PACD Front Page e-Newsletter

Front Page e-Newsletter

November 9, 2020

Save the Date for Your Spring PACD Region Meeting

Mark your calendar for your Spring 2021 PACD Region Meeting! All six meetings will take place virtually in March and April of 2021.

PACD South Central Region Video Conference

March 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North Central Region Video Conference

March 18, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD South East Region Video Conference

March 25, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD South West Region Video Conference

March 30, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North West Region Video Conference

April 8, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

PACD North East Region Video Conference

April 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon

Intro to Conservation Planning Held in Lebanon

Twenty-nine students completed the Intro to Conservation Planning Course in Lebanon, PA, from November 4-6, 2020. The training was targeted to entry-level conservationists and included classroom and field experience. The students were introduced to the conservation planning process in Pennsylvania.

Participants attended the three-day training free of charge thanks to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the State Conservation Commission's generous sponsorship. PACD provided administrative support for the course.

Photo caption: Introductions kicked-off the course on November 4, 2020. Each student had their own table and chair spread out to social distance.

Beaver County Conservation District Holds Stormwater Workshop for Homeowners

The week of October 12-16, 2020, the Beaver County Conservation District (BCCD) held a virtual workshop for homeowners on stormwater management. Susan Boser from Penn State Extension presented a program focusing on watersheds, nonpoint source pollution, and stormwater best management practices. The presentation is available here. BCCD Watershed Specialist Hannah Ward demonstrated how to build a rain barrel via video. Click here to view the video. Participants received a rain barrel kit after completing the online workshop.

Photo caption: Screenshot from BCCD’s “Rain Barrel Workshop” video. The video shows how to assemble a rain barrel.

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.

News from Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program

Adaptive Strategies and Contingency Planning

Adaptive Strategies & Contingency Planning for Conservation Districts workshop videos and materials from the October 20 and 27 sessions have been posted at Building for Tomorrow. Click here to view. For those not able to attend, please review the separate workshop videos for managers and directors and plan on joining us for a combined Session 3 on Tuesday, November 17. Click here to register.

Strategic Planning Grants application deadline is November 20

Reminder to Managers and Directors: Conservation districts interested in participating in the Strategic Planning Grants Program for 2020-21 must submit a Letter of Intent by November 20. Click here for more information and program requirements or contact Leadership Development Coordinator Matt Miller with questions.

Save the Dates: 2021 Board Leadership Webinar Series

Conservation District Directors – mark your calendars for Building for Tomorrow’s 2021 Board Leadership Webinar Series, scheduled for February 15, 16, 17, 23, and 24. Sessions will be held during the day and evening. Topics will include Ethics & Conflict of Interest, District Success Stories, Board Committees & Effective Governance, and Strategic Planning. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.

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.

Cumberland County Conservation District Holds Virtual Engineer Workshop

On October 22, 2020, Cumberland County Conservation District (CCCD) held a two-hour E&S/NPDES engineer workshop via webinar. Eighty-two engineers and consultants signed on to learn about the 2019 PAG-02 Permit, the new Notice of Intent and Individual Permit application, completing the Post Construction Stormwater Management spreadsheets, and other key program components. Click here to view videos of the presentations.

Photo Caption: Photo of webinar in progress by Vince McCollum with CCCD.

Potter County Conservation District and Planning Commission Complete 2^nd Round of Municipal Meetings

The Potter County Conservation District (PCCD) recently teamed up with the County Planning Commission to complete 26 individual municipal meetings over two months. Elected officials from each of the municipalities, representatives from Erb Inspections, Inc., and local sewage enforcement officers were invited to these one-on-one meetings. This was the second round of meetings held since the effort was launched in 2017.

PCCD Manager Jason Childs, PCCD Resource Conservationist Glenn Dunn II, and Potter County Planning Commission GIS/Planning Director Will Hunt scheduled a total of nine sessions at outdoor venues throughout the county due to COVID-19. Popular topics of discussion during the sessions included the County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances (SALDO), stormwater management, 911 addressing, permitting, district programs and assistance, and county planning, GIS programs, and assistance.

In addition, the conservation district and planning commission plan to update the "Municipal Resource Booklet" that was developed in 2017 and add a checklist for municipal officials and residents to use. Both offices felt that this was a great opportunity to open up lines of communication and strengthen partnerships. The district and planning commission would like to thank everyone who took the time to meet. This effort will be ongoing as it is a goal to host this series of meetings after every election year.

Photo caption: Photo provided by Potter County Conservation District.

NACD Annual Meeting will be Held Virtually

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Executive Board announced that NACD's 75th Annual Meeting will be completely virtual due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Annual Meeting will be held online from February 1-10, 2021, through NACD's virtual hub and will celebrate the theme "NACD's 75th Anniversary: A Diamond out of the Dust."

Click here for more information. If you have any questions or comments about the virtual annual meeting, please email events@nacdnet.org.

Apply for the 2021 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence!

The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence is open to any Pennsylvania business, farm, government agency, educational institution, non-profit organization, and individual who has created or participated in developing a project that promotes environmental stewardship in Pennsylvania.

Applications can be submitted to DEP from October 13, 2020, through December 21, 2020.

Click here to read more.