn how to help improve water quality and the many benefits of riparian buffers.
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Conservation Districts Receive Funding to Safeguard, Rejuvenate State's Coastal Zones; Applications Currently Being Accepted for Next Grant Round
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 The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection recently awarded more than $750,000 in annual coastal zone management grants to organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving the state's coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary. Three of the grant recipients this round were conservation districts. The Bucks, Delaware and Erie County Conservation Districts each received $20,000 to employ a specialist to implement and track coastal non-point pollution management measures. A total of 25 projects will be undertaken with the grant awards. For a full listing of the awardees and projects, see the full press release here.
The latest grant round opened as of August 18. For more information, including grant requirements, click here.
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Pennsylvania Environmental Council Conference Registration Now Available
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Registration is now open for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) Environmental Policy Conference. The event is scheduled to take place September 17 at the Harrisburg Hilton. An evening reception will kick-off the event the evening of September 16. For the full agenda and registration details, visit www.pecpa.org/event/2014policyconference. Registration cost is $50.
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Applications Now Being Accepted for U.S. Forest Service Community Forest Program
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 The U. S. Forest Service (USFS) is now accepting applications for the Community Forest Program. Submissions are due by Jan. 16, 2015. For the full details regarding the application, requirements for funding consideration and to access an application template sample, click here. Proposed total funding is an estimated $1.7 million for the 2015 fiscal year, with individual applications not exceeding $400,000. Click here to read the grant submission summary.
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Free Drinking Water Tests Offered at Upcoming Dive Deeper II Summit
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 Have you already registered for the Dive Deeper II Summit taking place September 25 in Harrisburg? If so, there is another opportunity available to you. Penn State Extension's Water Resources educators will be offering free drinking water tests at the summit. These tests will indicate the presence or absence of total coliform and E. coli bacteria in your drinking water. They are non-laboratory certified, educational purposes only tests, but of incredible value in making good, educated decisions about having your drinking water tested. There are a limited number of tests available (60 total) so to reserve your spot, visit
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DiveDeeperWaterTests.
These tests are intended for participants with their own private drinking water supply at home (a well, spring, or cistern) but anyone may participate. Public drinking water supplies are tested regularly for total coliform and E. coli bacteria. Testing a private water supply, in many states, is up to the individual home owner. Penn State Extension recommends that private water supply owners test their water annually for these bacteria. Coliform bacteria includes a large group of many types of bacteria that occur throughout the environment. They are common in soil and surface water and may even occur on your skin. Large numbers of certain kinds of coliform bacteria can also be found in waste from humans and animals. Most types of coliform bacteria are harmless to humans, but some can cause mild illnesses and a few can lead to serious waterborne diseases.
For these tests, you will collect your water sample at home and bring it with you to the Dive Deeper II Summit. Specific instructions will be sent by email to participants who sign up for the test. They are not complicated, but should be followed carefully to prevent contamination that might cause inaccurate results. Watch for instructions closer to September 25, the day of the summit.
There's still time to register for the summit. Visit http://extension.psu.edu/dive-deeper.
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Call for Proposals for PAEE 2015 Conference
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 The PA Association of Environmental Educators (PAEE) is currently seeking proposals for their 2015 state conference. The event will take place March 13 and 14 at Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County. PAEE is currently seeking proposals for presentations for the 2015 event. Click here to learn more about this opportunity.Also, stay tuned for details later this fall regarding scholarship opportunities to provide financial support to district environmental educators interested in attending the spring conference. Proposals are due by Sept. 20, 2014.
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