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Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates
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Management summit, Chapter 102 sessions, photo library, poster contest, news from Snyder County, stream workshop, Dirt & Gravel Road Workshop, and urban and community webinar.
Front Page will return August 20.
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Conservation District Management Summit is Open for Registration!
PACD and the State Conservation Commission Leadership Development Committee will be holding the annual Conservation District Management Summit on September 5 and 6 at the Ramada Conference Center in State College. District managers, assistant managers, and team leaders are encouraged to attend this free event.
Topics presented will include:
- Financial Oversight and Segregation of Duties
- Time Management Strategies for Effective Supervisors
- Sexual Harassment in the Era of #metoo
- Managing Respectful Workplaces
- Strategic Planning Grant Program
- PACD Leadership Development Resources Available to Districts
Conservation districts in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are also invited to attend an optional session on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) process and Agricultural Inspection Program to be held immediately after the Management Summit ends at 3:30pm on Thursday, September 6.
Lunch will be provided for attendees on both days. Click here to register. The event registration deadline is August 24, but attendees are encouraged to make their hotel reservations by Friday, August 10 to take advantage of the discounted rate. For more information, contact Matt Miller, Leadership Development Coordinator at [email protected].
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Save the Date: Chapter 102 Fall Regional Sessions
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will hold Chapter 102 Fall Regional Sessions for conservation districts and DEP staff September through November of 2018. Registration will be required, but attendance is free and lunch will be provided. Please save the date for the meeting closest to you! An agenda and more information will be provided closer to the date.
- Northcentral: September 25, 2018, Northcentral Regional Office, Williamsport, PA
- Northwest: October 2, 2018, Northwest Regional Office, Meadville, PA
- Southwest: October 3, 2018, Cranberry Public Library, Cranberry Township, PA
- Northeast: October 16, 2018, Northeast Regional Office, Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Southeast: October 30, 2018, Southeast Regional Office, Norristown, PA
- Southcentral: November 6, 2018, Southcentral Regional Office, Harrisburg, PA
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PACD Education & Outreach Committee Launches Photo Library
Over a year ago, the PACD Education & Outreach Committee began the process of creating a shared photo library for conservation districts to use. The library is now up and running! Conservation districts are able to upload photos to share with PACD and other districts, as well as download photos to use.
A photo release is available and must be used for photos with people who are "recognizable by a reasonable person." The release must be uploaded along with the photos. PACD staff will then review the release and add photos to the library, which is organized by category.
Jessie Albright, Allegheny County Conservation District Marketing and Operations Director created a "how-to" video for the library. Click here to view it.
Click here for more information and to request access to the library. A usage agreement form is required prior to receiving access to the library. PACD asks that only one or two people per district request access-or better yet, use your district's general email address, which doesn't change as staff does.
Thank you to the Education & Outreach Committee for their assistance with the project, especially Jessie Albright for spearheading the effort and providing the photos to start the library.
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PACD Announces State Level Winners of NACD Poster Contest
PACD is pleased to announce the five state level winners of the National Association of Conservation Districts 2018 "Watersheds - Our Water, Our Home" poster contest.
The winners in each age category are:
K-1st Grade: Aaliyah Basile, Carbon County
2nd-3rd Grade: Tvisha Jani, Delaware County
4th-6th Grade: Bethany Boecker, Sullivan County
7th-9th Grade: Eric Chen, Bucks County
10th-12th Grade: Paige Hollibaugh, Huntingdon County
To promote education on the importance of healthy watersheds, students from kindergarten through twelfth grades entered posters conveying their thoughts and ideas through original artwork. Submissions were judged based on the entry's conservation message, visual effectiveness, originality, and universal appeal.
PACD thanks all of the participants in the contest for their interest and dedication to conservation. Best wishes to the state level winners in the upcoming national judging competition.
Photo caption: The winning poster by Tvisha Jani from Delaware County won the 2nd-3rd grade category.
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Snyder County Recognizes Craig Bingman
Snyder County Conservation District Manager Craig Bingman retired on August 3. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Snyder County in July for his retirement recognition.
Craig began his work with the Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) under the title Executive Assistant on October 1, 1977. Craig was on the original Envir-Olympics board, came up with the name Envirothon, and helped coordinate the first state event in 1984 at Shaver's Creek. Craig served on the PA Envirothon board for over 30 years, serving as chair for one year and vice-chair for the first National Envirothon at King's Gap in 1988.
Photo caption (left to right): SCCD Director Charles Kessler, Jr.; Chairperson Annette Gray; Associate Director Rick Bailey; Commissioner Kantz; Associate Director Lincoln Kaufman; District Manager Craig Bingman; PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh; Director LaMar Troup; and Director Mac Curtis.
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You're Invited: Free Stream Maintenance and Flood Intervention Workshop
On August 24, 2018, from 9am to 4pm, the Sullivan County Conservation District (SCCD) will hold a one-day workshop for local municipalities and emergency flood response professionals. The training will take place at the conservation district office at
9219 Route 487, Suite B, in Dushore, PA. The workshop
will focus on both stream behavior and how to use basic stream assessments to design interventions that will work in cooperation with a watershed's natural tendencies. Proactive planning strategies will result in a stream's capacity to restore itself after a flood event and reduce the erosion and sedimentation that occur during repeated reconstruction efforts.
Pre-registration is required and refreshments and lunch will be provided at no cost. To register, email Corey Richmond at [email protected] or call the Sullivan County Conservation District at 570-928-7057.
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: Photo from event flyer.
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Registration is Now Open for the 2018 Dirt & Gravel Annual Maintenance Workshop!
The Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads will host the 2018 Dirt & Gravel Roads Annual Maintenance Workshop at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Indiana, PA. The workshop will focus on proven environmentally sensitive road maintenance practices for dirt, gravel, and low-volume paved roads. Indiana County Conservation District has opened up their county and roads to host our event. It promises to be an exciting workshop you will not want to miss!
Topics and events include:
- Administrative training for conservation districts
- GIS training for conservation districts
- Conservation district stream crossing installation field trip
- BBQ and fun outdoor games or optional trip to Pirates baseball game
- Two field trips to visit completed sites in Indiana County
- "Country Fair" award banquet complete with live music, great food, and prizes
Click here to register and to read more.
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August Urban and Community Webinar
The next NACD Urban and Community Conservation webinar, scheduled for 12-1pm on Aug. 16, will focus on coastal conservation.
The Eastern Connecticut Conservation District will share their work with the Niantic River Watershed Committee, including outreach and stormwater management practices to protect the Niantic River estuary. In Florida, the Rose Bay Next Generation Restoration Project will create a model for community-wide, long-term estuarine restoration and management by moving restoration to the intertidal zones and uplands of homeowners who live along Rose Bay.
There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. To register, email Debra Bogar at [email protected].
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Conservation Districts in the News
Allegheny, Armstrong, Westmoreland:
Berks:
Cambria & Armstrong:
PACD:
Schuylkill:
Snyder:
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Upcoming Events
September 5-6, 2018
Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, State College, PA
PACD South West Region Meeting
October 4, 2018
Westmoreland Conservation District Office, Greensburg, PA
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