News Release

Awards Given for Soil and Water Stewardship

Each year the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) hosts a conservation awards program to acknowledge land and water stewards. Seven 2005 award recipients, whose nominations were submitted by their county conservation district and judged at the state level, were recognized at PACD's annual awards luncheon on July 26 in Erie, PA.

This year's recipients include a farmer who implements best management practices to conserve soil and water, a biology teacher who successfully integrates environmental concepts into the curriculum, and a volunteer who organizes a variety of urban water quality initiatives including adoption of a county-wide water resources plan and establishment of urban growth boundaries.

The 2005 recipients are:

Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation Award:
Robert E. Wagner - Lancaster County
Conservation Educator of the Year:
Jeremy Deysher - Berks County
Conservation Farmer of the Year:
Ray and Jean Thrush, Jet Rae Farms - Cumberland County
Conservation Organization of the Year:
Westmoreland CleanWays - Westmoreland County
Elected Official Recognition Award:
John Turack - Westmoreland County
M.K. Goddard Forest Resource Management Award:
Jack and Suzanne Murray - Lycoming County
William Lange Urban Conservation Award:
Edwina Coder - Lancaster County

PACD President Jarrett Miller (left) and William Lange present Edwina Coder with the William Lange Urban Conservation Award at the PACD/SCC Awards Luncheon July 26, 2005.

An award is also given to a county conservation district who best designs an annual report that conveys the important work county conservation districts do to protect soil and water. This year's first place recipient of the award is Dauphin County Conservation District. Warren County Conservation District finished second and Lancaster County Conservation District placed third. Berks County Conservation District was awarded an honorable mention.

PACD also hosts a poster contest for Pennsylvania students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. This years themes were, "Celebrating Conservation" and National Wildlife Week's theme, "Nature in Your Neighborhood." The following students were selected as winners in this year's contest.

• Emma Sawyer (Carbon County) - Kindergarten to First Grade;
  
• Chelsie Souto (Bradford County) - Second to Third Grade;
  
• Mark Frederick (Blair County) - Fourth to Sixth Grade;
  
• Alison Terndrup (Cambria County) - Seventh to Ninth Grade; and
  
• Jolan Strickland (Delaware County) - Tenth to Twelfth Grade.

The final award is the PACD Auxiliary's annual scholarship for a college student, in support of agricultural and environmental education. This year's recipient is Thomas Gibson of Delaware County. Thomas will be a senior at the University of Pennsylvania this fall majoring in environmental studies.

Congratulations to all of the award recipients. Special thanks to this year's award sponsors: Sustainable Forestry Initiative of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's Friends of Agriculture Foundation, Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission, and the PACD Auxiliary.

PACD, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization representing Pennsylvania's 66 conservation districts. For more information on the PACD Conservation Awards Program or soil and water conservation visit www.pacd.org.

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