Conservation District
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Snyder County
Conservation District |
Conservation District Home Page
Conservation District Web Pages
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Prevention |
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& Youth |
Workshops |
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Management |
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Grounds |
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Management |
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A conservation district is a subdivision of state government that follows county lines as boundaries. Funding for the conservation district's programs is obtained from the Snyder County Commissioners, PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and other agencies. The Snyder County Conservation District was founded in 1956.
For more information about the Conservation District and where we are located, please go to the Who are We? web page.
We have an extra web page that shows photos of recent Conservation District events. Click on Conservation Snapshots and have a look.
This softball tournament, auction and concert fund raiser is to help our one of our colleagues, Mike Osgood. Mike has been recently diagnosed with a progressive and degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Mike, a husband and father of three, is the Resource Conservation Technician for the Snyder County Conservation District.
This event will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the Evendale Ballfield starting from 8:00 a.m. onward. Activities include:
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8:00 a.m. = Softball Tournament: 1 pitch & wooden bat rules
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4:00 p.m. = Benefit Auction
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6:30 p.m. = "Joyful Sounds" will perform
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8:00 p.m. = "Gospel Strings" will perform
Proceeds will go help offset Mike's medical expenses. Contact Jeff Leitzel at 570-539-2124 for more information or if you would like to help. Contact Justin Fogle to register your softball team at 717-350-4219. Click here for a detailed flyer.
The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently conducting a food drive for those in need through its agencies, especially the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency) The Middleburg NRCS Field Office and Snyder-Union Counties FSA Office are accepting donations until August 31, 2010. Food items will be donated to local food banks. (The Snyder County Conservation District is helping out as well.)
For more information, contact Geri Mason, NRCS Administrative Assistant, at either 570-837-0007, x158 (Middleburg) or 570-524-3881 (Lewisburg).
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is funding a project to assist farmers in the eastern half of the nation in updating or developing nutrient management plans and environmental assessments. This project, CleanEast, provides free nutrient management planning for those who apply. Go to the EPA CleanEast website and our Agricultural Nutrient Management web page for more information.
Association Meetings are held every 3rd Thursday of each month at the Penns Creek Adult Resource Center in Penns Creek, PA, starting at 7:00 p.m. Contact the Snyder County Conservation District's Watershed Specialist, Jason Winey, at 570-837-3000, x112, for more information. The LPCWA is always looking for volunteers for its activities, especially its stream monitoring program. Go to the LPCWA website or the SCCD's Watershed Protection web page for more details.
The Snyder County Conservation District is in the process of gathering names of farmers and businesses willing to either rent out no-till drills or planters or custom hire their services. If you have a drill or planter and are interested, complete the No-Till Equipment Form found in our Agricultural Conservation Assistance web page. If you have questions, contact Barry Spangler, Agricultural Conservation Technician, at 570-837-3000, x118.
Recent News, Updates, Sign-Ups, Etc.:
During the second week of August, the Snyder County Conservation District and the Lower Penns Creek Watershed Association (LPCWA) gave four presentations about rain barrels in Penns Creek and Middleburg.
Sixty participants learned how to build their own rain barrels, some tips for rain barrel usage, and the environmental benefits of using a rain barrel. After each workshop, each participant received a free rain barrel.
Go to our Household Conservation for more details about rain barrels. You can also go to our Conservation Snapshots web page for pictures.
Note: Funds these workshops and rain barrels was paid in part from a PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) environmental educational grant awarded to the Lower Penns Creek Watershed Association (LPCWA).
The Snyder County Conservation District is accepting applications from farmers interested in converting to no-till and/or interested in planting cover crops. Both programs are for one year.
Go to our Agricultural Conservation Assistance web page for details. You can download an application and program guidelines for each program. You can also receive a copy of each at our office. Applications are due at our office by Tuesday, September 28, 2010. Farmers must identify specific fields by Friday, October 1, 2010.
You can reach Barry Spangler, Agricultural Conservation Technician, at 570-837-3000, x118, for more details about each of the programs.
Note: NRCS also has no-till and cover crop incentive programs. Phone: 570-837-0007, x3. These SCCD programs will allow the farmer to participate in the NRCS no-till program on the same fields at the same time.
The Conservation District is offering a late season cornstalk nitrate testing service for Snyder County farmers. This test determines whether the farmer's corn fields had the right amount of nitrogen, too much nitrogen or not enough nitrogen. While this is an "after the fact" test, it can help farmers make decisions for future nitrogen management for their corn crops.
The best time to test is when the corn kernel is anytime between 1/4 milk line (which is just before silage harvest) to 3 weeks after black layer formation.
This fund raiser is a memorial to Lou "Louie" Osgood, a local motorcycle enthusiast who died from cancer. This time it was to help his son Mike Osgood, who recently has been diagnosed with a progressive and degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Mike, a husband and father of three, is the Resource Conservation Technician for the Snyder County Conservation District.
This event was held on Saturday, August 7, 2010. It started and ended at the Kreamer Recreation Field. Approximately 50 motorcycles and other cars participated.
All donations went to help offset Mike's medical expenses. Contact Tonya Schenck at 570-837-1426 for more information if you would like to help contribute. Additional funding was provided by the Snyder County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
Local Farmers Win PA Clean Water Award
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) presented Morrill (Mac) and Melody (Tweet) Curtis of Port Trevorton one of its four 2010 Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Farm Award awards. PACD recognized the Curtis’ on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, in State College, PA , during the Annual Conservation Awards program of PACD. They received a certificate and a large “Clean Water Farm Award” sign to erect on their property.
