News Release

PACD Testifies Before the Senate Agriculture Committee

The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) testified today before the Senate Agriculture Committee on the role of Conservation Districts in Pennsylvania. Specifically, PACD Government Relations/ Policy Specialist Brenda Shambaugh discussed with the Committee legislation that will be pending before this committee in the near future, updating Act 217, and the ongoing funding battle that all districts face. Shambaugh also thanked the Committee for their role in the passage of legislation creating a non-lapsing fund administered by the State Conservation Commission for conservation district funding.

In June 2005 the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) released a report on Conservation Districts. After review of the report, conservation districts quickly realized that the LBFC stated what they have been saying all along. Districts have been doing more with less for quite some time. New demands on the state and federal level have meant that more environmental programs have been implemented, more conservation plans have been developed, and more environmental protections have been achieved, meaning a cleaner environment and a healthier place to live. But all of this takes a monumental effort by many folks who need technical assistance and expertise to make it happen. Conservation districts provide landowners with the knowledge and the experience to make significant environmentally friendly improvements on their land and agricultural operations.

To continue to meet the conservation needs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the future, two major enhancements must be made to the Conservation District Law:

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

2. Further define and strengthen the amended (1995) structure of the State Conservation Commission as an Interdepartmental Administrative Commission.

Despite their importance, many districts are struggling for funds. The primary and most flexible source of district funding is the Conservation District Fund Allocation Program. These funds are intended to cover 50% of the district manager's salary and benefits (up to a maximum of $27,000), 50% of a district's first technician (up to a maximum of $16,500), 50% of a district's second technician (up to a maximum of $8,300), and certain administrative expenses. The LBFC and the State Conservation Commission's recommendation for a 50% match has never been realized in the state budget. PACD highly advocates that the General Assembly consider the LBFC and SCC recommendations to provide the 50% match.

Shambaugh concluded, "Dedicated funding would greatly simplify district annual budgeting processes and reimbursement procedures. In addition, any new delegated and/or contracted programs that the conservation districts are asked to administer on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must be accompanied by sufficient funding to cover the costs of administration and delivery."

PACD, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization representing Pennsylvania's 66 conservation districts. For more information on the PACD visit www.pacd.org.

Click here to read the text of the testimony.

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