PACD Front Page e-Newsletter

Front Page e-Newsletter

October 11, 2021

New Round of CREP Mini-grants Opens

PACD is now accepting mini-grant applications for up to $3,000 to implement 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 CREP Mini-grant Program for Conservation Districts are posted here. The deadline to apply is November 12, 2021. Questions should be directed to 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.

Lancaster Completes Multi-Functional Riparian Forest Buffer

Lancaster County Conservation District completed a 20-acre multi-functional riparian forest buffer project on a dairy farm in Lancaster County. The total cost for the buffer was $66,368 and was paid for through PACD’s multi-functional buffer sub-grant program. Click here for more information. Contact Holly Miller with questions at hmiller@pacd.org.

Conservation District Watershed Specialist Webinar Series Concludes

Over 100 conservation district watershed specialists, DEP staff, and partners attended the 21^st Conservation District Watershed Specialist Meeting, which took place as a webinar series October 5-7, 2021. Over the three half-days of programming, watershed specialists learned about building and managing a water quality monitoring station using Stroud Water Research Center’s EnviroDIY program, shared successful projects, learned about partnership opportunities and resources from partner agencies, and much more. Many thanks to this year’s presenters for sharing their time and expertise!

Photo caption: 2021 Watershed Specialist Photo Contest Best in Show Winner “I Heart You” by Robert Frank, Watershed Specialist, Dauphin County Conservation District.

Succession Planning Management Webinar Series: Rescheduled Dates

Does your district have a succession plan? Vacancies in key positions can disrupt operations and cause significant extra workload and worries, but succession planning management can help alleviate the stress and uncertainty of dealing with vacancies, both planned and unplanned. This comprehensive two-part webinar will examine current workforce challenges, the true costs of a lack of preparedness, and actions you can take now to ensure smoother future transitions.

Note for those registered or planning to register for the Fall Leadership Webinar series: Succession Planning Management Part 1 (originally scheduled for October 27) will now be on Wednesday, November 3 and Part 2 will be on Wednesday, November 17.

District board members, associate directors, managers, and partners can still register for the Fall Leadership Webinar Series. For more information and to register, please visit Building for Tomorrow.

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.

Franklin County Conservation District Hosts Showcase Tour

On September 30, 2021, the Franklin County Conservation District held a showcase tour of the county's first completed project funded through the Conservation Excellence Grant (CEG) program. The tour was held at Ben and Sharon Peckman’s Slate Ridge Dairy Farm in Saint Thomas, PA.

PA Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding participated in the tour along with Representatives Kauffman and Schemel and Commissioner Ziobrowski. As a result, participants were able to see firsthand the conservation work being accomplished in Franklin County.

Secretary Redding’s office said this about his participation in the tour:

It’s always gratifying to see a plan come together, especially when the results mean cleaner water, healthier soil, and a regenerative, sustainable, solid farm operation.

Like Franklin County Conservation District, PA Manager David Stoner said of their County Action Plan, "The stars were aligned, staff was in place to do the work, money came in, and farmers applied."

Yesterday, I spent a perfect afternoon touring the results of the farm that fit the plans goals perfectly and had the most important ingredient – a willing farmer who is committed to conservation. On Ben and Sharon Peckman’s Slate Ridge Dairy Farm in St. Thomas, the plan came together in just six months from project conception to completion.

With Conservation Excellence Grant funding from the state to the Conservation District, and REAP tax credits from the state to meet out-of-pocket costs not covered by the grant, this investment by the state, the county and the farmer will pay off in a healthy viable farm. What we envisioned for Conservation Excellence Grants has payed [sic] off here.

Click here for the description of the Slate Ridge Dairy CEG project.

Photo caption: Secretary Russell Redding (left) with Dairy Farmers/CEG Recipients Ben & Sharon Peckman.

USDA Expands Local, Electronic Communication Options for Pennsylvania Producers

Agricultural producers in Pennsylvania can now sign up to receive free email and text messages directly from their local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center for information related to loans, farm disaster assistance, conservation programs, crop insurance, and other USDA programs. USDA is expanding the service that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) has used for years to include local information from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and other USDA agencies.

USDA will send news and updates through a single email or text message subscription through govDelivery, a communication technology service for government agencies. The digital communications platform is secure, and subscriber contact information will not be shared.

In addition to subscribing for emails and texts by location, you can also subscribe for lists by topics, from soil health to farm loans, safety net programs, disaster assistance, and more.

How to Subscribe

Producers can subscribe online in minutes by visiting farmers.gov/subscribe. From this link, producers can choose to receive email communications, text message alerts, or both. The first step is establishing subscriber preferences by selecting to receive program information by topic, state, and local Service Center. Then, producers can select as many subscriber options as they want, which allows those who have agricultural interests in multiple counties or across state lines to receive updates from each county in which they operate or have an interest.

Click here for more information.

Conservation Economics Webinar Series Open for Enrollment

This webinar series is a requirement for all NRCS-Certified, Level III Conservation Planners. The webinar series is an alternative to the in-person "Economics of Conservation Planning" course, which has limited availability. For individuals with current NRCS Certified, Level III, Conservation Planner status, who have not completed the in-person "Economics of Conservation Planning" course, the full webinar series must be completed by 12/31/2021, or planners will lose their NRCS Certified, Level III Conservation Planner designation.

Click here for more information.

Plain Language Principles: A Quick Introduction

From Tim Kinney (Reprinted with permission from NRCS PA Weekly News 10/4/21)

Plain language is not writing to a particular grade level or "dumbing down" your words. Instead, plain language is writing in a way that allows your intended audience to easily understand the topic. Even scientific and legal topics can be written in plain language.

Writing in plain language helps your audience find what they need, understand what they find, and use what they find to meet their needs.

Click here to learn more.