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Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates
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Happy holidays video from the PACD staff,
PACD/SCC Winter Meeting early bird discount, Farm Show volunteers needed, news from the Leadership Development Program,
PA CREP website Spanish translation, and c
onservation opportunity area tool fact sheet now available.
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Happy Holidays from the PACD Staff!
What are the PACD staff asking Santa for this year? Click here
to watch a short holiday video to find out.
Look for the next issue of Front Page on January 6, 2020.
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Last Week for the PACD/SCC Winter Meeting Early Bird Discount
If you haven't done it already, this is the week to register for the Winter Meeting and make your overnight reservation. Take advantage of the Early Bird discount and reduced hotel room rate before they expire this Friday, December 20. Make your arrangements before the holiday and rest easy in the new year! Click here for hotel information and to register.
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Last Chance for a Free Farm Show Parking Pass!
Only 5 more shifts to fill...please help us reach full coverage of the conservation district booth!
PACD will again be partnering with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to host a conservation district booth at the 2020 PA Farm Show.
Free parking passes will be provided to all volunteers who sign-up before December 20.
We need two volunteers per shift to staff the booth for the following days and times:
Saturday, January 4 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Thursday, January 9 8:00 am to 12:30 pm (1 volunteer needed) and 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Friday, January 10 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Saturday, January 11 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Let us know as soon as possible if you would like to fill one of these shifts. Please contact Jann McNamara at
[email protected]
with your contact information and the shift you'd like to fill.
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Back to Basics for Conservation District Directors in 2020
The 2020 Regional Director Training Workshop theme is "Back to Basics." The half-day workshops are perfect for new and recently appointed directors, but all board members can benefit from this refresher course on effective leadership and primary roles and responsibilities. The program will review all conservation district board functions and activities, including legal, governance, and fiduciary responsibilities, as well as information on partner programs and guidance on board efficiency, understanding mission and outcomes, and important director support roles.
Debra Thompson, President of Erie-based Strategy Solutions, Inc., will lead the workshop sessions, assisted by staff from the State Conservation Commission and DEP. Along with an extensive background of training and consulting in the areas of organizational development, strategic planning, and community leadership, Debra's experience with conservation districts as a trainer through the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program will provide workshop attendees with valuable insights on effective board leadership.
Workshops are scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and will include lunch for all attendees. All conservation district directors and associate directors are encouraged to attend, and district managers are welcome to participate with their board members at these sessions.
Click on the links below to register:
Wednesday, March 4, at Erie County Conservation District
Wednesday, March 11, at Cumberland County Conservation District
Registration info and the workshop agenda can also be found at the Building for Tomorrow website.
The registration deadline is one week prior to the workshop date.
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.
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PA CREP Website Now Features Spanish Translation
As part of the work PACD performs for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Outreach Program Office, staff recently added a Spanish translation option to the
www.creppa.org
website. Users can view the website in Spanish by clicking on the Mexican flag in the upper right corner of the website. The PDF files linked on the site are currently only available in English, but the USDA Farm Service Agency is working on providing Spanish translated versions.
With this update, more farmers will be able to access information on the CREP program.
Financial and other support for the CREP Outreach Program Office Mini-grant Program is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. through a Growing Greener Watershed Protection grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and with additional support from USDA-NRCS.
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2020 Building for Tomorrow Staff Conference Breakouts Offer In-Demand Topics for Every Staff Role
Registration is open for the 2020 Building for Tomorrow Staff Conference, scheduled for February 12 & 13 at the Wyndham Garden State College. The conference is open to all non-management conservation district staff.
In addition to keynote sessions on Productive Conflict & Emotional Intelligence and Getting Things Done through Time Management, the 2020 Conference will include breakout and workshop sessions suitable for a variety of conservation district staff roles. Attendees will have opportunities to learn about:
- Strategy and tactics for effective conservation messaging that reaches "beyond the choir"
- The importance of paradigm shift around multifunctional and conventional riparian buffers
- Best practices and compliance for records retention and management
- Prevailing wage issues for conservation district projects
- Environmental education resources, initiatives, and opportunities for conservation districts
- Project management fundamentals proven to help deliver on time and within budget
- Showcasing district-developed content within DEP's Clean Water Academy
Click here
for more information and to register. The deadline for room block reservations is January 10, 2020.
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.
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Conservation Opportunity Area Tool Fact Sheet Now Available
As the year draws to a close, the PA Fish and Boat Commission wants to express our sincere gratitude for your support, input, and assistance to conserve the state's most vulnerable fish and wildlife species, and their habitats, through Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan implementation. This year, our efforts and energy have been directed toward development and public launch of the Wildlife Action Plan Conservation Opportunity Area Tool,
which occurred on August 20, 2019. We are grateful for your guidance in its development over the past few years. This tool makes web-accessible, in a geospatial format, Wildlife Action Plan information on Species of Greatest Conservation Need, habitats, conservation actions, research and surveys and much more.
To promote the availability and use of the tool by conservation practitioners, please share with your staff this correspondence and COA Tool Fact Sheet,
in case they have not been made aware of the tool through other media outlets or our outreach efforts. Also, if you have used the tool, we look forward to hearing your feedback.
Thank you again for your support of the 2015-2025 Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan and Conservation Opportunity Area Tool. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!
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Conservation Districts in the News
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Upcoming Events
January 22-23, 2020
Wyndham Garden State College, Boalsburg, PA
February 12-13, 2020
Wyndham Garden State College, Boalsburg, PA
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