On November 20, representatives from the PA Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. met with the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee during an informational meeting to discuss the operations, activities and challenges of the county conservation districts.
Presenters included PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh, who explained why conservation districts were created. She also spoke about the programs that the conservation districts run in their local areas.
Three programs highlighted during the meeting include agriculture, the Dirt, Gravel/Low Volume Road Program, and stormwater.
Lancaster County Conservation District Manager Christopher Thompson spoke about the interaction between conservation districts and the agricultural community.
Thompson spoke about the challenges facing his county in meeting pollution production goals. Also, he addressed the need to keep conservation local and to build relationships with landowners.
Rep. David Zimmerman (R-Lancaster) agreed, “Working with farmers, it is so important to have a relationship with them.”
Next, McKean County Conservation District Manager Sandy Thompson gave an overview of the Dirt, Gravel/Low Volume Road Program in PA. She shared before and after photos of completed projects.
When asked what the biggest obstacle is for the program, Thompson stated, “The prevailing wage at $25,000 for these projects is the largest obstacle. Increasing the threshold to $100,000 would help this program complete more projects.”
The third district representative-- Blair County Conservation District Manager Donna Fisher-- spoke about stormwater concerns.
She explained how districts became involved in the issue. She also said conservation districts are good at completing demonstration projects for educational purposes and encouraged legislators to take advantage of tours conservation districts offer.
In concluding the meeting, Rep. Martin Causer, Majority Chair of the Committee, said, “Conservation districts are unique, county-based, and rely on state funding. The districts are masters of piecing programs together to work through all of these issues.”
The conservation district representatives thanked the Committee for their time and encouraged members to treat the conservation districts as a resource.
As Chris Thompson said, “We work best when we work together.”
For more information about the work of the state’s 66 conservation districts, visit the PA Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. website or follow them on Facebook.
Click Here to watch a video of the November 20 meeting. Follow these links to the testimony and presentations offered by the presenters--
-- Video On Conservation Districts
-- Video On Conservation Districts
Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron) serves as Majority Chair of the House Agriculture Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5075 or by sending email to: mcauser@pahousegop.com. Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair and can be calling 717-783-0686 or by sending email to: epashins@pahouse.net.
(Photo: PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh, McKean County Conservation District Manager Sandy Thompson, Blair County Conservation District Manager Donna Fisher, and Lancaster County Conservation District Manager Christopher Thompson.)
[Posted: November 20, 2019] www.PaEnvironmentDigest.com
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