PA Association of Conservation Districts
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In This Issue
Did You Know?
Watershed Specialists Congregate in State College for Annual Meeting
PENNVEST Funds Green Stormwater Management at Coleman Memorial Park
Farm Show 2015: PACD Booth Needs Volunteers and District Materials On-Hand
Attention 102-105 Meeting Attendees
Somerset Enjoys Coverage by Local Newspaper
Westmoreland Conservation District Hosts Turtle Creek Tour
Forestry Survey - Needs Input from PA
New Webinar Series from Penn State: Science for Solutions
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Conservation Districts in the News

Schuylkill: 
Upcoming Events
October 21, 2014

 

Clinton County Conservation District, Mill Hall, PA

 

PACD North West Region Meeting
October 22, 2014

Erie County Conservation District, Erie, PA

 

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

 

Manure Management Manual Train-the-Trainer Workshop
October 31, 2014 (9am-3pm)
Columbia County Conservation District Office, Bloomsburg, PA

 

November 13, 2014 (9am-3pm)

 

Salsa's Mexican Grille, Bedford, PA

 

Chapter 102 Training for the Regulated Community in the Southcentral Region

November 13, 2014
9am-4pm

Holiday Inn Harrisburg East, Harrisburg, PA

 

PACD/SCC Winter Meeting

February 10-11, 2015

Ramada Conference Center, State College, PA

 

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

Intro to Conservation Planning
March 17-19, 2015

Holiday Inn Harrisburg-Hershey, Grantville, PA

 

Basic/Refresher Erosion and Sediment Control Technical Training

March 23-26, 2015

Keystone Conference Center, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

 

Agricultural Conservation Technical Training - Basic Level
March 30-April 3, 2015
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

 

Advanced/Topic-Based Erosion and Sediment Control Technical Training

April 7-8, 2015

Keystone Conference Center, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

 

Agricultural Conservation Technical Training - Level II
April 20-24, 2015
Keystone Conference Center, Ft. Indiantown Gap, Annville, PA (Lebanon County)

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October 20, 2014

Did You Know? 

Did you know two "Train the Trainer" sessions are being held on the Manure Management Manual? Click the link to register for October 31 in Bloomsburg or November 13 in Bedford. 

Watershed Specialists Congregate in State College for Annual Meeting
The 2014 watershed specialist photo contest winner is "Little Falls, Stony Fork" by Lori Davias Maloney.

The annual Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting was October 8-10 in State College. The meeting is sponsored by the PA Department of Environmental Protection and facilitated by PACD.

 

The first day was for newer Watershed Specialists with five or less years in the position. First day attendees liked the diversity of topics, but some felt the information would have been more useful in their first year or two of employment.

 

The second and third day included all the Watershed Specialists. Some comments on the sessions included:

  • "I found the Watershed Specialist Showcase particularly interesting. Seeing what other Watershed Specialists are doing fosters thought in how I can improve what I am doing."
  • "I enjoyed the sharing of ideas."
  • "I love the presentations on projects that Watershed Specialists have done! It gives us ideas and shows dedication!"

Participants left the meeting with new contacts and motivation to do even more to protect their local water resources. Click here to view photos from the meeting. 

PENNVEST Funds Green Stormwater Management at Coleman Memorial Park

Amphitheatre retaining walls and grass areas replace impervious asphalt at Coleman Park in Lebanon to improve infiltration.

Entering Coleman Memorial Park visitors notice the mature trees, pavilions, amphitheater, sports fields and pool. This beautiful 99-acre park located in the City of Lebanon has been a favorite place for picnics, sports and music for city and county residents since 1936. Sherry Capello, Lebanon City Mayor, points out that, "As a community park, it serves and is available to the more than 134,000 county residents. Coleman Memorial Park is truly a hidden gem within the city limits."

 

What visitors usually don't notice are the innovative or "green" stormwater management practices recently installed. Designed to preserve existing vegetation, reduce the amount of paved surfaces and blend with the topography of the park, these new stormwater controls blend in and improve the appeal of the park. Click here to read the entire article. 

Farm Show 2015: PACD Booth Needs Volunteers and District Materials On-Hand

With the on-set of fall and (before we know it) the holiday season, we begin thinking of what all the next few months will bring. For Pennsylvania, one of those coming attractions is the 2015 Farm Show Extravaganza.

 

PACD will once again have a booth on site for the week-long event. We are currently in need of staff volunteers and district materials to include as a part of the display area. Each day will be broken into two shifts:

  • 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
  • 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

We are requesting up to two volunteers per shift each day (for a total of four volunteers daily). All volunteers will receive a parking pass on the date of their shift. Please contact Brandi at brandi-davenport@pacd.org with your availability. In order for us to have a successful showing at the Farm Show, we need the support of district volunteers.

 

We also need to materials for inclusion at the booth. Our supply is running low on district brochures as we take them to several events throughout the year. Please send materials to the attention of Brandi Hunter-Davenport at PACD, 25 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Materials should be received no later than December 6.

 

The 2015 Farm Show is scheduled for Jan. 10-17, 2015 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. For more information about the 2015 event, visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us. 

Attention 102-105 Meeting Attendees

Conservation planning calendars, courtesy of the Ombudsman Program, will be available for pick up during this year's annual meeting. They will also have the new Ag Regulation DVD, "Overview of PA Clean Streams Law for Horse Owners" available. See Beth Futrick on-site. 

Somerset Enjoys Coverage by Local Newspaper
Screen shot of Somerset Conservation District's spread in the Oct. 6, 2014 edition of the Daily American.

Two pieces on Somerset Conservation District were recently featured in the Daily American.

 

Rain Garden Touted as Stormwater Mitigator

(Sept. 27, 2014)

(Oct. 6, 2014)

Click on either link to learn more about what's happening in Somerset County.  

Westmoreland Conservation District Hosts Turtle Creek Tour 
County Park's Planning Coordinator, Jeff Richards, talks about the Turtle Creek Greenway with participants. Photo provided by Westmoreland Conservation District.

The Westmoreland Conservation District hosted a Headwaters of Turtle Creek Bus Tour on September 26.  Participants saw a variety of conservation best management practices and learned about future plans to restore the health of Turtle Creek. Click here to see more photos from the event. 

 

Financial and other support for this project is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc., through a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection under section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  

Forestry Survey - Needs Input from PA

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is seeking input on a forestry survey. So far, there are no responses from Pennsylvania. Please help our state be represented in the national survey. The survey will take 20 minutes and provides a plethora of information to NACD.

 

Here is the link to the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FPKDHMN The survey will be posted until mid-November. 

 

The 2000 survey helped NACD to elevate the role conservation districts play in forestry - both at the local and national level. Survey data will be shared at the 2015 NACD Annual Meeting in New Orleans, and a report will be made available online.

New Webinar Series from Penn State: Science for Solutions 

The Center for Nutrient Solutions at Penn State announces a new seminar series - "Science for Solutions: Combating the Wicked Nutrient Problem."

  • November 7, 2014 Insights on Nutrient Fate & Transport in Watershed of the Eastern US Using SPARROW Modeling Approaches
  • November 21, 2014 Environmental Resource Assessment and Management System (eRAMS): CyberInfrastructure for Sustainable Management of Land, Water, & Energy Resources
  • December 5, 2014 What is a Healthy Stream or Wetland Worth? Translating Ecosystem Services to Ecosystem Values

Each seminar will be available online by webinar. Click here for more information.