News & Notes February 2008

A Capitol Day for PA's Conservation Districts

PACD's Capitol Day will be held on St. Patrick's Day. While you don't have to wear green, be prepared to ask for more "greenbacks" from your legislators! Each conservation district is encouraged to send representatives to Capitol Day in Harrisburg on March 17, 2008. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza from 10:00am until 1:45pm (please note the times have changed).

The morning will begin with a legislative briefing. Building a coalition, using media, the budget process, how persistence pays off, and PACD legislative issues to address with legislators will be covered.

A Legislative Reception will provide PACD members valuable time to mingle with their legislators before the luncheon. PACD Legislative priorities, such as PACD's Energy Strategy, will be presented during the Luncheon. Governor Edward G. Rendell has been invited to be the keynote speaker.

Be sure that your conservation district has representatives in Harrisburg to meet with your legislators and help to influence policy decisions this St. Patrick's Day!

PACD Launches into the New Year on a Positive Note
Winter Meeting Highlights

Approximately 170 representatives from Pennsylvania's conservation districts and partnering agencies attended the PACD Winter Meeting in State College from January 16-18. Attendees networked, learned about current issues, and elected a new treasurer.

The following motions were approved at the PACD Executive Council Meeting:

• Ken Meck (Director, Lancaster Conservation District) was elected treasurer to replace Patricia Powley. Because Patricia is no longer a director to the Dauphin County Conservation District Board, she could not serve as treasurer. (For more on Ken Meck see Meet the New PACD Treasurer on page 2.)
  
• The current prevailing wage policy will be replaced with the following: PACD supports an increase in the threshold of the prevailing wage law. Following each twelve month period thereafter, the estimated cost threshold shall be increased by an annual cost adjustment calculated by applying the percentage change in the consumer price index. Because of the limited amount of funding available for conservation projects, this increase will allow conservation districts to work more effectively with the agricultural and conservation community.
  
• An amendment to the bylaws to include a section on the PACD Auxiliary received preliminary approval and will be presented to the Executive Council for final approval in July.
  

In addition to the policy discussions at the conference, PACD held a Conservation Partnership Forum. Representatives of five agencies, PACD officers and region directors, and conservation district directors and managers, participated in a discussion with attendees on issues and concerns with conservation programs. Topics such as the Farm Bill, Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP), contract renewals for watershed specialist positions, and the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy were addressed.

A panel discussion was held called "Thinking Outside the Funding Box." Representatives from the PA Departments of Environmental Protection and Community and Economic Development, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Foundation for PA Watersheds, and Westmoreland Conservation District showed how grant and other funding opportunities can help conservation districts meet funding challenges.

The final general session on the first day was the Conservation Partnership's Leadership Development Committee's "Developing and Fostering Relations with County Government."

The second day, new conservation district directors participated in an orientation. This session allowed new directors to meet other association members and learn about their new roles and responsibilities.

Those not attending the new director orientation participated in the PACD Issues Forum which provided updates on Chapter 102 (erosion and sediment control) and Global Warming's Impacts on PA's Fish and Wildlife. Karl Brown, executive secretary of the State Conservation Commission, spoke about latest developments with REAP.

Don't miss the next PACD Meeting! The PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference will be held July 27-30, 2008 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, in State College, PA.

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