News & Notes December 2004

State Legislature to Review Conservation Districts

The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LB&FC) of the State Legislature has undertaken a review of conservation districts. This is an opportunity to have an independent review of district's programs and the adequacy of the funding (among other things). (See the "Preliminary Statement of Scope and Objectives" below.) The LB&FC intend to have their report completed by April so that results can be incorporated into the next state fiscal budget. This study is important because it is an opportunity for legislators to see the important work Conservation Districts are doing and the need for additional funding.

As part of their investigation, they will be sending a survey for each district to complete. In addition, LB&FC staff will be making visits to several districts to meet with district staff and directors. Please cooperate fully with the staff of this Committee.

The Committee is non-partisan (equal members of each party) and has equal members of the House and Senate. Highly qualified professionals such as auditors, CPAs, attorneys and analysts staff the committee. More information on the Committee can be viewed at http://lbfc.legis.state.pa.us/.

Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
County Conservation Districts
Preliminary Statement of Scope and Objectives*

In October 2004, the LB&FC Officers adopted as a study topic a review of County Conservation Districts (CCD) and the authority and capacity of conservation staff. Conservation districts were created by state law (the Conservation District Law) in 1945, and they exist in all counties except Philadelphia. The conservation districts employ approximately 500 staff to carry out their programs and services as well as administer programs delegated or contracted to them by the state, county, or federal government. The conservation districts work in cooperation and conjunction with the State Conservation Commission, an 11-member commission administratively housed within the Department of Agriculture. The target project completion date is April 2005.

Study Objectives

1. Determine the current roles and functions of the CCDs and conservation staff, including their role in managing county land and water resources and development projects.

2. Determine how CCDs are funded, including the adequacy of the various federal, state, and county dollars and fee and fine revenues.

3. Determine the oversight or direction the state provides through the State Conservation Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection.

4. Determine whether the function and authority of the CCDs could be enhanced to better serve counties in managing their land and water resources.

*Depending on the extent of variation in CCD activities, selection of certain example districts may occur.

PACD Adopts New Meeting Schedule

During the Fall PACD Region meetings, members expressed concern about PACD statewide meetings being held three times per year. Members explained that the travel and lodging costs to attend meetings is becoming prohibitive. Also, more Directors who have been appointed in the past few years work full-time making it difficult to take off of work three times per year to attend meetings.

Taking cost and decreased attendance at the statewide meetings into consideration, the PACD Executive Board suggested a decrease in the number of statewide meetings. At the PACD Fall Meeting, the Executive Council voted in favor of holding two statewide meetings per year instead of three.

The new meeting schedule will begin in 2006 since the 2005 meetings have already been scheduled. The new meeting schedule will consist of statewide meetings in January and July, region meetings in the spring and fall, and a Capital Day event following the format from years ago when it was a one day session in the spring.

With these changes, PACD hopes to increase attendance at its meetings. See Dates to Remember on page 4 for the dates of upcoming PACD meetings.