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Front Page: Your Weekly News & Updates
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| Fluvial Geomorphology training rescheduled, Intro to Conservation Planning Course, Farewell to Jann McNamara, Fall Leadership Webinar Series, Management Summit series reminder, news from Perry County Conservation District, 2021 PA Farm Show to be held virtually,
and USDA to invest up to $360 million in partner-driven conservation.
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Fluvial Geomorphology Training Rescheduled and Open for Additional Registrations
PACD has rescheduled the Fluvial Geomorphology Training due to COVID-19 restrictions. The training will be held as a four-part webinar series on Monday, November 9, Tuesday, November 10, Thursday, November 12, and Friday, November 13, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
PACD has opened registration to USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PA Department of Environmental Protection, and any conservation districts that would like to attend and didn't register before.
David Williams, from the International Erosion Control Association (ICEA), will be the instructor. Day one and two will cover Fluvial Geomorphology and Natural Channel Design Indices, and day three and four will cover stream restoration/rehabilitation and streambank protection. This four-part course offers 14 Professional Development Hours, and a certificate will be distributed at the end of the four-day session.
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Intro to Conservation Planning Course Scheduled for November
PACD partners 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 is scheduled for November 4-6, 2020, at the Pennsylvania NRCS State Office, USDA Conference Center, Harrisburg, 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.
An online prerequisite is required. Click here for instructions on the prerequisite. Email completed prerequisite certificates to Shannon Wehinger at [email protected]. Click here to apply for the course. The application deadline is September 18, 2020.
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PACD Says Farewell to Jann McNamara
PACD Administrative Assistant Jann McNamara is moving on! We wish her the best and thank her for the past three years at the association. We will all miss her smiling face at the PACD conference registration desk.
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Building for Tomorrow Announces 2020 Fall Leadership Webinar Series
In light of the ongoing restrictions on event size, Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development has scheduled a Fall 2020 webinar series that includes programming for both district staff and boards.
Wednesday October 14, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
PA Environmental Rights Amendment & Responsibility for Natural Resources
Presented by Margaret Murphy, DEP Counsel for Special Projects
Article 1, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, also known as the PA Environmental Rights Amendment, states, "The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment." This presentation will examine the background of the Environmental Rights Amendment and its significance to the work of Pennsylvania's conservation districts and is open to all conservation district staff, board members, and partners.
Tuesdays October 20, October 27, and November 17, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Adaptive Strategies & Contingency Planning for Conservation Districts
Presented by Deb Thompson, Strategy Solutions
Ongoing disruptions have demonstrated that contingency planning is more important now than ever before. This workshop series will examine the lessons learned and potential opportunities for the future. We will identify issues, challenge assumptions, and develop an action plan to engage boards in scenario planning.
Session 1: Adaptive Strategies & Scenario Planning for Managers will define the parameters of contingency planning related to technology, staff support, program operations, stakeholder advocacy, and fundraising. Managers will discuss the challenges and hazards they have faced during the pandemic and beyond, as well as lessons learned and challenges yet to come. They will collectively develop an action list to increase awareness with their boards.
Session 2: Adaptive Strategies & Scenario Planning for Board Members will introduce the concept of scenario planning and will examine the role of the board in helping staff work through a contingency planning exercise based on the discussion from Session 1.
Session 3: Finalizing Scenario Plans: Identifying "Must Do" Strategies for Conservation Districts will allow managers and directors to work together in groups to identify top-priority strategies and share ideas and best practices for implementation.
All registrants will receive an invitation to Session 3 on 11/17. 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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Management Summit Series Reminder
There's still time to register for the 2020 Management Summit webinar series, scheduled for Wednesday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. from September 2 through 30. This year's Summit includes presentations on Managing Remote Teams, Negotiation Skills, Volunteer Engagement, and a follow-up to the Summer Employment Law webinar series. Click here for more information and to register. 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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Perry County Conservation District Hosts Equipment Demo and Soil Health Meeting
On August 7, 2020, forty attendees from the Perry County No-till Group and members of the local agricultural community gathered for coffee and doughnuts at the farm of Dennis Weller, an Elliottsburg dairyman. The Perry County Conservation District hosted the event to discuss and evaluate how different types of no-till and vertical-till equipment interact with the soil.
Click here to read the entire article.
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: Photos provided by Perry County Conservation District.
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2021 PA Farm Show to Be Held Virtually
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding has announced that the 2021 PA Farm Show will celebrate Pennsylvania's agriculture industry virtually, with no in-person events or competitions, to mitigate COVID-19.
The department announced the theme for the 2021 virtual PA Farm Show will be Cultivating Tomorrow. Details of the virtual show will be announced as they unfold over the coming weeks. Virtual events will be focused on education and awareness for both the general public and the agriculture industry.
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USDA to Invest up to $360 Million in Partner-Driven Conservation
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) invite potential conservation partners to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). NRCS will award up to $360 million to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation's water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat, and protect agricultural viability.
USDA is now accepting proposals for RCPP through the RCPP portal. Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 4, 2020. For more information, view the Application for Program Funding on grants.gov.
Partners interested in applying for an RCPP Project in PA are required to contact the Pennsylvania RCPP Coordinator, Susan Marquart, ASTC for Partnerships, at 717-237-2237 or [email protected].
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Conservation Districts in the News
Clearfield & Jefferson:
Lebanon:
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