PACD Front Page e-Newsletter

Front Page e-Newsletter

April 19, 2021

Happy Conservation District Week!

Instagram posts now available

Recognized by both the Pennsylvania State House and Senate, April 18-24, 2021, will be “Conservation District Week.” During this week, district offices will hold educational events, conference calls and virtual meetings with legislators.

Conservation district resources are available here.

Resources include:

Please take advantage of these resources PACD created for conservation districts to use.

Pennsylvania’s conservation districts thank Governor Tom Wolf and members of the PA House and Senate for supporting the districts through the state budget.

Elk County Conservation District Issues Trash Challenge

Elk County Conservation District issued a challenge to other conservation districts to pick up trash during Conservation District Week.

The district that picks up the most trash in their county is the winner. Track the number of bags and weight of trash (if possible). Share your district’s photos and results on Facebook using these hashtags #ConservationCallout #DistrictTrashTalking.

To sweeten the deal, PACD will recognize the winner at our awards program during the Joint Annual Conference in July. The winner will receive the Conservation District Trash Champion award (pictured). If this becomes an annual event, the trophy can be passed from winning district to winning district like the Stanley Cup of trash!

Click here to view the flyer.

Relisted: PACD Hiring Natural Resources Executive Assistant

The location of this position is negotiable. The employer of record is the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and day-to-day technical guidance is provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The incumbent has primary responsibility for providing assistance and coordination support for the National Conservation Planning Partnership conservation planning efforts. The position is under the technical supervision of the NRCS Natural Resources Specialist located in Benton, PA.

Click here to read the job description.

A cover letter and resume should be emailed to personnel@pacd.org by April 23, 2021.

Lebanon County Conservation District Holds Rain Barrel Workshop

The Lebanon County Conservation District (LCCD) Watershed Specialist Stephanie Harmon held a virtual workshop on non-point source pollution via a PowerPoint presentation. Participants were introduced to the concepts of water quality, quantity, and how homeowners can help minimize non-point source (NPS) pollution in and around their own homes.

Through this grant, twenty-four rain barrels were purchased and distributed to workshop participants. Rain barrel pick-up was held from April 1-2, 2021, at the Lebanon Valley Agricultural Center. Pick-ups were scheduled in 15-minute intervals to implement proper social distancing due to the Coronavirus and current CDC guidelines.

Photo caption: Lebanon County Conservation District Watershed Specialist Stephanie Harmon (right) helps a participant load their rain barrel into their vehicle.

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.

NACD Technical Assistance Grants Available

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for projects that will increase the technical assistance capacity of conservation districts. There is a total of $1.9 million in technical assistance (TA) grant funding available. Like the previous rounds of TA grants, this funding will help conservation districts build capacity and enhance their ability to provide conservation planning and technical assistance to customers.

These funds, provided in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will be administered by NACD to conservation districts in high-priority workload locations across the nation. Applications from state and territory partnership leaders will be due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 6, 2021.

Click here to read more.

PA Farmers Encouraged to Apply for Conservation Assistance through NEW Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Projects

Pennsylvania agricultural producers and landowners are encouraged to apply for technical and financial assistance to improve and enhance natural resources on their agricultural and forest land. Funding is available through two new Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects administered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The first application cutoff date for these new projects is May 14, 2021, and the second cutoff will be July 16, 2021.

Click here to read the entire press release.