PACD Front Page 06.05.17

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PA Association of Conservation Districts

Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates

PA Envirothon, news from Elk, Tioga, and Susquehanna Counties, pollinator webinar, and news from NRCS.

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Another Great Year for the PA Envirothon

The 34th Pennsylvania Envirothon state competition was held at the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown on May 23 and 24, 2017. High school students from 64 Pennsylvania counties participated in this year's event.

Congratulations to the 5-member team from Penncrest High School, Delaware County, which took top honors. The 2017 Pennsylvania Envirothon champions will represent the Commonwealth at the 29th North American competition planned for July 23-29 at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. More than 46 states, eight Canadian provinces, and one Canadian territory have initiated Envirothon contests based on the program that was originally developed by Pennsylvania's conservation districts. Best of luck to the Delaware County team this summer.

Congratulations to the Pennsylvania Envirothon Board of Directors and volunteers for another great year!

Elk County Conservation District Holds Erosion Control in Our Forests Workshop

On April 20, 2017, the Elk County Conservation District (ECCD) held a forestry workshop. The event was one of three workshops, which ECCD held as part of their "Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention Workshop Series" mini-grant project through the Non-point Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant Program.

Thirty people attended the workshop in Byrnedale, PA, which included a field session in Force, PA. The workshop was a cooperative effort between Elk, Cameron, McKean, Warren, Potter, and Tioga County Conservation Districts.

The event covered forestry principals, best management practice options, and erosion and sediment control plans.

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.

Photo caption: Elk County Conservation District's (ECCD) Erosion Control in Our Forests Workshop was held in April. Photo provided by ECCD.

Tioga County Conservation District Holds Legislative Day on May 19

On May 19, 2017 the Tioga County Conservation District held a Legislative Day. Several legislators and their staff were in attendance.

Photo caption: Back - Earl Robbins (Board Director), Matt Baker (State Representative), Mark Hamilton (County Commissioner), Kerry Miller (County Planner), Erick Coolidge (County Commissioner), Chuck Dillon (Representative for Senator Joe Scarnati), Donna Cleveland (Board Director), Mike Glazer (Representative for Congressman Glenn Thompson), Carl Koch (Board Chairperson), Lee Hoar (Board Director) Front - James Neal (Erosion & Sedimentation Technician), Liz Constanzo Kreger (Watershed Specialist), Charlotte Lilley (Resource Conservationist), Jim Weaver (Board Director), Erica Tomlinson (District Manager), Andrea Boyce (Nutrient Management Specialist), Carolyn Kreger Kilburn (Conservation Stewardship). Photo taken by Dianna Townsend (Administrative Assistant).

Susquehanna County Conservation District Holds Legislative Breakfast

On May 12, 1947 the Susquehanna County Commissioners and the State Conservation Commission formed the Susquehanna County Conservation District (SCCD). While many changes have occurred over the years, the district continues to protect and preserve natural resources. SCCD held a legislative breakfast to share what they are doing, how funds are being spent, and to listen to what legislators are working on. PA Senators Gene Yaw and Lisa Baker attended the breakfast, as did PA Representatives Tina Pickett and Jonathon Fritz. SCCD thanks them for their time and support.

Photo caption: Photo of legislators, SCCD Directors, and District Manager Jim Garner was provided by SCCD.

Urban and Community Webinar to Focus on Pollinators

Learn what your district can do to boost pollinator habitat on the next National Association of Conservation District's Urban and Community Conservation webinar, scheduled for noon-1:00pm on June 15.

Topics will include the value of pollinators, the challenges they face, and what resources individuals and communities can use to protect them. To register for this free webinar, email NACD's Deb Bogar.

PA NRCS Announces New Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships

PA Natural Resources Conservation Service has announced the selection of Susan Marquart as the new Assistant State Conservationist (ASTC) for Partnerships. As ASTC-Partnerships, Susan will serve as a state coordinator to promote and foster conservation partnerships and cooperative relationships with NRCS to enhance efforts to address natural resource conservation issues.

Susan will oversee an annual $4 million NRCS budget of technical assistance agreements, as well as the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

Susan started at the NRCS state office in 2010 as a Natural Resources Specialist, after serving as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts for 14 years.

2015 NASS Survey Results

In 2015, Pennsylvania led the U.S. in the number of farms selling directly to consumers, with more than 6,000 operations engaged in direct-to-consumer sales. This was one of many findings from data collected by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in a first-ever Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. The survey was administered in all 50 states in 2015, with the primary focus of producing benchmark statistics on the number of farms that market food directly, the value of these direct sales, and the marketing practices used in conjunction with direct sales,.

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