News & Notes October 2000

PACD Sub-Committee Examines Act 217

A sub-committee of The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Legislative Committee has recently completed a thorough review of Act 217, commonly known as the Conservation District Law. Consequently, they found that several adjustments could be made to the Act, in order to better adapt to the needs of Pennsylvania’s Conservation Districts.

Murray Laite, chairman of the legislative sub-committee, said that the proposed enhancements will simply bring the law, which was adopted in 1945, up to speed with today’s conservation districts.

“The Conservation District Law has been unchanged for a long time. We need to change it in order to bring people on board and to keep up with what we’re trying to do,” Laite said. “We’ve grown so large over that time. We feel that it’s time we have a line item in the budget.”

The process of reviewing the Conservation District Law was initiated during the March 1999, PACD Meeting, when a motion was made to support a singular change to the law. In July 1999, due to the complexity of Act 217, the PACD Legislative Committee decided to assign a sub-committee to examine the entire Act.

The sub-committee was charged with determining whether or not to change Act 217. After several meetings in 1999, the sub-committee found that there were a number of areas that could be re-addressed, which were then outlined in a draft position paper.

On July 27, 2000, the draft position paper was presented to the PACD Legislative Committee and recently the paper, which outlines the findings and recommendations of the sub-committee, has been released to PACD members. The committee believes the changes recommended best suit Pennsylvania’s conservation districts.

The sub-committee has said that in order to continue to meet the conservation needs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the future, three major enhancements need to be made to the Conservation District Law. They are:

1. Increase the capacity of conservation districts to deliver locally led conservation. Some adjustments are needed to enable conservation districts to preserve and strengthen their locally led and voluntary system and streamline and simplify the process within which districts develop and administer programs in a new generation of nonpoint concerns and programs.

2. Streamline the State Conservation Commission structure into an Executive Agency with its own budget and sufficient staff complement. State Conservation Commission responsibilities and authorities have expanded greatly in recent years. There is a need to amend the structure of the SCC to provide for the effective assistance and oversight through consistent leadership, an independent Executive Secretary, and an SCC line item with sufficient funds and staff complement to ensure that conservation programs are carried out in an efficient and locally responsible manner.

3. Establish a non-lapsing “Conservation District Fund” with dedicated funding for conservation districts. A special non-lapsing fund needs to be created through which state and federal agencies can make funds available to districts. This fund should allow for future changes in funding districts and district programs and provide a framework for the utilization of any dedicated funding should that become available. Conservation Districts may be the most efficient and locally acceptable means of administering state programs, but the administrative nightmares created by uncertain and/or complicated funding sources can no longer be ignored.

It is now up to the PACD membership to determine if they want to accept the paper and in turn, push for the changes in the state legislature.

During the upcoming PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, the PACD Legislative Committee will discuss the position paper, input is welcomed. The committee meets at 11 a.m., on Monday, Oct. 30, if approved, the paper will be submitted to the Executive Council for final approval.

Proposed Enhancements To the Conservation District Law:
A PACD Legislative Sub-Committee has said that in order to meet the state’s conservation needs, three enhancements need to be made to the Conservation District Law:

1. Increase the capacity of conservation districts to deliver locally-led conservation.

2. Streamline the State Conservation Commission structure into an Executive Agency with its own budget and sufficient staff complement.

3. Establish a non-lapsing “Conservation District Fund” with dedicated funding for conservation districts.

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