PACD Arranges Stormwater Meeting with DEP

In response to concerns from conservation districts on the PA Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) proposed stormwater initiatives, PACD set up a session for conservation districts to meet with DEP representatives. Over fifty DEP and conservation district representatives (from approximately eighteen counties) attended the session on October 27 in Harrisburg. Conservation district representatives offered suggestions for the stormwater program and discussed concerns.

DEP staff plans to use the input from this session to update the proposed initiatives then publish a notice on November 4 in the PA Bulletin. A thirty day public comment period will follow this notice and additional comments may be submitted to DEP. Other new ideas such as a delegation agreement for conservation districts to conduct post-construction stormwater permit reviews, and a common erosion and sedimentation plan format will be pursued. PACD will keep its members informed as this issue progresses.

Representatives from PACD and conservation districts attend a session with DEP on proposed stormwater initiatives.

DEP's Cedric Karper led the discussion on four stormwater initiatives and their proposed changes.

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Region Meetings Address PACD Strategic Plan

Seven PACD region meetings were held throughout the state this fall. During each region meeting, PACD Executive Director Susan Marquart facilitated an input session on the PACD strategic planning initiative. Input was gathered from district representatives and priorities were established from the different regions.

Currently, PACD is compiling and typing up this input. On November 17, the PACD Executive Board is coming to Harrisburg to use the input from region meetings to draft goals. A copy of the goals created by the Board will then be mailed to conservation districts and posted on the PACD website with plenty of time for districts to review the document before it is discussed at the PACD Winter Meeting which will be held January 17-19, 2007 in State College, PA.

In addition to the PACD Strategic Planning Process, program updates from PACD, State Conservation Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Leadership Development Committee were also on the region meeting agendas. Dates for the spring region meetings were also decided and are included on page 4 under Dates to Remember.