PACD Front Page e-Newsletter

Front Page e-Newsletter

Registration Opens for the Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting

Registration for the 20th Annual (and first ever virtual) Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting has opened for watershed specialists and invited guests. The event will take place as a webinar series from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily October 6-8, 2020. Watershed specialists will learn how to use Macroinvertebrates.org, Model my Watershed, and the Leaf Pack Network from the Stroud Water Research Center; how to develop a community data collection project that delivers results; how districts can collaborate in implementing restoration plans; and much more. For a registration link contact Molly Burns with PACD at mburns@pacd.org.

Space Still Available for Fluvial Geomorphology Training

PACD has rescheduled the Fluvial Geomorphology Training due to COVID-19 restrictions. The training will be held as a four-part webinar series on Monday, November 9, Tuesday, November 10, Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

PACD has opened registration to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PA Department of Environmental Protection, and any conservation districts that would like to attend and didn’t register before.

Instructor David Williams from the International Erosion Control Association (ICEA) will cover Fluvial Geomorphology and Natural Channel Design Indices on days one and two and stream restoration/rehabilitation and streambank protection on days three and four. The four-part course offers 14 Professional Development Hours, and a certificate will be distributed at the end of the four-day session.

Click here to register.

Photo caption: The first day of the Agricultural Conservation Technical Training Level II at the Keystone Conference Center.

Agricultural Conservation Technical Training Held

Twenty individuals attended Agricultural Conservation Technical Boot Camp Training – Level II August 31-September 4, 2020. Attendees included staff from conservation districts, PACD, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and their affiliates. Following recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the group was divided into two locations to allow for social distancing. The training was rescheduled from April due to COVID-19.

Twenty-four staff attended the Basic level training from September 9-11, 2020. The training was held at a pavilion at Coleman Park in Lebanon, PA. Attendees participated in a series of webinars in April. These three days were the field portion required to complete the training. Participants included staff from PACD, conservation districts, NRCS, and affiliates.

The training is sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission. PACD works with these partners to coordinate the training.

2020-21 Strategic Planning Grants Available to Districts

Strategic Planning is an essential activity for conservation districts. Building for Tomorrow encourages districts to reevaluate regularly and update their plans, and supports districts by offering grants to offset costs associated with strategic planning activities. For 2020-2021, the State Conservation Commission has allocated funding for grants to reimburse up to a maximum of $1,500 in expenses related to developing a strategic plan. Priority will be given to conservation districts that did not receive a strategic planning grant in the past five years.

Please visit the Building for Tomorrow website for program eligibility requirements and strategic planning resources.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

Registration is open for the Building for Tomorrow Fall Leadership series in October and November. The series starts on Wednesday, October 14, with a session on the PA Environmental Rights Amendment presented by Meg Murphy, DEP Counsel for Special Projects. This webinar is open to all conservation district staff, board members, and partners.

Click Here to Register for the 10/14 webinar.

A three-part workshop on Adaptive Strategies & Contingency Planning for Conservation Districts is scheduled for Tuesdays October 20, October 27, and November 17. Deb Thompson of Strategy Solutions will facilitate a manager workshop on October 20, followed by a director workshop on October 27, to examine contingency planning parameters as they relate to technology, staff support, program operations, stakeholder advocacy, and funding. Both managers and directors will meet together on November 17 to discuss issues identified and assumptions challenged from the previous workshops.

Click Here to Register for Session 1: Adaptive Strategies & Scenario Planning for Managers - October 20

Click Here to Register for Session 2: Adaptive Strategies & Scenario Planning for Board Members - October 27

DEP Announces 2021 Environmental Education Grant Round

The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the 2021 Environmental Education grant round opening. Applications will be accepted September 11 through December 11, 2020.

Schools, conservation districts, colleges, universities, incorporated nonprofit organizations, and Pennsylvania businesses are invited to submit project applications to the 2021 Environmental Education Grants Program.

A webinar will be held on the program on October 14, 2020. Click here to register.

Click here to read more and here for the program flyer.

