News & Notes April 2006

Effectively Working with your Elected Leaders

It is important to develop an effective working relationship with your legislators to ensure that they know, understand, and support your conservation district. Developing personal relationships takes time and persistence, but the benefits are numerous.

One of the most important objectives is to explain the role your conservation district serves in managing natural resources through its activities and programs. Legislators should understand that state law (Act 217) gives districts that authority. They also need to know that they can count on the conservation district to provide them with information and advice concerning the natural resource needs in their area.

There are numerous ways to build an effective relationship with your legislators. From sending legislators your newsletters, inviting them to district events, involving legislators in programs, and sending them thank you notes, you can garner a positive relationship that will benefit your district immensely. When your legislators join you for events or field visits, include photo opportunities that they can use for their own newsletter or press releases. Elected leaders are always looking for positive publicity. Your hometown paper can do wonders for legislators' images!

Always provide legislators with printed material concerning your issues. The material will reinforce your position, and give the legislator the opportunity to refer to the information at a later time. This material will most likely be forwarded to staff, who are responsible for the background research and preliminary evaluations. Don't be discouraged when you meet with staff. In many cases, the staff people are the nuts and bolts of the legislative process. They are responsible for making sure that legislators are well informed and have accurate information.

Finally, always follow up with your legislator. Please don't assume that because you talked to an elected leader several months ago, he/she will remember your conversation. There are many groups and constituents that provide information and advise legislators particularly around budget time. For instance, during the budget process contact them regularly until the budget is finally passed. Continue to express your concern about conservation district funding and remind them of district funding requests. Your persistence may pay off!

SCC Takes Lead on New Odor Planning Requirements

The Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) is required by the Nutrient and Odor Management Act to develop odor management regulations for certain new or expanding Concentrated Animal Operations (CAO) and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) that are constructing new animal housing or manure management facilities. These new regulations are targeted to be in place in December 2007.

To lead the research and development of these regulations, SCC hired Karl Dymond as an air quality program specialist. "We are at the very beginning of the process. I am meeting with groups and individuals to get their input. I am meeting with both pro-agriculture and pro-environmental groups," said Karl. In his new position, Karl will work closely with the Nutrient Management Advisory Board and Agricultural Air Quality Task Force to begin the process of developing the new regulations. He is also working with Penn State to form an advisory work group. The focus will be on the development of practical and effective best management practices to address odors on these operations. He has met with some conservation districts but would like to meet with more of them throughout the state to get their input.

Karl is no stranger to conservation districts since his previous position was the north east region conservation district field representative for the PA Department of Environmental Protection. How might districts be involved with the new regulations? The SCC could delegate authority to conservation districts if it chooses to do so. Karl foresees the odor management program being similar to the nutrient management program where conservation districts will be able to choose if they want to be involved with the odor program or not. If so, district staff would need to become certified as odor management specialists in order to write or if delegated, to approve odor management plans. Karl would potentially coordinate with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to create an odor management certification program.

Since CAOs and CAFOs are targeted, Karl is not expecting a lot of producers to be impacted because it is for new construction only. In the first year, Karl predicts the SCC will be the only reviewer until a new delegation agreement is finalized.

Questions about the proposed odor management requirements should be addressed to Karl Dymond at kdymond@state.pa.us.

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