News & Notes November 2002

PACD Concludes Fall Meeting

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) returned to the Toftrees Resort in State College, PA, for its 2002 Fall Meeting - October 30 through November 1, 2002.

General sessions and activities held during the meeting included standard conference business items such as committee meetings and the PACD Executive Council Meeting, as well as a number of workshops, including a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)/Conservation District Forum. The forum featured round-table discussions where district personnel and NRCS officials shared information regarding the local working relationships between the two partners.

PACD President Ron Rohall opened the session by explaining that "The quality of services we provide hinges on local partnerships working together. Important elements for effective local partnerships often include communications, coordination, resource allocations, capacity, project planning and management, and strategic planning. We want to know what is working well and why." Workshop participants discussed strategies and procedures that are working well in regard to the partnership's delivery of agricultural service programs, as well as what improvements need to be made, and what actions need to be taken to allow those improvements to be made.

During the NRCS/Conservation Districts Forum, participants were grouped according to their local partnership to discuss topics specific to their region.

The group members identified problem areas, locally and at the state level. Results collected from the group discussions will be compiled into a composite written report and distributed to the local partnerships. The report may be used as a guide for district partnerships to help further the implementation of priority action plans.

PACD continued the practice of hosting a Conservation Issues Forum as a featured activity of its statewide meetings. The forum was held on Wednesday afternoon, October 30, and included a panel discussion on conservation agricultural services delivery.

Members of the panel included: Lynn Langer, PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Section 319 and Growing Greener Programs; Karl Brown, State Conservation Commission (SCC), Nutrient Management Program; Cedric Karper, DEP, Chesapeake Bay Program; Barry Frantz, NRCS, Farm Bill Programs; Bill Foose, Farm Service Agency (FSA), Farm Bill and CREP Programs; and Mary Bender, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Farmland Preservation Program.

Each panel member provided an overview of their respective programs as they relate to conservation services and/or technical assistance for farmers. Panel members addressed topics and issues such as Growing Greener and the Department of Environmental Protection's upcoming Grant Fairs, the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Program, the authorization of the 2002 Farm Bill and its implications on many of Pennsylvania's conservation programs.

The Conservation Issues Forum also included an update on Envirothon activities, provided by Cumberland County Director Barbara Marbain and Pennsylvania Envirothon Coordinator Lorelle Steach. Steach reported that approximately 10,000 students participate in the Envirothon each year, with all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties now participating in some capacity.

The 2003 Envirothon will be held on May 19-20 at Penn State University Mount Alto Campus. Conservation district personnel and conservation partners are strongly encouraged to volunteer their assistance.

Chester County District Manager Dan Greig provided an overview of the Best Management Practices site tour, developed by the Chester County Conservation District. Information regarding the self-guided BMP Tour and virtual tour can be found at:
http://www.chesco.org/conservation/bmp_tour.htm.

The business meeting of the PACD Executive Council was held on Thursday, October 31, and included reports from PACD President Ron Rohall, Executive Director Susan Fox, NACD Director Patricia Sueck and PACD Treasurer Porter Duvall.

PACD President Ron Rohall announced that the PACD Executive Board and staff have located a building in downtown Harrisburg that will suit the needs of the Association. PACD First Vice President Jarrett Miller provided the council with a report on the specifics of the building that PACD will purchase and urged the membership to contribute to the Association's Building Fund.

More information about PACD's future headquarters will be mailed to the conservation districts and featured in the next issue of PACD News and Notes.

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