The South Mountain Partnership works best as a network of people and organizations working toward common goals.
Our common goal? Making the future of our region better.
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It is my deepest hope that this March/April newsletter finds you and yours healthy and happy. As you already know, spring is a time of transformation. But few of us saw
this
amount of change coming. Just before the first day of spring, Covid-19 was confirmed in the core of the South Mountain region. Since then, over 70 cases have been confirmed.
My brother, who works in the Montana fly fishing industry, shared with me a nugget of inspiration passed to him from Orvis leadership – who had found his own inspiration from a friend who is a restaurant owner and retailer. When an employee made the comment, “Man, this is bleak!” he replied, “Bleak is a mindset when you lack conviction and purpose. This is going to be hard. And we can do hard.” As advocates for conservation and related social justice issues, we – you and I - have been doing “hard” for a long time and achieving success along the way.
For almost 300 years, our lands in the South Mountain region and Michaux State Forest have shown the deepest ways of resilience as we have attempted to balance society’s needs for meeting two inter-related endeavors—the management of forest resources for commerce, recreation, and other public values, and the conservation of healthy soil, water, wildlife, and habitat. This region, and many of us by relation, has already been through a lot and bounced back. Not only do we have the grit needed to do so but we also have a legacy of intelligence and empathy that has encouraged us to assess and change our behavior.
It is here that I will make my appeal for you to change your behavior or the behavior of your family and friends who are not yet following the rules. The South Mountain region needs all residents, not just conservationists, to connect with this shared legacy of intelligence and empathy in order to do the hard things that need to be done right now. Yes, our situation is difficult and it will get worse before it gets better. However, the situation is bleak only when we forget our conviction and purpose. I will suggest that the most worthy of all convictions and purposes during the next several weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic are to protect one another from Covid-19 by doing the following:
- Stay home, stay calm, and stay safe. It is our duty to care for one another by staying home as much as possible. Until today, Adams, Cumberland, and Franklin counties had failing grades on social distancing. Consult data and recommendations from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Don’t hoard food or supplies; we have a robust local infrastructure that will continue to supply us with what is needed.
- Maintain community; without it, society does not work. However, all of this should be done electronically, if possible.
- Stay healthy, both mentally and physically. Get outside but "Spread out and Leave No Trace." This means do not recreate in popular places or at popular times. Spread out to other open spaces and trails that are less used. Consider county and municipal parks, as well as state game lands. If a parking lot is full, go to another lot, park, or trail. Carry out everything that you take in with you.
- Last, be generous and get involved safely. The Adams County Community Foundation provided these three ways to target your giving right now:
- Stand by your favorites: Give to the organizations that you already support. They cannot survive without your help. Those providing food and other basic needs will see demand for services increase.
- Think strategically: Consider renewing your supporting memberships to organizations that work to bring resources to our region.
- Open your heart: Add to your list or increase your giving to organizations providing direct support—housing, food, care of all kinds—to people most in need. Additional local resources that can be consulted include school districts, your county food system alliance, food pantries, South Central Community Action Programs, churches, and downtown organizations.
In the meantime, please stay involved with the South Mountain Partnership! Updates about us that you should know include:
2. Our committees continue to meet virtually – we now have our own Zoom account.
3. The 50
th
Anniversary of Earth Day is April 22
nd
. Join us, plus many local partners, for
Penn’s Woods: Cradle of Conservation – An Online Interactive Panel
with Marci Mowrey of PA Parks & Forest Foundation, Roy Brubaker of Michaux District Forest, and Craig Houghton of Penn State Mont Alto; moderated by Katie Hess of the South Mountain Partnership.
4. We’re in a pickle! While we love bringing together people from all over the region for the Spring Partnership Meeting, it's not safe right now due to COVID-19. We need your input on how to proceed with the Spring Partnership Meeting. Please take our
very quick one question survey – here.
I cannot wait to reconnect fully with you in the coming months.
Remember – we can do hard!
Katie Hess, Director of the South Mountain Partnership
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9th Annual "Power of the Partnership" Celebration a Huge Success!
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On January 31, 2020, more than 120 people gathered at Liberty Mountain Ski Resort in Fairfield, Adams County to celebrate the South Mountain landscape and the work of its partners to invest in a sustainable, healthy future for our communities and citizens.
