News & Notes June 2006

Action Alert: Conservation District Funding

Make a difference for Pennsylvania's conservation districts today. All you need is ten minutes and a stamp.

Last fall, PACD presented appropriation requests to the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection for Fiscal Year 2006/2007 that included increased funding for conservation districts. In February, however, Governor Rendell's proposed budget ignored our suggestions and actually reduced district funding. Since then, PACD has been working to restore and increase funds for conservation district programs. Now we are asking conservation district directors and staff to send letters of support for our district funding requests to the elected leaders in the State House and Senate. Your legislators need to be made aware that conservation districts across the state have concerns about the budget.

"Because of May's primary election results, the budget process may be altered. It is now more important than ever to contact your state senator and representative with our budgetary concerns," said PACD Government Relations/Policy Specialist Brenda Shambaugh. Please consider writing, calling, or visiting your legislators and discussing the importance of the budget requests.

A sample letter to the PA General Assembly members regarding the importance of additional funding for conservation districts is available on the PACD website,
http://www.pacd.org/about/legupdate/budgetletter.htm. More information on conservation district funding requests is also available at www.pacd.org under "What's New." Please contact Brenda Shambaugh with any questions. She can be reached at brenda-shambaugh@pacd.org or (717) 238-7223 x 19.

PACD Staff Attend Water Quality Trading Conference

How are other states running nutrient trading programs? How can conservation districts help make trading work in Pennsylvania? PACD Executive Director Susan Marquart and Government Relations/Policy Specialist Brenda Shambaugh traveled to Pittsburgh May 23-25 to find out.

The second annual National Water Quality Trading Conference attracted attendees from across the United States. Water quality trading provides a voluntary approach for point sources of pollution to comply with Clean Water Act regulations.

"Trading is a tool that can provide greater efficiency in achieving water quality goals in watersheds," said Ginny Kibler, economist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "It allows one source to meet its regulatory obligations by using pollutant reductions created by another source that has lower pollution control costs. It is a market-based approach to improve and preserve water quality."

The conference, co-hosted by the US EPA and US Department of Agriculture, focused on implementing trading at the watershed scale. The two goals were to raise awareness and explore opportunities for agriculture's involvement in water quality trading. Fundamentals, mechanics, and examples of water quality trading programs were highlighted.

Experienced water quality traders, water quality specialists, policy makers, and regulators shared opportunities and challenges associated with developing and implementing trading programs. Sessions included establishing trading banks, offering agricultural incentives, making trading happen, and measuring success.

"Five of Pennsylvania's conservation districts are now committed to participate in a nutrient and sediment trading pilot program. The professionals presenting at this conference gave us valuable insight and advice for starting this new program," said Susan. (For more information on the pilot programs see "Five Conservation Districts to Participate in Nutrient and Sediment Trading Pilot Program in the May 2006 issue of News and & Notes.)

Pennsylvania's trading program benefits greatly from examining experiences in other states. Having attended the conference, PACD staff is now better equipped to help conservation districts in their possible future role in the program.

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