Front Page e-Newsletter
May 10, 2021
Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting Update
Participants are asked to note the new 10:00 a.m. start time for the Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to Noon on both May 19 and 20.
 
Section 319 Virtual Watershed Planning and Implementation Meeting
May 19 and 20, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to Noon – New Start Time!
 
The event is open to entities involved in Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management projects, including conservation district staff, DEP and EPA staff, incorporated watershed associations, counties, municipalities, councils of governments; 501(c)(3) non-profits, educational institutions, and municipal authorities.
 
Click here by Friday, May 14, 2021, for more information and to register.
Poster Contest Deadline is June 30
There is still time to participate! The submission deadline for the 2021 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Poster Contest is June 30, 2021. The theme this year is “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities.” Posters must be submitted to PACD via email to dyoung@pacd.org. Click here for more information.
Snyder County Conservation District Hosts Manure Management Workshops
Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) held four half-day manure management plan writing workshops in October 2020 and March 2021. Thirteen farmers attended.
 
Barry Spangler, SCCD Agricultural Conservation Technician, gave an overview of the new Manure Management Manual and other agricultural environmental regulations. He gave a step-by-step process of writing manure management plans that meet these new regulations.
 
Spangler also showed a video demonstrating PAOneStop, a free Penn State-managed website where farmers can create their own maps.
 
Photo caption: Barry Spangler, Snyder County Conservation District Agricultural Conservation Technician, gives a presentation to farmers about how to write their own manure management plan. Photo provided by SCCD. 
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.
Jefferson County Conservation District Cleans Up Stream
After receiving a tip from a concerned citizen, the Jefferson County Conservation District helped remove material dumped in North Fork Redbank Creek. The district collected 11 bags of trash.
 
The district is participating in the Elk County Conservation District trash challenge. The deadline to participate in the challenge is July 1, 2021.
 
Photo caption (left to right): Jefferson County Conservation District Manager Shaun Wessell, ACT/ Nutrient Management Specialist Megan Whitlach, and District Technician Dana Grabowski pose with the trash they collected from a local creek.
Need Technical Assistance with Watershed Monitoring?
The Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW) is a team of specialists who provide free organizational and scientific-technical assistance to Pennsylvania-based watershed and conservation organizations. C-SAW does not conduct watershed monitoring or assessments. Instead, C-SAW helps watershed organizations do a better job with their own monitoring and assessments.
 
Over 14 conservation districts in Pennsylvania and the PA Association of Conservation Districts have received assistance through C-SAW. The following partners provide the C-SAW services: Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring at Dickinson College, Conemaugh Valley Conservancy, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Pennsylvania Lake Management Society, Stroud Water Research Center, and U.S. Geological Survey Pennsylvania Water Science Center. These partners can provide a conservation district with watershed-specific technical assistance on water and macroinvertebrate monitoring and longer-term mentoring assistance.
 
For more information and to apply for assistance, visit https://www.c-saw.info/.
 
Photo caption: Shannon Hicks at Stroud Water Research Center instructs a build-it-yourself water monitoring station workshop for C-SAW participants in 2018.
2021 Riparian Forest Buffers Webinar Series Available in Clean Water Academy 
The “DCNR 2021 Riparian Forest Buffers Series” is available to the public on the Clean Water Academy website. These fifteen webinars are provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
 
Note: Internet Explorer is not recommended for using the Clean Water Academy.
 
Photo caption: Screenshot of Buffers for Game Species presentation.
Local Government Guide to the Chesapeake Bay Released 
A Local Government Guide to the Chesapeake Bay is a set of non-branded, editable modules that can be tailored and adapted for local governments. The content is very flexible and useful for lots of different formats: webinars, meeting presentations, handouts after panels, recorded videos, handbooks, blog posts, infographics, and adding to resource lists.
 
The modules include:
•     Module 1: How Your Watershed Works
•     Module 2: Foundations of Clean Water
•     Module 3: Clean Water for the Economy
•     Module 4: Capitalizing on the Benefits of Trees
•     Module 5: Preserving Local Character and Landscapes
•     Module 6: Protecting Your Infrastructure Through Stormwater Resilience
•     Module 7: Building the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow
 
Click here to access the materials.
May Urban and Community Webinar on Engaging with Tribal Communities 
The next National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Urban and Community Conservation webinar, scheduled for Noon-1:00 p.m. on May 20, 2021, will feature information on engaging with tribal communities.
 
In this joint webinar with NACD’s Tribal Outreach and Partnerships Resource Policy Group, join Dr. Carol Crouch of the Natural Resources Conservation Service as she provides a brief introduction to working with tribes and their members.
 
There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, click here.
Conservation Districts in the News
Upcoming Events
May 19-20, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to Noon

May 19, 2021 – August 25, 2021 (Wednesdays)