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The 9
th
annual Power of the Partnership commenced with the awarding of the Spirit of South Mountain Award, which recognizes exemplary people, projects and organizations that significantly and positively impact the South Mountain region by contributing to its sense of place through promoting or conserving its natural and cultural resources. Bicky Redman from the Adams County Office of Planning & Development presented the award to Tonya White, of the
Historic Round Barn & Farm Market
and
Thirsty Farmer Brew Works
, for championing the creation of the South Mountain Conservation Landscape (South Mountain Partnership) in 2007. Tonya's advocacy on behalf of this region led to alignment of and action around farm and open space protection, historic preservation, and expansion into new markets of tourism, agriculture, land protection, stewardship, recreation, heritage, and agricultural tourism.
As she left the podium, Adams County Commissioner Marty Qually (
see photo on right
) welcomed everyone to the event and introduced Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) who discussed the value of conservation landscapes like the South Mountain. Dunn was followed by Secretary Russell Redding of the Department of Agriculture who talked about the important role local agriculture has to the region and the state.
Next up were several “Profiles of Action: Partners Working across the South Mountain Landscape”. This included a presentation from Harlan Lawson of the Adams County Office of Planning & Development and Robin Fitzpatrick of the Adams Economic Alliance (
see photo on right
), who discussed various locations in Adams County that add to the economic health and vibrancy of the region. Natalie Buyny of Destination Gettysburg followed with demographic information on who visits the region and how her organization is working to attract more young families and Millennials. The profiles concluded with a presentation from Sarah Kipp of the Land Conservancy of Adams County (
see photo on right
) who shared an update on a previous South Mountain mini grant project that will take people on a hike through conserved farmland.
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Katie Hess, Director of the South Mountain Partnership, then recapped the successful year the Partnership had in 2019, which included several workshops focused on bringing municipalities and watershed groups together to improve local water quality and bringing more people into the Partnership through committee roles. Hess said, “The title of my presentation is, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ That sums up what the South Mountain Partnership is all about. We have accomplished much since 2006 because of the dedication, passion and insights of our many partners. We get together every year at the ‘Power of the Partnership’ celebration to recognize how far we’ve all come together.”
We look forward to seeing everyone again at the next "Power of the Partnership" Celebration in early 2021!
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Thank you to sponsors of the
9th Annual "Power of the Partnership" Celebration!
Investing in the South Mountain landscape benefits us all. We could
not accomplish our goals without the support of generous partners.
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Local Organizations Recognized with Mini-Grant Awards
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At the "Power of the Partnership" Celebration in January, seven organizations were recognized with mini-grant awards. Andy Yencha from Penn State Extension presented each award, which are funded by DCNR through the Environmental Stewardship Fund.
These grants are given each year to catalyze on-the-ground projects that further the goals of the Partnership, and to advance the capacity of partners to complete projects throughout the region. In the last 11 years, over 65 projects have been completed through the Program – just over $490,000 in grants have been awarded: leveraging more than $1,000,000 in matching funds.
This year’s awardees are:
- $15,000 to the Appalachian Trail Museum for the 3-D Relief Map, Wild East, and Landscape Conservation Exhibit project at the Appalachian Trail Museum near Gardners (top photo; others follow in order)
- $5,000 to the Friends of Toms Creek to conduct field stream assessments of Toms Run Creek near Fairfield
- $8,000 to the Keystone Conservation Trust, in coordination with Penn Township, Cumberland County for the Penn Township Return on Environment Land Use Study project
- $12,000 to North Newton Township for a trail feasibility study what will provide safe bicycle and pedestrian access
- $2,000 to the Northern York County Historical and Preservation Society to implement a self-guided tour of the Dill’s Tavern Property and downtown Dillsburg
- $6,000 to South Middleton Township to address water quality concerns affecting the Yellow Breeches Creek by retrofitting a township bioretention swale near Boiling Springs
- $7,000 to the Strawberry Hill Foundation for implementation of a conservation plan that will restore Middle Creek, install interpretive panels, and design and build of boardwalks and platforms for creek access and education near Fairfield
Congratulations to all the mini-grant winners! More information follows below about the 2020 Round of the South Mountain Mini-Grant Program.
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2020
Mini-Grant Program Now Open
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The South Mountain Partnership's Mini-Grant Program was created in 2009 to catalyze on-the-ground projects that further the goals of the Partnership, and to advance the capacity of partners to complete projects throughout the region. The Program provides funding, on a competitive basis, to projects that sustain the South Mountain landscape's sense of place by protecting and promoting the region's Landscape Resources.
