News & Notes April 2006

Conservation Districts Meet with Legislators during Capitol Day

PACD's Capitol Day was well attended by conservation district staff, directors, and associate directors as well as state legislators and their staff. "The PACD Capitol Day event was a huge success. More than thirty conservation districts had the opportunity to meet with their legislators, discussing issues vital to the conservation program each district provides to the Commonwealth. We are pleased that so many state Senators and House members took the time to meet with conservation district representatives," said Brenda Shambaugh, PACD's government relations/policy specialist.

In the morning of March 13, 2006, attendees from conservation districts assembled at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Harrisburg for a session on effectively working with elected leaders. Brenda Shambaugh lent her twenty-four years of expertise to lead this session. (See the Effectively Working with your Elected Leaders article.)

PACD Executive Director Susan Fox Marquart went over pertinent issues for attendees to discuss with the legislators. The first issue addressed was the state budget. Three main areas of concern in the budget are the creation of a non-lapsing conservation district fund, appropriation of sufficient funds to meet the Conservation District Fund Allocation Program's 50 percent cost share policy, and appropriation of funds for Chapter 105 (wetlands and stream encroachments) in the conservation district fund.

The second issue addressed was amendments to Act 217 (Pennsylvania Conservation District Law). An Act 217 policy statement was approved at the January 2006 PACD Executive Council meeting. The highlights involve increasing membership in the State Conservation Commission to include the Secretaries of the Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Community and Economic Development. Also, the statement includes a non-lapsing fund for conservation district support. This fund should allow for future changes in funding and programs, and provide a framework for the utilization of any dedicated funding should that become available.

Districts were also urged to discuss other important issues including farmland and open space preservation, prevailing wage, and nutrient trading. Legislators should know that PACD supports legislation that would establish a new real estate transfer tax for the purpose of generating county funds for agriculture and open space preservation. Levying the fee would be at the discretion of the county. It would be flexible and set at a uniform rate within the county of no greater than 1 percent. Revenue from the fee would be used in the county in which it was generated.

The prevailing wage issue has been problematic in rural Pennsylvania on a number of occasions. Specifically, districts have encountered projects within the agricultural community where the costs have been significantly inflated due to prevailing wage requirements. Districts are urged to ask their legislators to support an increase in the threshold of the prevailing wage law. Because of the limited amount of funding available for conservation projects on farms, this increase will allow districts to work more effectively with the agricultural community.

Another issue presented was nutrient and sediment trading, where nutrients and sediment credits are traded between point source discharges such as sewage treatment plants and farmers who can help reduce non-point sources of pollution. Conservation district representatives should help their elected officials understand the concept and potential benefits of nutrient and sediment trading.

Lastly, Ron Rohall, vice chairman of Westmoreland Conservation District's board of directors, spoke about reauthorization of the abandoned mine land reclamation fund. The current fund expires on June 30, 2006. Ron asked conservation districts to pass a resolution urging the reauthorization of collection of fees to the abandoned mine land reclamation fund. After passing the resolution, districts are asked to take the resolution to their county commissioners. The resolution can be downloaded at http://www.pacd.org/districts/AML_resolution.htm.

The keynote speaker during the legislative luncheon was Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett. The Attorney General spoke about the ACRE program (the plan to protect agricultural, communities and the rural environment) and a number of crime related issues including illegal drug use and organized crime.

PACD President Victor Cappucci served as master of ceremonies during the legislative luncheon which approximately sixty legislators and their staff attended. Susan Fox Marquart opened the luncheon by briefly outlining PACD's legislative priorities. Citations were presented to PACD from Governor Edward G. Rendell, the PA Senate, and the PA House of Representatives to honor the contributions of conservation districts to the Commonwealth. Steven Crawford, Secretary of Legislative Affairs, legal counsel John Basial (on Senator Robert C. Wonderling's behalf), and Representative Arthur D. Hershey presented the citations to PACD during the luncheon.

Capitol Day was successful in securing a solid turnout from legislators and their staff as well as conservation district attendance. Where do we go from here? "We will build on our relationships with members of the General Assembly and agricultural press. Our hope is to foster a close relationship with all districts and their elected officials at the local and state level," said Shambaugh. Conservation districts are encouraged to use the momentum from Capitol Day and keep in touch with their legislators on important budget issues and Act 217 amendments.