News Release

PACD Winter Meeting Attendees Update Policies

(State College, PA) - Representatives from Pennsylvania's conservation district community descended in State College January 17 - 19, 2007 for the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) Winter Meeting. Attendees of the PACD meeting spent time updating PACD policies and learning about current issues. "We are quite pleased with the policy decisions our delegates made this week," stated Susan Marquart, PACD Executive Director. "As a result of this session, PACD will have a clear focus of our association's legislative goals and be able to relate this information to members of the PA General Assembly."

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

• PACD supports legislation to exempt landowners from liability if they invite individuals onto their land for recreational purposes.

A recent Lehigh County civil court case (Burns v. Wetzel) involved a hunting accident in which a farmer was held partly liable for the acts of a hunter that was invited onto his property. Consequently, PACD is promoting legislation to strengthen current landowner liability law to protect landowners who invite individuals onto their land for recreational purposes.

• PACD supports the concept of forester licensing/registration as promoted by the PA Council of Professional Foresters.

PACD supports increased forester responsibility by amending the state law that currently provides for the regulation and licensure of the professions of engineering, land surveying, and geology to include the profession of forestry.

• PACD encourages a written Letter of Understanding (LOU) be developed between the State Conservation Commission, the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Conservation Districts, and the PA Turnpike Commission concerning E&S projects.

With more than 500 miles of roadway right-of-ways, the PA Turnpike Commission's construction and maintenance activities have the potential to impact the natural resources of the communities and the watershed that it passes through. In addition, these activities have an impact on the workload at the conservation districts in the counties that these activities take place. PACD would like to see the establishment of a Letter of Understanding (LOU) between the PA Department of Transportation (DOT), the State Conservation Commission (SCC), the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Conservation districts to better coordinate efforts related to E&S projects within the PA Turnpike Commission jurisdiction.

• PACD encourages a review and renewal of the current LOU between the PA Department of Transportation, the State Conservation Commission, the PA Department of Environmental Protection, and conservation districts concerning E&S projects.

In 2002, a Letter of Understanding (LOU) was developed between the PA Department of Transportation (DOT), the State Conservation Commission (SCC), the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Conservation districts to better coordinate efforts related to E&S projects within the jurisdiction of DOT. This LOU expires in 2007.

In addition to the policy portion of the conference, PACD held a Conservation Issues Forum consisting of a Nutrient Trading Panel Discussion, a NPDES Program Update, a presentation on Reimbursement for Agricultural Land Preservation, and a PACD Strategic Planning Session.

PACD, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization representing Pennsylvania's 66 conservation districts. For more information on the PACD visit www.pacd.org.

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