Webinar on Urban Conservation Outreach

The Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District (TSWCD) in Oregon will highlight their urban conservation outreach efforts in the next NACD Urban and Community Conservation webinar, which is scheduled from Noon-1:00 p.m. on September 17, 2020.

TSWCD will talk about their journey from focusing primarily on rural Washington County, to passing a tax levy in 2016, to increasing the capacity to reach urban residents of Washington County. TSWCD's Urban Conservation Program leverages various outreach strategies, including social media, YouTube how-to videos, in-person and online educational events, and more.

There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to register.

NACD 2020 Membership Dues Reminder

PA is Challenging Districts to Give the Same Amount or More than Last Year

The National Association of Conservation District’s (NACD) 2020 fiscal year ends September 30, 2020, and NACD needs your conservation district’s active involvement now more than ever. If your district has not yet paid membership dues, please consider contributing online today.

If your district or state/territory association has already submitted payment, thank you! If you’re able, please consider sending an additional amount to bolster the vital work we're accomplishing on behalf of America's conservation districts.

A special thanks to the following states in the northeast region who have already met or exceeded last year’s membership contributions: Connecticut, Delaware, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

Biosecurity Awareness for Non-Farmers

Farmers are generally well aware of biosecurity concerns on farms and what protocols to follow to protect livestock and poultry, employees, and their family. However, many non-farmers are not aware of biosecurity—what it is, why it needs to be respected, or how they can impact the spread of disease.

The PA Agricultural Ombudsman Program and the South Central Task Force (SCTF) Agriculture Subcommittee recently created bi-fold brochures and metal signs to create awareness for visitors, fishermen/women, hunters, and neighbors about their potential impacts when on/near farms. The brochures are plentiful, are available for widespread distribution, and can be obtained by emailing shellydehoff@lancasterconservation.org.

The signs are metal, one-sided, approximately 24" x 30", and should have a 3-5 year lifespan when hung outside. There is a very limited number currently available due to the cost, but the SCTF Ag Subcommittee and Ag Ombudsman Program are pursuing additional funding sources to get more printed/distributed in PA. If you know of a farm or a public place where livestock and people are present, you may want to consider suggesting using this sign or these brochures. If you are interested in a sign, please let Shelly know via the email above or at 717-880-0848, and she will prioritize where the signs will have the most impact until more can be printed. Please contact Shelly Dehoff with any questions.

Click here to view the biosecurity sign and here for the brochure.

Bedford and Bradford County Conservation Districts Receive Bay Stewardship Funds

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a record $18 million in grants to support Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration and conservation in six states and the District of Columbia. The 56 grants will generate nearly $19 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of nearly $37 million.

The grants were awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, a partnership between EPA’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program and Small Watershed Grants Program, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Two of Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts received funding:

Bedford County Watershed Action Plan Development (PA) Grantee: Bedford County Conservation District

Grant Amount: $47,000

Conduct sub-watershed assessments of Spicer Brook, Cumberland Valley Run, Beaverdam Creek, and their related tributaries in Bedford County to determine excessive sources of nutrients and sediment and provide recommendations for restoration or improvements to identify best management practices for implementation.

Bradford County Accelerated Watershed Implementation Plan Development (PA) Grantee: Bradford County Conservation District

Grant Amount: $49,986

Accelerate planning of Bradford County’s Watershed Implementation Plan in three phases of operation: stream rehabilitation, agricultural management, and stream crossing replacement.

Click here to read the entire article.

Photo caption: Photo provided by USDA.

USDA Updates Conservation Provisions for Highly Erodible Land and Wetlands

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its final rule on determining whether land is considered highly erodible or a wetland, integrating input from the public and making updates in accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill. This final rule follows a focused effort by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to improve the consistency and use of science in making determinations.

To be eligible for most USDA programs, producers must be conservation compliant with the highly erodible land and wetland provisions. These provisions aim to reduce soil loss on erosion-prone lands and protect wetlands for their multiple benefits.

Click here to read the entire press release.