Mac and Tweet Curtis, who operate a WindView farm near Port Trevorton were nominated by the Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD). Mac and Tweet’s farm consists of 110 acres that are no-tilled. Conservation practices are installed throughout the operation including a recent poultry manure burner that utilizes turkey manure as an alternative heat source in place of propane. Research suggests this practice will improve the environment by decreasing the amount of nutrients running off the land and eventually reaching the Chesapeake Bay.
Mac has been a SCCD Board member since 2002. He and his brother Richard (also a SCCD Board member since 2004) were raised on their father’s Vermont dairy farm. The Curtis families first moved to a Lancaster County dairy farm and then to Snyder County in the late 1990s.
Mac and Melody recently hosted a No-Till and Manure Field Day on their farm on September 30, 2009, sponsored by SCCD and funded in part by PACD.
Editor’s note: Much of this information was supplied by PACD. For more information about the September 2009 Field Day, go to our Conservation Snapshots web page. Contact JoEllen Bitzen, PACD Communication Specialist, at 717-238-7223, for more information about the Clean Water Farm Award. PACD is a non-profit organization that supports, enhances, and promotes PA’s 66 conservation districts and their programs.
The Snyder County Conservation District staff, directors and associate directors judged posters on June 1 crafted by local sixth graders. Results are given at our Conservation Snapshots web page.
| {Jack Clark, NRCS, Retiring} |
Jack Clark, NRCS District Conservationist Retires
After 31 years of service to various conservation districts and to NRCS (USDA-Natural Resources) at several locations, Jack retires after May 28, 2010.
His devotion to the conservation of land and water resources were appreciated by the Snyder County Conservation District staff and directors, current and past, as well as the many farmers, officials and landowners he has helped over the years.
The Conservation District gave him the Distinguished Service Award at our 2010 Awards Banquet (see Conservation Snapshots).
Jack, you will be surely missed. |
Tree Farm Field Day at Selinsgrove Grounds
The Central Susquehanna Woodland Owners Association (CSWOA), the PA Tree Farm Program, with help from the Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD), hosted a Tree Farm Field Day event at the former Selinsgrove Center Farm Grounds located near Selinsgrove, Snyder County. (This property is now managed by the SCCD.) It took place on Sunday, May 23, 2010.
John Portzline, Assistant District Forester from District 7 (Bald Eagle) in Laurelton was the main speaker for the day. He promoted the efforts of the PA Tree Farm Program and the importance of having a Forest Stewardship Plan.
The Snyder County Conservation District currently manages the 440 acres, which includes 77 acres of woodland. The tour also included a visit to a working sawmill maintained by the Middlecreek Valley Antique Association as well as a walking tour of the SCCD nature trail.
For additional information about the Tree Farm System, go to our Selinsgrove Grounds web page and scroll down to "Tree Farm Program & Forest Stewardship Program" for additional details.
- Lower Penns Creek Bioassessment Report -- The final report of three years of study on aquatic conditions of the lower main stem of Penns Creek. Go to the Watershed Protection web page to download a copy.
- Updated County Implementation Plan to clean up our portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed -- Go to Newsletters & Publications web page for the March 2, 2010, revision.
- 2009 Annual Report -- Go to Newsletters & Publications web page and receive our detailed report on the SCCD's activities during the past year.
| {2009 Annual Report} |
2009
Annual
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- The PCG-2 (NPDES General Permit, National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) has expired and the forms have changed. The first major change is that the NPDES permits will now be valid for two years. The permit fee is now $500.00 for General and Individual NPDES permits. This is for the permit processing, site inspections and whatever else would need to be done with the permit. Questions: Contact Craig Bingman, District Manager at 570-837-3000, x114. Go to our Erosion Worksite Prevention web page to download a copy.
- The Conservation District has changed its E & S (erosion & sedimentation) plan review fees. Please note that starting May 4, 2010, you will have to use our new E & S plan review application form. Questions: Contact Craig Bingman, District Manager at 570-837-3000, x114. Go to our Erosion Worksite Prevention web page to download a copy.
- NRCS (USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service) is accepting applications for landowners interested in protecting water quality on their farms. For more information, go to the Conservation District's Agricultural Conservation Assistance web page.
- For example, NRCS is accepting applications for its CBWI (Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative) program. Sign-ups are being accepted now! Do not delay! Go to the Conservation District's Agricultural Conservation Assistance web page and contact NRCS's Middleburg Field Office (570-837-0007, x3) for more details.
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Other NRCS available:
- EQIP - Environmental Quality Incentive Program: Continuous sign-ups for conservation Bumps and nutrient management planning.
- CSP - Conservation Stewardship Program: Financial assistance to those who are already good stewards of the land.
Go to the Conservation District's Agricultural Conservation Assistance web page or contact the Middleburg NRCS Field Office at 401 West Market Street, Middleburg, PA (570-837-0007, x3) for more information. |
Note: If you cannot download any of these files, please contact the Conservation District.
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Snyder County Shirt & Bluebird House Sale
The Snyder County Conservation District is selling Snyder County T-shirts for $10.00 each. Sizes range from Adult Small to Adult XXL. Each shirt has a trout printed on the front that is between the words "Snyder County" and "Pennsylvania." For more information, go to the Items for Sale web page.
We are also selling wooden bluebird houses for $8.00 each. Go to our Items for Sale web page for details.
50th Anniversary Patches, etc.
The Conservation District currently has "once in a lifetime" patches (shown above right) for sale to promote our 50 years of serving the county and conserving our resources.
For more information about the patches, as well as other items, please go to our Items for Sale web page.
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{Snyder County Conservation District}
Conservation through Education
Snyder County Conservation District
10541 Route 522
Middleburg, PA 17842
Phone: 570-837-3000
FAX: 570-837-7300
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Content Last Modified on 8/17/2010 2:52:43 PM
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