Front Page
07.30.12
In This Issue:
>> PA's Conservation Agencies Make 2012 Canon Envirothon a
Success
>> PENNVEST Nonpoint Source Project Funding Offers $1.1 Million
PACD's Latest Activities
& Opportunities:
PA’s Conservation Agencies
Make 2012 Canon
Envirothon a Success
>> The Importance of Utilizing Media
>> NRCS Initiatives
>> NRCS's local Work Groups
>> Grassroots GrazingNewsletter Released for Summer 2012
>> DEP Chief Heralds PA's Accomplishments at Annual Chesapeake
Bay Executive Council Meeting
>> Conservation Districts in the News
>> Upcoming Events
>> Previous Issues ofFront Page
The 2012 Canon Envirothon kicked
off at Susquehanna University on July
22. Many agencies aided with the
Canon Envirothon to run the weeklong event including: Pennsylvania’s
conservation districts, PACD, PA
Department of Environmental
Protection, State Conservation
Commission, National Association of
Conservation Districts and others.
“It was fantastic to see all the different
conservation organizations and
agencies come together to make the
25th anniversary event a success
while showcasing all Pennsylvania
has to offer. It was a wonderful
experience for hundreds of high
school students from the United
States and Canada,” said PACD
Executive Director Robert B. Maiden.
Congratulations to the Missouri team
for winning the competition and to
Ontario, North Carolina, New York
and Ohio for rounding out the top five
For more information about the
Canon Envirothon,
visitwww.envirothon.org.
PENNVEST Nonpoint Source
Project Funding Offers $1.1
Million
During their July board meeting,
PENNVEST made funding offers
totaling $1,103,765 for four nonpoint
source projects. Of this funding,
$475,596 was awarded through
grants, with the remaining funds being
made available as low-interest loans.
The funding comes from a
combination of state funds approved
by voters, federal grants to
PENNVEST from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and
recycled-loan repayments from
previous PENNVEST awards.
Awardees will cover the initial costs of
their projects. Once they have
collected the project invoicing, they
submit all paperwork to PENNVEST
for reimbursement.
A $10 million funding commitment for
nonpoint source projects in fiscal year
2012-13 was also announced during
the meeting. Half of this funding will
be made available as grants while the
other half will be made available as
low-interest loans. This commitment
is an estimate of awards to be made
based on the situation at this time.
Terry Fisher (pictured), the
PENNVEST Application Developer
said, “While this amount is a reduction
from what was available during the
last few years, it is still a significant
amount of funding to put toward good
nonpoint source projects. Anyone in
need of funding for nonpoint source
projects should take a closer look at
the PENNVEST NPS program.”
Funding offers were made to the
following counties and projects:
Bucks County

Bucks County Conservation
District - Equestrian Initiative
received a $157,627 loan and
a $122,078 grant to construct
a manure storage facility,
grassed waterways, animal
trails and other improvements
to alleviate nutrient runoff into
nearby impaired streams and
ultimately the Delaware
River.
Lancaster County

Lancaster County
Conservation District received
three funding awards for
projects in different areas of
the county:
o A $131,613 grant to
construct manurehandling facilities on
the Benuel King dairy
farm to eliminate
nutrient discharges
into Calamus Run, a
tributary of the
Chesapeake Bay.
o A $470,542 loan to
construct manurehandling facilities on
the Sam Glick farm to
eliminate nutrient
discharges into the
Octorara watershed
and ultimately the
Chesapeake Bay.
o A $221,905 grant to
construct manurehandling facilities on
the Sam Miller farm
to eliminate nutrient
discharges into Little
Beaver Creek, a
tributary of the
Chesapeake Bay.
The PENNVEST NPS Program
provides low interest loans and grants
for agricultural runoff, urban
stormwater, abandoned mine
drainage and brownfield stormwater
projects across Pennsylvania.
Construction costs, engineering,
legal and administration costs for a
project are all eligible for PENNVEST
NPS funding.
For more information about the NPS
Program contact Terry Fisher, the
PENNVEST NPS Application
Developer at terry-fisher@pacd.org or
717-238-7223 x11. Terry is also
available to meet with individuals or
groups to talk about the PENNVEST
NPS Program or specific projects.
For more information,
visit www.pacd.org and click on the
PENNVEST tab.
The Importance of Utilizing
Media
The Communications, Public
Relations & Marketing Tips Series
The single biggest problem in
communication is the illusion that it
has taken place (George Bernard
Shaw, n.d.)
We each have
media tools
available to us
to help expand
our message.
Whether to
promote an
event taking
place,
encouraging
participation or to provide information
to residents about a community
project underway, we each have the
ability to use the media to further
our message and reach larger
masses.
By sharing information about your
events and positions, you are opening
a line of communication. Materials
such as press releases, media
advisories and op-eds help us to tell
our stories and actually get someone
to listen to them.


