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Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates
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| Watershed specialist meeting, PACD engineer moves offices, strategic planning grants, news from Cumberland and Berks Counties, state technical meeting, and webinar on water quality outreach. |
Watershed Specialists Meet in State College
Over 80 attendees, including 66 watershed specialists, participated in the 19th Annual Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting at Toftrees Golf Resort and Conference Center in State College, PA, October 2-4, 2019.
Sessions included new tools for planting riparian buffers, grants and resources, and updates on Growing Greener. Thursday morning there was a concurrent track for new watershed specialists. The last day was reserved for a watershed restoration and riparian buffer tour. The tour was hosted by the ClearWater Conservancy and the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center with help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Wildlife Program, the Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited, landowners Stan and Dar Smith, and Native Creations.
Each year, the watershed specialists hold a photo contest. This year, there were over 40 entries (the highest ever)!
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: Watershed Specialist Meghan Rogalus with the Bucks County Conservation District won Best of Show in the 2019 Watershed Specialist Photo Contest for her photograph "Secluded Spot on the Tohicken" in the Water as Art category.
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PACD Conservation Engineer Moves to Clarion Office
On September 30, 2019, PACD Conservation Engineer Danielle Kalp, PE, moved from the Somerset office to the Clarion office. Her new phone number is
814-297-5261.
Danielle joins Conservation Technician Randi Tyler in Clarion.
Click here for more information on the Engineering Assistance Program.
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Reminder: Strategic Planning Grant Letter of Intent Deadline is November 20
Funding available to offset costs associated with strategic planning activity has been increased to $1,500 per qualifying district for 2020. Districts interested in applying for a Strategic Planning Grant have until November 20 to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development program. The LOI should include information on the timeframe and process for plan development, as well as the date of board approval for the grant application.
Detailed information on the Strategic Planning Grants program, including program requirements and a list of recent facilitators, can be found at the Building for Tomorrow website.
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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20,000 acres of Farmland Preserved in Cumberland County
On September 26, 2019, PACD Software Specialist Nick Yeagy traveled to Cumberland County for the celebration of 20,000 acres of preserved farmland.
He joined Cumberland County officials and farmland preservation staff for a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the county's participation in Pennsylvania's state farmland preservation program, held at Paulus Farm Market in Mechanicsburg. The Paulus family has preserved 219 acres of farmland, which grows much of the produce sold at their market, since the establishment of the county program in 1989.
Click here to read the entire press release.
Photo caption: PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell C. Redding speaks at the Cumberland County farmland preservation celebration.
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Berks County Conservation District Holds Bite of Berks Scholarship Fundraiser
On Monday, September 23, 2019, the Berks County Conservation District (BCCD) hosted the annual "A Bite of Berks Scholarship Fundraiser."
Here are a few of the highlights from the evening:
* Deputy Greg Hostetter joined the event and said a few words.
* The district awarded $20,500 in scholarships; partners gave an additional $2,500 in scholarships; there was a special award for the Berks Science Fair winner.
* Several award recipients were recognized, including Farmer of the Year, Conservation Individual of the Year, and others.
* After the scholarship and awards portion of the evening was complete, guests enjoyed food samples made by local restaurants, caterers, bakeries, food trucks, and others who used an ingredient that was grown or produced in Berks County. Guests tasted and then voted for their favorite. Awards were given to the top 3 in each of 4 categories.
* There was a Silent Auction with proceeds benefiting the BCCD Scholarship fund.
* Dave Kline's Mountain folk Trio provided music.
Click here view the winners.
Click here to read about the scholarship winners.
Photo caption: Photo used with permission from BCCD.
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Public Invited to Pennsylvania State Technical Committee Meeting October 16th
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) invites the public to attend the Pennsylvania State Technical Committee meeting on October 16, 2019, at the USDA State Office in Harrisburg, PA.
Quarterly State Technical Committee Meetings are held to discuss natural resources conservation in Pennsylvania and provide recommendations to NRCS on the implementation of Farm Bill programs.
Along with Farm Bill Program updates, October's meeting will feature presentations about source water protection and Farm Bill collaboration in Pennsylvania by Patrick Bowling of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection and Michelle Audie of the Environmental Protection Agency, and an update on Penn State's equine education and training partnership by Laura Kenny of Penn State Extension.
The public is invited to attend the meeting, which will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, at the USDA State Office Conference Room at 359 East Park Drive, Harrisburg. To attend via teleconference, call 1-888-844-9904 with access code 6941559.
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October Webinar Focuses on Water Quality Outreach
The next National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Urban and Community Conservation webinar scheduled for 12-1 pm on October 17, 2019, will focus on water quality outreach campaigns.
The Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District in South Carolina will discuss how it utilizes partnerships and collaboration to create quality engagement. With past campaigns such as, "Do it on Your Lawn," "Go Au Naturale," and "Get Down and Dirty," the group has been able to effectively encourage community members to help keep the river clean.
Additionally, the district implemented familiar family games with a conservation twist such as "Stormwater PLINKO" and "Defend Your Drain" to engage citizens of all ages in water quality protection behavior.
There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. To register, click here.
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Conservation Districts in the News
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