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News & Notes November 2007
Annual Watershed Specialist Meeting:
Comprehensive and Meaningful
Held October 16-18 in State College, the annual state-wide meeting
of the conservation district watershed specialists not only came off
without a hitch, it was deemed by many to be a great success! For months,
a team of watershed specialists, as well as the PA Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) and PACD staff, met to develop an agenda for this year's
meeting that was representative of the interests and training needs
of county conservation district watershed specialists. This approach
appears to have paid off multifold. "Lots of helpful topics.",
"Practical knowledge and high-quality speakers.", and "...relevant
information I can take back to my County..." were just a few of
the comments made by watershed specialists in attendance. Attendees
were particularly satisfied with the introduction of outside speakers
who brought in a "more comprehensive perspective" as well
as having access to the knowledge of more seasoned watershed specialists.
Newer watershed specialists appeared to find the third day of the conference,
geared directly to the needs of those employed in this position for
less than three years, to be particularly helpful.
The initial two days of the event covered topics relevant to all watershed
specialists, regardless of their tenure. These topics included several
presentations by staff of the DEP, including a "Stormwater Management
Update", an overview of the "Source Water Protection Technical
Assistance Program", "Reassessing Impaired Streams",
"Biological Tools for Stream Assessment", and "Stream
Access and Navigable Stream Law."
The remainder of the conference was led by external speakers and seasoned
watershed specialists. Day one included "Water Words that Work
- And Don't", which received remarkable feedback. This presentation,
by Eric Eckl of WaterWordsThatWork.com, focused on using accessible
terminology in our public communications. In Mr. Eckl's words, "The
more you use this [accessible] language, the more successful you will
be in your efforts to tap into your fellow citizen's sympathy for the
cause. The more you use scientific and bureaucratic language, the harder
it will be to make a connection. It's really just that simple."
This theme was echoed throughout the meeting, by numerous speakers,
and appeared to resonate with watershed specialists who are always looking
for ways to more fully engage the public. "Web Design Basics",
also by Eric Eckl, focused on the "Me", the "You",
and the "New" of website design and how the balance between
these agendas is key to a website that truly works for a conservation
district. "Dealing with the Aftermath of Flooding", presented
by Jamie Roche and Kathy Blaisure, watershed specialists whose personal
experiences with flooding in Wayne and Susquehanna Counties, respectively,
brought to light the personal impacts of flooding. And, a presentation
by Hannah Smith, PACD education specialist, on watershed specialists
who have led Educational Mini-grant Projects over the past 10 years,
served as a time of recognition for the extraordinary efforts many watershed
specialists have put forth to use these grants as educational tools.
Day two was also full of diverse and comprehensive presentations. The
day included "Rapid Watershed Assessments" with the NRCS;
"Fundamental Concepts of Stream Ecology" by the Stroud Water
Research Center; "Fish Habitat Improvement and Stream Bank Stabilization"
with the Fish and Boat Commission; "Invasive Species Management
in Streams and Buffers" with Natural Biodiversity, Inc.; "Documenting
Recovery in an AMD-Impaired Stream" with Stream Restoration, Inc.;
and, an overview of "Global Warming's Impacts on Fish and Wildlife"
by Ed Perry of the National Wildlife Federation.
Day three, geared toward newer watershed specialists, included "So
You're a Watershed Specialist - Things You Need to Know", led by
watershed specialists, Gretchen Schatschneider and Brian Pilarcik of
Bucks and Crawford Conservation Districts, respectively; "Preparing
Public Presentations" with Mark Jackson, visual communications
specialist of Westmoreland Conservation District; "Working with
Watershed Groups", led by Kim Lanich and Tammy Gross, watershed
specialists of Elk and Franklin, respectively; and, "Questions
You've Been Wanting to Ask" a panel discussion with the longer-tenured
watershed specialists who presented throughout the day.
The 2008 Watershed Specialist Annual Meeting and Training is scheduled
for October 14-16 at the Nittany Lion Inn, State College, PA. Questions
and suggestions for the 2008 meeting should be directed to Steve Lathrop
at (717) 772-5618 or slathrop@state.pa.us
who wishes to express his appreciation to everyone whose contributions
leading up to and during this year's meeting made this such a great
event!
Reminder: Nominate a Legislator
Today!
If you know of an outstanding legislator whose leadership efforts have
helped further PACD and/or Pennsylvania's conservation districts, nominate
him or her for statewide recognition today! Nominations for the PACD
Legislator Recognition Award must be received at the PACD office no
later than 4:00 p.m. on December 15, 2007. The nomination form can be
found on the PACD website at http://www.pacd.org/about/nomination/Legislator.htm.
Please direct questions to Shannon Wehinger, PACD communication specialist,
at (717) 238-7223 x18 or shannon-wehinger@pacd.org.
Elections Held in PACD Regions
A new region director was elected during the six PACD Region Meetings
held throughout the state this fall. Don Koontz (Mercer) is the new
North West Region Director. John Torok (North Central Region), Donald
Bashore (South Central Region), Harold Kulp (South East Region), and
Bob Robinson (North East Region) were all re-elected for another term.
The South West Region did not hold an election since there was no quorum.
A mini-region meeting and election will be held at the PACD Winter Meeting
on January 17 from 6:30-7:00 pm at the Ramada Inn, State College, PA.
In addition to the elections, PACD and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service provided updates on their programs. The State Conservation Commission
provided information on the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program
(REAP).
The Leadership Development Committee presented Working More Closely
with Municipal Governments and Update on Compliance with the
Pennsylvania Sunshine Law. See Dates to Remember on page
four for the spring 2008 PACD Region Meeting dates that have been
determined so far.
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