Op-eds are tool which can be
used to refute an inaccurate
article or to slant something in
a particular direction.
Press releases allow you to
announce your news to the
media. A release about a
group meeting may not
necessarily be important to a
reader. But if this is the first
time such a group has
convened and/or some

projects/funding is now
available as a result of this
collaboration, its newsworthy!
Media advisories are a teaser
to entice the media to come
and cover your event.
And remember, social media tools
such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Tumbler and YouTube can be used to
support your public relations initiatives
and can aid in bolstering your
programs and events.
The one thing I leave with you is to
develop strong (and good
relationships with the media outlets in
your areas). There is power in
partnerships and by partnering with
your media outlets, you expand your
reach, sharing messaging with your
residents. They in turn learn of all the
good you’re doing and find out ways
they can become involved. By
involving your residents, you invoke a
sense of ownership (and pride) in
each of them to care of about the
preservation of their home
communities.
If you ever want to talk further about
developing a media presence for your
district, feel free to contact me directly
at brandi-davenport@pacd.org or
717-238-7223 x 17.
Thanks,
Brandi
News that Matters to the
Membership:
NRCS Initiatives
NRCS will be
providing
information to
us from time to
time to keep us
abreast of
projects and initiatives that will aid
you in your daily activities.
Click here for information about their
current projects including the
Conservation Delivery Streamlining
Initiative, GIS Software and
computers for districts.
NRCS’s Local Work Groups
Local Working Groups (LWG) give
input and recommendations to NRCS
on local natural resource priorities
and criteria for conservation activities
and programs. Conservation districts
are an integral part of the local
working groups and often chair these
meetings. Local work groups support
the locally led conservation effort by
helping to coordinate USDA programs
with other federal, state, tribal and
local conservation programs, to
provide an integrated solution to
addressing natural resource
concerns.
In FY 2012, Pennsylvania NRCS will
again use the field team level to
establish natural resource priorities.
LWG meetings may be take place at
the county level or combined at the
multi-county or team level. For
information on specific times and
dates to attend local working group
meetings, please coordinate with your
district conservationist. All local work
groups should submit their findings by
September 10, 2012.
Grassroots
Grazing Newsletter
Released for Summer 2012
The third edition
of Grassroots
Grazing, an enewsletter designed
to provide tips,
insights and feature
articles on pasture
and grazing
management, fence
placement and many other related
topics is now available. This enewsletter can improve pastures,
establish a grazing program or
enhance a current grazing system.
The third edition is devoted to the
equine community.
DEP Chief Heralds
Pennsylvania’s
Accomplishments at Annual
Chesapeake Bay Executive
Council Meeting
At the annual
Chesapeake
Bay Executive
Council meeting,
Department of
Environmental
Protection Secretary Mike Krancer
reported on Pennsylvania’s continuing
efforts to improve the condition of the
bay.
Every two years, the states are
expected to meet milestone
commitments to reduce pollution in
the bay. The goal is for the program
partners to put all projects in place by
2025.
Pennsylvania exceeded its 2011
milestone commitments in many
areas, including dirt and gravel road
erosion and wastewater treatment
plants. Throughout the commitment
period, 583,574 feet of dirt and gravel
roads were stabilized, exceeding the
milestone commitment by 467
percent. Wastewater treatment plants
also upgraded their treatment process
and reduced the overall phosphorus
discharge by 126,099 pounds,
exceeding the milestone commitment
by 255 percent.
Read more here.
Conservation
Districts in the
News:
Luzerne &
Schuylkill:Release Shows
Role that Counties Play in
Helping Clean
Chesapeake Bay
Upcoming
Events:
>> Erosion &
Sediment Manual
Training
>> Conservation
District Watershed
Specialist Meeting
Previous Issues of Front
Page:
>> July 23, 2012
>> July 16, 2012
>> July 9, 2012
Northumberland: Crowl
Officer of State Group
PA Association of Conservation Districts • 25 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 • 717-238-7223