News & Notes April 2002

PACD Partners with SCOFO for Legislative Outing

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) hosted its 2002 Legislative Conference, March 11-13, in Grantville, PA. The conference featured the Association's annual Capitol Day visits, a meeting of the PACD Executive Council and a panel discussion focused on the working partnership between conservation districts and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In addition, PACD was able to further increase its visibility by partnering with the State Council of Farm Organization's (SCOFO) in their Cornucopia reception.

Following an afternoon of visits with their local representatives, PACD members joined with members of the SCOFO to interact with state legislators and discuss the legislative agenda. "It was a great opportunity for us," said PACD Executive Director Susan Fox. "By joining with the SCOFO our members were given a chance to meet with legislators from across the state in a very relaxed atmosphere. We managed to leave a strong impression on our state lawmakers and we were able to accomplish more than we could have on our own."

More than 200 state legislators, representatives of various agricultural-interest organizations, and PACD members attended the Cornucopia. According to conservation district officials who were able to attend, participating in the Cornucopia helped PACD to maintain an open line of communication between state legislators and local conservation district leadership and keep the legislators informed of the important work that districts are accomplishing at the local level.

In addition to the successful day spent at the Capitol, PACD hosted a Conservation Issues Forum on Tuesday, March 12. During the forum: Dan Greig, Chairman of the PACD Soil and Water Committee presented the PACD response to the DEP Comprehensive Stormwater Policy.

Overall, the majority of conservation districts who submitted a response agreed with the concept presented by DEP in the policy. However, PACD noted that it is necessary for DEP to make a commitment to: implement the policy, provide the necessary training, provide funding and staff, and provide support for enforcement and compliance to the policy.

Additional agenda items covered in the Conservation Issues Forum included reports on the following topics: the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's E&S Initiative, the compatibility of software used on conservation district and NRCS computers in the district offices, Water Resources Legislation, and Insurance for Conservation Districts (see the accompanying article on Page 2).

As noted above, PACD also hosted a follow-up to the Conservation Districts/DEP Working Partnership Forum, originally held in July 2000. The program kicked off with a brief summary of the results from the July 2000 forum, followed by a report from each of the DEP Region Directors, highlighting the accomplishments that have been made as a result of the forum. The forum was then divided into six regional breakout sessions, where conservation district and DEP personnel considered opportunities to increase the effectiveness of their partnership and what should be done to take advantage of these opportunities.

On the final day of conference activities, the PACD Executive Council discussed a proposed change to the Association's Bylaws, in regards to the current PACD regional structure and the election of region directors. A motion to move to a six-region structure, while providing districts with the option to become part of another region, was brought to the table by the District Operation Committee.

The Executive Council modified the proposal to retain the existing seven-region structure. Currently, PACD is divided into seven regions, as a result of the previously existing DEP regional network. DEP has since switched to six regions, while PACD has maintained the seven-region structure. Comments were made both for and against each of the systems. The District Operations Committee also proposed that PACD Region Directors should be elected at the regional level by a simple majority vote, with each district casting one vote. Region Directors are to be nominated by a conservation district director and will serve a two-year term.

A vote on the addition of the region structure to the PACD Bylaws will take place at the annual meeting of the PACD Executive Council on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers.

Get to Know Your Elected Officials
A Message From PACD President Ronald Rohall

I would like to thank all of the directors, staff and friends of conservation districts who came to Harrisburg on March 11-13, 2002, for Capitol Day and the PACD Executive Council meeting. Your active participation is essential to the work of the Association. We fanned out through the State Capitol and visited with many of our elected officials, two of our state's gubernatorial candidates and Secretaries Hayes and Hess. We reminded them of the good work conservation districts put on the ground in Pennsylvania. We asked for adequate funding to carry out State delegated programs and cost share for district staff. We let them know how important conservation districts are to many Growing Greener Projects that have been put on the ground and the public's desire for more Growing Greener type conservation projects.

Visiting legislators does not start or end in Harrisburg. It is an ongoing effort at home and in Harrisburg. Many conservation districts have legislative breakfasts, luncheons and tours and I've attended events in Cambria and Indiana Counties. I hope every district plans a legislative event and every director makes personal contacts with their representatives and senators throughout the year. Let them know what their conservation district is doing for their constituents.

We are going have a new Governor soon, and the candidates are on the campaign trail. Now is the time to meet them and show off the good work of conservation districts. If they are talking about "Conservation" in their campaign speeches or press releases show them specific projects your district is doing and remind them that given the resources, we can do even more great conservation work.

The winter PACD region meetings were a great success also, and I thank the PACD Region Directors, DEP field representatives, Joanne Nardone, SCC and NRCS and for all their work. In all, more than 130 district directors attended the PACD region meetings. There, they had to opportunity to exchange ideas with each other, and their PACD Region Director, who then brings the regional viewpoint to the Executive Council meetings. The PACD region meetings have become a great way for those who cannot attend the PACD Executive Council meetings to be involved with PACD and directors from your region.

I would like to visit one conservation district a month, chat with directors and staff, attend a board meeting and get a feel for what the issues are around the state. If your conservation district board would like me to visit, please let me know by e-mail: rjrohall@westol.com or snail mail: P.O. Box 27, Rector, PA 15677.

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