Front Page e-Newsletter
February 15, 2021
Thirty-eight Pollution Prevention Projects Funded through NPS Mini-grant Program
Pennsylvania’s county conservation districts were awarded over $60,000. With this funding, thirty-eight pollution reduction projects will take place in twenty-seven counties. These projects promote water pollution prevention activities through the Non-point Source (NPS) Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant Program. The projects will take place through May 2022.
 
Funding for the grants, up to $2,000 each, is provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A description of the projects funded in the past is available at www.pacd.org under the Education tab.
Click here for the list with summaries of 2021-22 NPS Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-grant projects and here for the press release.
 
Photo caption: Chester County Conservation District's Municipal Workshop project (funded in the 2020-21 NPS mini-grant round) includes a rain garden.
New, Short Round of CREP Mini-grants Now Accepting Applications 
PACD is now accepting mini-grant applications for up to $500 to implement virtual educational and outreach activities that support and extend the work of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Projects should focus on CREP enrollment, re-enrollment, and/or CREP maintenance.
 
The guidelines and application for the new CREP mini-grant program for conservation districts are posted here. Questions should be directed to PACD Program Manager Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org.
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.
Greene County Student Wins Second Place in National Poster Contest
In partnership with the NACD Auxiliary, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the winners of the 2020 Photo Contest and 2020 Poster Contest during the virtual 75th NACD Annual Meeting.
 
Congratulations to the second-place winner in the K-1 grade category, Payton Duncan of Greene County, PA!
 
The winners listed will receive cash prizes courtesy of the NACD Auxiliary, made possible by the Auxiliary’s quilt project proceeds; the Auxiliary Country Store at the NACD Annual Meeting; and the generosity of individual donors. All contest participants will receive a certificate of participation. View the winning photos and the winning posters on NACD’s Flickr page.
 
Click here to read about the 2021 poster contest.
Save the Dates for PACD Spring Region Meetings 
Mark your calendar and join us for the PACD spring region meetings!
 
The region meeting dates and locations are as follows:
 
March 18, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
PACD North Central Region Video Conference
 
March 24, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon (New Date)
PACD South Central Region Video Conference
 
March 25, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
PACD South East Region Video Conference    
 
March 30, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon
PACD South West Region Video Conference   
 
April 8, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon    
PACD North West Region Video Conference   
 
April 16, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon  
PACD North East Region Video Conference
Congratulations to Conservation District Video Award Winners 
Building for Tomorrow wrapped up last week's 2021 Virtual Staff Conference with the first annual Conservation District Video Awards on Friday, February 12. Finalists from three categories were recognized, and awards were presented to the highest-scoring video submissions in each category:
 
PSA/Homeowner Category Winner – “How Big is an Acre?” (Crawford County Conservation District)
 
K-12 Educational Category Winner – “Virtual Tour of Tannersville Bog” (Monroe County Conservation District)
 
General Audience Category Winner – “2020 Conservation Farmer of the Year: The Frye Family” (Westmoreland Conservation District)
 
A special award for the highest-scoring video produced with a $0 budget was also presented to “What in the World is a Wetland?” (Crawford County Conservation District)
 
Links for all Video Awards finalist submissions and a recording of the awards presentation can be found at https://www.paleadership.org/conservation-district-video-award-winners/.
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 Receives NFWF Grant
On February 10, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, announced the award of approximately $1.2 million for eight projects in Pennsylvania to improve rivers and streams that connect to the Chesapeake Bay.
 
Cumberland County Conservation District was awarded $54,600 to continue and expand a successfully implemented cover crop incentive program in Cumberland County, which incentivizes low or no-till cover crops by offering payments to farmers to utilize approved winter small grain crops. The project will encourage the implementation of additional cover crop acres on county farms, which are a priority agricultural water quality practice under the Pennsylvania Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan.
 
Click here to read more.
Proposals Accepted for 2021 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program partnership, is now soliciting Full Proposals for the 2021 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants program.
 
NFWF estimates awarding $8-10 million in grants in 2021 contingent on the availability of funding.
 
Full proposals must be submitted through NFWF’s Easygrants system no later than Thursday, April 22. An informational webinar has been scheduled for next Tuesday, February 16, to provide an overview of the funding opportunity. Applicants are strongly encouraged to participate and can register for the webinar here.
 
For more information or questions about this RFP, click here.
PALMS Conference to be Held Virtually
Pennsylvania Lake Management Society is holding the 31st Annual Conference: Managing for Emerging Threats online on March 3 and 4, 2021. Topics include harmful algal blooms, aquatic invasive species, and lake management.
 
Registration is $75. Click here for more information.
Conservation Districts in the News
Upcoming Events
February 15, 2021
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February 17, 2021
February 23, 2021
February 24, 2021

February 18, 2021 | 10:00-11:30 a.m.