Examples of past project include trail and outdoor recreation infrastructure development (including signage); habitat restoration efforts; ecological research projects (targeting specific, defined management challenges); regional resource promotion and guides; resource interpretation; historical preservation; adaptive reuse and feasibility studies; education programming and development; and planning and revitalization studies and supportive efforts. Please note: land-use planning efforts at the municipal level (i.e. updating comprehensive plans or drafting zoning or subdivision and land development ordinances) are an acceptable use of Mini-Grant funding.
The pre-application period for the 2020 Funding Round is open from Wednesday, April 1 through Friday, May 29. All pre-applications must be received by Friday, May 29, 2020. Only applicants with strong pre-applications will be invited to submit a final application by July 31. Invitations to submit final applications will be distributed by June 12, 2020.
Project proposals addressing water resources will be given priority, as well as projects that assist municipalities and/or counties to implement conservation and preservation elements of their comprehensive plans. We are especially interested in projects that demonstrate significant, measurable project outcomes in helping municipalities and counties to:
- Build capacity to meet water pollution reduction goals
- Implement a watershed management, restoration, or a protection plan or strategy that has been adopted by local government
- Implement an approved strategy for addressing total maximum daily load study (TMDL) or well head protection plan
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Celebrate 50th Earth Day!
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Join us in celebrating the 50th Earth Day!
Any way that you can think of to be involved or promote Earth Day in April (and actually all year) is welcome.
Sign up
and to take action and/or to be a part of the celebration!
The first Earth Day in 1970 enlisted 20 million Americans and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. It is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event and it led to passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clear Water, and Endangered Species acts. Many countries soon adopted similar laws, and the United Nations chose Earth Day 2016 to sign the Paris climate agreement.
Yet despite these successes, we still face many conservation challenges at home, in our communities, in Pennsylvania, and globally.
Earth Day 50
offers suggestions on ways to mark the occasion (and make a difference) and Pennsylvania's celebration partners have a few ideas of our own. The first is to host 50 service projects across the state during the month of April. Keep an eye on our calendar for opportunities to come out and be a steward of your state parks and forests. Work for a company and want to have a volunteer day? Contact us! Have a youth group you want to engage? Shoot us an email! Reach out to Jenna at
jbehringer(at)paparksandforests.org.
Other ideas as we start our planning: viewings of the documentaries produced in conjunction with the
Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Project
at locations around Pennsylvania. Want to show one of the documentaries? Reach out to Jenna at
jbehringer(at)paparksandforests.org
and she will make it happen for you. Pair the documentary with a panel or discussion and use the lessons of the past to inform the future.
We’d like to work with libraries to feature conservation themed books and speakers during April. Work or volunteer at a library? Please reach out to see how we might work together. Have a favorite book?
Let us know
that as we build
a reading list
for book clubs and individuals.
Any way that you can think of to be involved or promote Earth Day in April (and actually all year) is welcome.
Sign up
and to take action and/or to be a part of the celebration!
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Report on Pennsylvania’s Conservation Landscapes Show the Value of Places like the South Mountain Region
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The South Mountain Conservation Landscape is one of eight such landscapes across the Commonwealth that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recognizes for their unique cultural, historical, recreational, and economic features. Since 2004, Pennsylvania’s Conservation Landscape Program has used place-based partnerships to drive strategic investments and actions around sustainability, conservation, community revitalization, and recreation projects.
The report identifies best management practices such as the power of partnerships, collaboration makes connections possible despite development pressures, and public investments are the foundation for locally-based entrepreneurship. DCNR and its conservation landscape partners in the South Mountain and across the state have already begun implementing these and other recommendations and will continue in 2020 and beyond to make Pennsylvania’s Conservation Landscapes a model for place-based partnerships across the United States.
The South Mountain conservation landscape, which encompasses portions of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, and York counties, is made up of hundreds of partners from municipal, county and state governments, local businesses, nonprofits, academia, and concerned citizens. Since our creation in 2006, we have many successes to celebrate. This includes the White Rocks land acquisition project that ultimately protected 850 acres of valuable forestland on South Mountain in Cumberland County. The site was under serious threat of development and its protection helped provide a buffer and scenic viewshed of the Appalachian Trail.
“The South Mountain Partnership invests in building the capacity of its partners and uses a collaborative approach to tackle large projects like the White Rocks acquisition,” said Katie Hess. Director of the South Mountain Partnership. “That’s led to significant wins for the landscape including the conservation of 850-acres of valuable forested land on South Mountain, the rebirth of the Craighead House as a cultural and educational asset, and a current focus on clean water efforts for local communities and the Chesapeake Bay.”
