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Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates
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| News from York and Perry Counties, Intro to Conservation Planning, Leadership Development website re-design, Riparian Buffer Summit, pipeline webinar, REAP, and paddle the Susquehanna website. |
PACD Participates in York County Sporting Clays Fundraiser
On September 20, PACD's 5-person team traveled to York County for the 12th annual Sporting Clays Fundraiser benefitting the York County Envirothon. The event included teams with staff from the Cumberland and Lancaster County Conservation Districts, PACD, and the PA Department of Environmental Protection.
The event had a record of 103 shooters participate. Congratulations to York County Conservation District for a successful, well-organized event!
Photo caption: The PACD team stops for a photo at Central Penn Sporting Clays in Wellsville, PA. They are (left to right): George Miller, Amy Brown, Mike Lubinsky, Jared McIntire, and Chuck Wehinger. Mike and Jared were recruited from the Cumberland County Conservation District to complete the team.
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Perry County Tree Planting
The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is a collaborative effort of national, regional, state and local agencies, conservation organizations, outdoors enthusiasts, businesses, and citizens committed to improving Pennsylvania's communities, economy, and ecology by planting 10 million trees throughout the Commonwealth.
PACD Program Manager Amy Brown and Software Specialist Nick Yeagy joined the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other Keystone 10 Million Tree Partners on Thursday, September19, 2019. The group met at the Raub Farm in Duncannon to plant 50 trees and shrubs next to a pasture.
Photo caption: PACD Program Manager Amy Brown and Software Specialist Nick Yeagy pose for a photo at the Raub Farm in Duncannon for a Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership event on September 19.
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Reminder: Apply for Intro to Conservation Planning Course
PACD is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) to deliver a three-day Introduction to Conservation Planning course. This free training will take place from November 12-14, 2019 at the Holiday Inn Harrisburg (Hershey area) in Grantville, PA.
The event is for entry-level employees of all organizations in Pennsylvania delivering conservation planning technical assistance, including but not limited to, NRCS, conservation districts, SCC, farmland preservation entities, non-profits, and private consultants. The training is free, and lunch will be provided.
The online pre-requisite will be waived this year. Click here to apply by October 4.
Questions? Contact Shannon Wehinger at
[email protected]
.
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Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Launches New and Improved Website
The Building for Tomorrow Program, which provides leadership development training and resources to Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts, is happy to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website at
https://www.paleadership.org
.
The new site features:
- a bright, modern design optimized for handheld and tablet devices
- an event portal and calendar that includes event registration, agendas, and other information, as well as session materials and handouts for Building for Tomorrow events
- a streamlined interface for self-directed learning modules with quiz functionality allowing users to save their progress - perfect for new Director orientation and on-boarding of new staff
- a blog to promote Building for Tomorrow programs, events, and other news and announcements
All Conservation District personnel are encouraged to visit the new site and provide feedback and suggestions on content that can be added to support leadership development initiatives.
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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Submitted by Kristie Smith, Watershed Specialist, Perry County Conservation District
Thank you to the Loysville Community Club and Tyrone Township for hosting this year's Keep Perry County Beautiful Tire War. We are pleased to announce that Perry County residents successfully dropped off 702 tires that were removed from the landscape that are destined for proper recycling through Mahantango Enterprises of Liverpool, Perry County. (The breakdown: 670 car tires, 20 large truck tires, and 12 tractor tires).
Many thanks to our group of dedicated volunteers who used a lot of muscle to throw all of those tires up into the truck! Thank you to everyone who participated, together we are keeping Perry County a beautiful place to live & work! Since 2009, the Tire War program in Perry County has recycled over 11,000 tires!
Photo caption: Pictured are: (front left) Kaden Robinson, (top left to right) Sante DeMichiel, Rachael Filip, and Bryce Danko. Photo provided by Perry County Conservation District.
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Save the Date for the 2020 Riparian Buffer Summit
On March 11 & 12, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy will host the third annual Riparian Forest Buffer Summit at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, PA. The Summit brings together conservation professionals, decision-makers, and citizens to share the latest information on forest buffers, from implementation to outreach and more.
The 2020 Summit Planning Committee is seeking proposals for breakout sessions that promote riparian forest buffers; topics of interest include funding, partnerships, implementation, planning, research, policy, and more.
Organizations interested in presenting should share their ideas by contacting
[email protected]
no later than October 15, 2019.
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Best Practices in Pipeline Construction Webinar
Join Penn State Extension for a free and informative webinar on October 17, 2019, from 1-2 pm. Doug Speerstra from Energy Transfer will discuss the process of pipeline construction, covering all aspects of planning and development of the route, the permitting process, construction, reclamation of the site, operations, and the safety and environmental concerns taken on such a project.
Click here to register.
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$13 Million in Tax Credits Available for On-Farm Conservation
The Pennsylvania Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Program is open. There are changes in the REAP Program that were included in the 2019 PA Farm Bill legislation that was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf in July.
Here is a summary of what's new for the 2019-20 REAP Program:
1. REAP funding - REAP's allocation of tax credits was increased from $10 million to $13 million. The increase will allow the program to approve significantly more applications from farmers for the 2019-20 round of REAP. REAP's $10 million allocation in 2018 was exhausted by 232 approved applications.
2. REAP credit cap - The REAP credit cap was raised from $150,000/agricultural operation (lifetime limit) to $250,000/agricultural operation in any 7-year period.
3. Filing status - REAP participants may now file jointly with a spouse when claiming the credit. REAP credits can now be used against all income of the credit recipient and the spouse. This makes the credit much easier to use and much more valuable to farm families.
4. Legacy Sediment - Legacy sediment projects are eligible for REAP credits at 50% of out-of-pocket installation costs. Previously, the REAP law set the reimbursement rate at 25%
The State Conservation Commission is now accepting 2019-20 REAP applications on a first-come, first-served basis. The 2019 REAP Program application packet can also be found on the REAP webpage.
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New Website: Paddle the Susquehanna
Chesapeake Conservancy and the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office have launched a new partnership website,
www.paddlethesusquehanna.com
. The new website serves as a home for launch information, water trails, and trip itineraries for the four regions of the Susquehanna River, including the North Branch, West Branch, Middle, and Lower sections. Blog content on the website highlights specific places, activities, and personal first-hand experiences.
Photo caption: Photo provided by Chesapeake Conservancy and the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office.
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Conservation Districts in the News
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Upcoming Events
October 2, 2019 (deadline to register was September 20)
Westmoreland Conservation District, Greensburg, PA
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