PACD Front Page e-Newsletter

Front Page e-Newsletter

October 4, 2021

Somerset Conservation District and PACD Hold Tour of Oven Run

On September 29, 2021, the Somerset Conservation District (SCD) held the Stonycreek-Conemaugh River Improvement Project’s 30th Anniversary Tour. SCD Manager Len Lichvar kicked off the tour of the Oven Run Watershed Mine Drainage Abatement Site D near Hooversville then handed it over to PACD staff. PACD Conservation Engineer Danielle Kalp, PE, and PACD Conservation Technician Philip Wilson showed attendees how the water is treated. Also, SCD Watershed Specialist Greg Shustrick contributed to the tour.

PACD immediate past President and South West Region Director Mike Price attended on behalf of the PACD Executive Board.

Click here to read an article and view photos of the event.

Photo caption: PACD Conservation Technician Phil Wilson, left, discusses AMD treatment technology to the attendees at the tour of the Oven Treatment sites in Somerset County. Photo by Len Lichvar. Used with permission.

Berks Completes Multi-Functional Riparian Forest Buffer

Berks County Conservation District planted a total of 1.25 acres of multi-functional riparian forest buffer along Tulpehocken Creek in Berks County. The total cost for the buffer was $12,052.45 and was paid for through PACD’s multi-functional buffer sub-grant program.

The project is part of the Tulpehocken Creek Restoration; a collaborative between Berks County Conservation District, PennDOT, AECOM, PA Fish & Boat Commission, and PACD. Drone footage of the restoration project can be viewed on BCCD’s YouTube page.

Video Link Before Planting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjekAwceK8A

Video Link After Planting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58l0iK1OvNI

QuickBooks Training Webinar Recordings Available to Conservation Districts

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts partnered with SEK CPAs & Advisors to offer a QuickBooks training program to conservation districts. Basic, advanced, and payroll sessions were included in the training. The webinars were held on August 12, September 9, and September 23, 2021.

Support Accountant Supervisor Bonnie Aleshire, and Senior Associate Mandy Walls with SEK CPAs & Advisors taught all three workshops.

Recordings of the webinars can be found on the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy.

Any conservation district staff who work with QuickBooks are encouraged to view the trainings. For more information, please contact Holly Miller at hmiller@pacd.org.

Lehigh County Conservation District Hosts Pesticide Applicators Training

Lehigh County Conservation District and Lower Macungie Township partnered to host a daylong training for certified pesticide applicators on September 14, 2021, at the Township's Community Center.

Forty-two municipal representatives attended, including several townships, boroughs, and county parks. Instruction was provided on the proper choice, mixing, application, and disposal of herbicides and pesticides. Identification and control of common invasive weeds tied into the hands-on demo for correct mixing of herbicides and equipment calibration.

The training also included the latest recommendations for spotted lanternfly remediation, the biology and elimination of mosquitoes, and information on the Department of Environmental Protection’s black fly program. In addition, an update was provided on a long-term research project to determine the prevalence of various tick species and the pathogens they carry in the Greater Lehigh Valley Area.

Municipalities that attended received credit toward their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) training requirements. In addition to the MS4 credits, licensed attendees received PA pesticide applicator credits.

Photo caption: Rich Shearman of SiteOne Landscape Supply demonstrates correct calibration of spray equipment. Photo provided by Lehigh County Conservation District.

DEP Environmental Education Grants Webinar

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that $750,000 in grant funding is available for environmental education projects. DEP will hold a free webinar on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, from 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. regarding this grant funding, and staff will review the application process, offer tips, and answer questions. Registration is required.

Environmental Education Grants are available to schools, colleges, nonprofit community and environmental organizations, county conservation districts, and businesses.

Projects with a local focus may receive up to $3,000, and regional or statewide initiatives may receive up to $20,000. In addition, projects that engage students and teachers at the local, state, and national levels may be awarded up to $85,000.

Applications must be submitted through eGrants (first-time users will need to register.) This grant round has an application deadline of Friday, December 10, 2021. Instructions are available at Environmental Education Grants site.

Registration is Open for Statewide Watershed Conference

Registration is open for the combined hybrid (in-person/virtual) Statewide Conference for Watershed Organizations on November 7-8, 2021, at the Wyndham Gardens Hotel and Conference Center in State College, PA.

The early bird in-person registration ends on Friday, October 8. Full conference tickets are $90, single-day tickets are $50. Virtual tickets are $30.

Click here for more information.