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An Update on Cumberland County's Watershed Implementation Plan
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*This article was reprinted in full from the Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association Winter 2020 "The Freshet" newsletter.
Cumberland County kicked off its Countywide Action Plan, or CAP, in late J
anuary when the Conservation District and Planning Department hosted a watershed stakeholder meeting about this new effort to reduce runoff pollution into streams like the Conodoguinet and Yellow Breeches that drain to the Chesapeake Bay. CCWA had 3 board members present.
When it’s finalized later this year, the CAP will prescribe Best Management Practices (BMPs) and policies that a wide variety of public and private watershed stakeholders in Cumberland County need to initiate to help PA meet its overall pollution reduction goal for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
PA’s overall pollution reduction goals are listed in its Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan, or WIP, recently submitted to EPA. According to this plan, PA now contributes over 161 million pounds of nitrogen, and 9 million pounds of phosphorus, to streams that drain to the Bay. By the year 2025, PA must reduce this pollutant load on an annual basis by 51 million pounds of nitrogen and 7 million pounds of phosphorus to avoid potential federal penalties. State government is assisting counties with land in the watershed, like Cumberland, to help achieve this goal by preparing and implementing CAPs.
Cumberland County’s CAP goals were announced at the January kickoff meeting. DEP wants landowners, farmers, municipalities, businesses, and watershed groups like CCWA in Cumberland County to install enough BMPs over the next 5 years to reduce annual nitrogen loads by just over 2.2 million pounds, and annual phosphorus loads by 37,000 pounds.
The County will use state funding to hire a CAP coordinator. The coordinator’s first major task will be reaching out to watershed stakeholders over the spring and summer to identify locations, leaders, and funding sources for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment reducing BMPs. All this planning information will get recorded in the CAP document which should be finalized by the end of this year. Then the focus of the coordinator and watershed partners will shift to getting the BMPs installed and implemented by 2025.
Written by Andy Yencha, Penn State Extension Water Resources Educator, CCWA Board Member, and South Mountain Partnership mini-grant review committee member
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Municipal Authorities Now Eligible for Conservation Easement Assistance Program
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The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association’s (PALTA)
Conservation Easement Assistance Program
(CEAP) provides grants of up to $7,500 to help organizations plan and complete conservation, trail, and other public access easements in Pennsylvania. PALTA is now expanding the pool of eligible applicants for public access easement projects to include municipal authorities whose articles of incorporation do not restrict the authority’s ability to operate or manage park and recreation projects or facilities.
CEAP is made possible by support from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
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Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Hiring Summer Lifeguards
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Looking for a job where you can make a difference while enjoying the summer sunshine? Then consider applying for a lifeguard position at Pine Grove Furnace or one of the many other PA state parks that have a lake and/or pool. Lifeguards make $13.15-$14.24 an hour and lifeguard supervisors make up to $15.74 an hour. Swimming areas open the Saturday before Memorial Day. Applicants must have life guarding, CPR, and First Aid certifications prior to employment. Applicants must also pass background checks and child clearances. More info available by calling 717-787-7811 or
here
.
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Show Your Support for the Great Outdoors!
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Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF), the Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society (PRPS), and Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) invite you to participate in an Outdoor Advocacy Day for Outdoor Recreation at the Pennsylvania State Capitol on May 19, 2020.
Consumer spending in outdoor recreation is over $29.3 billion, supporting over 219,000 jobs and generating more than $1.9 billion in tax revenue. Yet we are failing to invest appropriately in these economic engines for the commonwealth. Due to repeated budget cuts, staffing in our parks and forests is at an almost all-time low at a time when visitation continues to rise and pressures on our parks and forests increase!
Our state parks and forests have a repair list of over $1 billion. The 6,000 community parks across the state also need about $1 billion in investment. And it is an investment—as our parks and forests—outdoor recreation in general—is big business in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Make your voice heard in support of outdoor recreation and protecting access for today and future generations. This event will kick off with a 10 AM press conference, we will then spend the day making legislative visits and networking with others who share our concerns about access to the outdoors. Visit the website at
www.ppff.events/advocacyday2020
and RSVP or get more information.
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Drop off Your Household Hazardous Waste
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Our partners at the Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association (CCWA) would like to let you know about the following Household Hazardous Wastes (HHW) days. HHWs are those wastes produced in our households that are hazardous in nature (ignitable, corrosive, reactive, toxic), but that are not regulated as hazardous wastes under federal and state laws. This means that it is legal for most homeowners to put HHW in their trash. Included are such items as old paints and paint related products, pesticides, pool chemicals, drain cleaners, and degreasers and other car care products. Today's landfills are designed to handle normal amounts of HHW and minimize the environmental impacts; however, there are other options homeowners can consider when dealing with these wastes.
