News & Notes October 2002

PACD Wraps Up Fall Region Meetings

The PACD concluded its 2002 Fall Region Meetings on Tuesday, October 1, after completing meetings in each of the seven designated regions throughout Pennsylvania. During these sessions conservation district directors and staff were provided with an update on statewide conservation programs, including reports from the State Conservation Commission (SCC), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and PACD.

The NRCS representatives in attendance provided an update on the implementation of the Farm Bill.

The Leadership Development Committee - Building for Tomorrow Program, provided each conservation district with a copy of the newly developed "A Catalog of Sample Policies for Pennsylvania's Conservation Districts."

Department of Environmental Protection Field Representatives and PACD Region Directors then provided the audience with an overview of the catalog, which includes examples of policies and procedures implemented by conservation districts and various other government and nonprofit entities.

In addition to the statewide topics covered, each region meeting featured several topics of regional interest. Highlights of the individual meetings are provided below.

Southcentral PACD Region Meeting (Aug. 26, 2002) - The Southcentral Region Meeting included presentations on topics including: Biofuels, Bioenergy, Wind Farming, and Available Grant Resources; Alternative Manure Utilization Technologies; and the York County Ethanol Project. The Southcentral region meeting also included a showing of the video "NACD - Snapshot Testimonials."

Northwest PACD Region Meeting (Sept. 11, 2002) - Directors and staff attending the Northwest Region Meeting toured Erie County Conservation District's new Natural Resource Center at Headwaters Conservation Park. The meeting also featured a spotlight on the activities and programs of the Crawford County Conservation District by District Manager Lynn Sandieson, and an update on legislation concerning water wells by Jeff Allio of the DEP. The Northwest region meeting also included a showing of the video "NACD - Snapshot Testimonials."

Southwest PACD Region Meeting (Sept. 12, 2002) - The Southwest Region Meeting included an overview of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Program, presented by Program Manager Ken Manno. Manno provided a summary of the national scope of SFI activities, as well as the primary objectives of the program, and the numerous training programs that are available through SFI.

Central PACD Region Meeting (Sept. 13, 2002) - District personnel attending the Central Region Meeting were also provided with an overview of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program. Blair County Commissioner John H. Eichelberger Jr. was recognized at the meeting as the recipient of the PACD County Commissioner District Director of the Year Award.

Northeast PACD Region Meeting (Sept. 24, 2002) - Karl Dymond, DEP Field Representative, shared some of the useful insights he has recently learned while studying for his master's in business administration with the audience at the Northeast Region Meeting. Dymond directed a presentation on "Motivation for Performance," highlighting the motivational process in the workplace and motivational content theories. One of the main points addressed in the presentation was the need to set goals in the work place and the importance of applying positive reinforcement as a motivational tool.

Northcentral PACD Region Meeting (Sept. 25, 2002) - Mike Powell of the Penn State University Conservation Leadership School provided an overview of the Conservation Leadership School Program and a report on the success of the program in 2002. Powell said that 46 students attended the school this year and that more than half of them received scholarships. Conservation districts sponsored 15 of the students. Powell also reported that planning has begun for the 2003 Conservation Leadership School. The Northcentral region meeting also included a showing of the video "NACD - Snapshot Testimonials."

Southeast PACD Region Meeting (Oct. 1, 2002) - PACD News and Notes was sent to print prior to October 1, therefore we are unable to provide additional details at this time.

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) provides a variety of e-mail and website services to conservation district employees and directors throughout the United States. Numerous conservation districts in Pennsylvania already take advantage of the free e-mail addresses provided through the NACD server.

District employees and directors in need of an e-mail address may register for an address by contacting Chuck Rohrer at the PACD office, at 717-238-PACD (7223). The e-mail addresses are provided free of charge, however, neither NACD nor PACD is able to provide internet access, which is necessary to operate e-mail.

These e-mail addresses, which are in the format: firstname-lastname@pa.nacdnet.org, are managed by the state association, so questions and comments regarding the system should be first addressed to PACD. It is also important to contact PACD when an e-mail account needs to be terminated as there is a limit to the number of active accounts available on the server.

Presently, PACD is updating the pa.nacdnet.org directory, which is listed on the PACD website. Once completed a directory of all Pennsylvania conservation district employees using the system will be available for viewing.

In addition to providing free e-mail addresses, NACD can also house domain home pages and lower level home page sites for conservation districts and others at a cost below that of commercial providers. Conservation districts and their partners can register a domain under their own name and host it on the NACD server for $250 per year. Lower level domains, the most economical option, are hosted for $120 per year. The lower level package will provide you with 20Mb of storage.

To register for a domain name, or receive additional information about web hosting, go to the NACD website: www.nacdnet.org/hosting/index.html, or contact Gene Whitaker at NACD, gene-whitaker@nacdnet.org. Inquiries about registering for an e-mail address should be first directed to Chuck Rohrer at the PACD office.

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