2020 HHW Events are at Cumberland County Recycling Center 1001 Claremont Road, Carlisle, PA as follows:
- Thursday, June 18, 2020 - 12 pm to 6 pm
- Saturday, August 15, 2020 - 9 am to 3 pm
- Thursday, October 15, 2020 - 12 pm to 6 pm
For more information click
here
.
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Chesapeake Conservation Partnership
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Trainings, Workshops, and Learning Opportunities
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Due to COVID-19 and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), please visit the individual partner organization's websites to see if any of the events listed below have been postponed or cancelled before going to the event. Stay healthy!
March
March 27
Speakers Series/POWR Regional Water Workshop - POSTPONED
April
April 1-3
PA Land Conservation Conference - POSTPONED
April 6
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Tree Planting
Join the Alliance in planting more than 500 tree saplings at Messiah College from 3-6 pm. All volunteers are welcome - no experience required. RSVP to Rebecca at
sustainability@messiah.edu
.
April 7, 14, and 21
Zoning Administration Course
The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) the PA Municipal Planning Education Institute (PMPEI) are hosting this 3-part training from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Penn Township Building in Perry County. The course will cover technical aspects of zoning and include hands-on experiences and practice exercises. Cost to attend all three sessions is $35. Class size is limited. Continuing education credits available. More info
here
.
April 14-16
Tree Wrapping
Help wrap 6,000 trees starting each day 9 am – noon. Trees and growing instructions are given to local school students in Cumberland County for Earth Day. Location Shillelagh Farm, 6623 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg. For questions contact Karen Karkuff at
kkarkuff@comcast.net
or call 717-802-2067.
April 15
Earth Day 50 – Looking at the Past and the Future
This is a free, open to the public, moderated conversation with DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and former Senator Franklin Kury, from 6-7:30 pm at Messiah College.
April 15
Creating Vibrant Communities Webinar
This free webinar presented by Penn State Extension runs from noon to 1:15 p.m. Certification Maintenance credits are provided. More info
here
.
April 18
Mechanicsburg Earth Day Festival
Join many of our partners at this event from 9 am to 3 pm at sites across the city. Events include kids crafts, a chicken BBQ, a silent auction, and more! More info
here
.
April 25
2020 Beyond Recycling
For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, members of the Carlisle community are joining together to plan a special celebration at Biddle Mission Park from Noon to 4 PM. The celebration will feature educational activities and games for youth and adults, along with live music and local food vendors from Carlisle’s Farmers on the Square Market. If you're interested in volunteering for this event, email
cvr.envirocommittee@gmail.com
.
April 25
Riparian Buffer Tree Planting
Help the Conodoquinet Creek Watershed Association with a tree planting at Siebert Park in Camp Hill at 9 am. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own tools and gloves. Registration is required in advance. More info
here
.
May
May 2
Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Network Conference
Registration
for this event, which takes place at the Upper Merion Township Building in King of Prussia from 8 am to 4 pm,
includes breakfast, a full day of training, and lunch. Registration is available for EAC members, municipal officials and those interested in establishing an
EAC
. More info
here
.
May 9
Spring Garden Demo Day
Learn how you can help to create and sustain habitat for butterflies and other pollinating insects in your own garden. The event runs from 10-Noon. The Butterfly Garden is located near the Midway Pavilion at Adams Ricci Park in East Pennsboro Township. More info
here
.
May 16
Conodoguinet Creek Clean-up
Join the Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association (CCWA) for this monthly clean-up of the creek. This takes place the 3rd Saturday of every month from May through September. More info
here
.
May 19
Outdoor Advocacy Day
Join the PA Parks and Forests Foundation to make your voice heard in support of outdoor recreation and protecting access for today and future generations. The day kicks off with a 10 AM press conference, followed by legislative visits and networking with others who share our concerns about access to the outdoors. More info and to register
here
.
May 20
Improving Retail Activities in Rural Communities by Collaborating with the Dept. of Transportation
This free webinar presented by Penn State Extension runs from noon to 1:15 p.m. Certification Maintenance credits are provided. More info
here
.
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Share your news with us!
Share with the region through the
Around South Mountain
e-newsletter!
Send us your events, trainings, work days, celebrations, and other updates. Type "Newsletter" in the subject line of your email. Include your event date, time, location, title, and short description to
khess@appalachiantrail.org
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