PHOTO PROVIDED Centre County Conservation District employees being recognized by the Board of Commissioners. Pictured, from left, are Commissioner Amber Concepcion, Commissioner Chair Mark Higgins, Jim Coslo, Dr. Robert Shannon, Devyn McPheeters, Julee Smith, Seth Narehood and Commissioner Steve Dershem.

PHOTO PROVIDED
Envirothon winners from Bellefonte High School pose with Commissioners and State Representatives. They are, from left, Commissioners Steven Dershem and Amber Concepcion, Representative Paul Takac, Alyssa Hopkins, Grady Garrison, Myken Poorman, Logan Rarrick, Mary Dickman, Taryn Wagner and State Senator Cris Dush.

BELLEFONTE — The Board of Commissioners proclaimed April 28 to May 4, 2024 as “Conservation District Week” in Centre County to celebrate the hard work the county conservation district does addressing community environmental concerns.

Centre County follows the lead of both the Pennsylvania State House and Senate in their proclamation, recognizing the vital impact of conservationists across the state.

Throughout the week, district offices across the state will hold events and meet with local legislators to spread awareness of their role in sustaining and improving Pennsylvania’s natural resources. Every county in the state, except for Philadelphia, has a conservation district.

Conservation districts are units of local government whose purpose is to carry out natural resource management programs. Created in response to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, these programs aim to improve soil and water conservation through education, oversight, and provision of technical and financial assistance to landowners.

“I don’t think it is a coincidence that Conservation District Week was set for late April, early May, when life is finally springing forth from a brown winter, sometimes bleak, landscape,” said Dr. Robert Shannon, chairman of the district’s board of directors. “What better time to celebrate the good work that our small but mighty conservation district staff do to promote soil and water conservation across Centre County’s fertile farmland?”

The district has three branches that cover the scope of work done by conservationists. The branches address erosion and sediment control, agricultural preservation and public education and outreach respectively.

Commissioner Steve Dershem, who sits on the Centre County Conservation District board, praised the group for the work and noted many of their tasks and projects.

Dershem concluded by saying, “In the last few years they’ve taken on some major projects. They’ve been very successful at bringing a lot of those programs to fruition. And that’s no small amount of responsibility.”

“One of the things the Conservation District has helped emphasize, not only our local watersheds, but the role we have as part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The actions we do here have a positive or negative impact all the way as far as the Chesapeake Bay,” said Commissioner Amber Concepcion.

Protecting watersheds means clean water in the state’s streams and healthy water in homes. For significant watersheds like the Chesapeake Bay, protecting the water upstream also benefits the millions who live downstream, ensuring both humans and animals have access to safe water and a healthy environment.

“The Conservation District plays a very important role in continuing to conserve our Class 1 trout streams in Centre County. Not a lot of places that have a city the size of State College also have Class 1 trout streams running within a couple miles of the border,” said Commissioner Mark Higgins, emphasizing that the work conservationists do translates to tangible quality of life improvements for county residents.

The Centre County Commissioners declared the county a district in October 1954 at the request of farmers who sought conservation of soil and water resources for future generations. This year marks 70 years since the district’s establishment.

Today, the district employs nine full time and two part-time employees doing work including nutrient and manure management, grant administration, soil management and dirt and gravel road maintenance, among other duties.

Closer to home, the commissioners not only made the Conservation District Week proclamation, but also conducted business on two other conservation matters.

First, the commissioners mentioned the 39th annual Envirothon that occurred last week at Bald Eagle State Park. Envirothon is an outdoor environmental education competition for high school students.

Students from Bellefonte High School won the Centre County Envirothon and will be competing at the state Envirothon in Mifflinburg on May 22, 2024.

Concepcion, who attended Envirothon, said, “Envirothon is a fantastic learning opportunity for such diverse topics as forestry, wildlife and water quality. It was great to see local students engaged in friendly but spirited competition as they demonstrated their knowledge.”

At their meeting, commissioners approved the reallocation of funds given to the conservation district as part of the county-wide block grant from the Chesapeake Bay Program for Centre County’s pilot year of their planned Conservation Landscaping Program. The funds will be used to convert areas of turf grass into native pollinator meadows.

“This program will result in water quality improvements in Centre County waterways and in the Chesapeake Bay watershed consistent with our county wide action plan goals. By reallocating these 2023 funds into this program we’ll be able to reach our original goal of converting 10 acres of managed turf grass into native grass and pollinator meadows,” said District Manager James Coslo. One of the largest impacted sites will be a 5 acre swath of embankment in Haines Township along Pine Creek.

“On behalf of the Conservation District Board of Directors I’d like to express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the county commissioners for your unwavering support, not just during Conservation District Week, but throughout the year,” said Shannon who thanked the commissioners for recognizing the importance of conservation and supporting initiatives that protect the land, water and wildlife of Centre County.

“Your dedication inspires all to be better stewards of Centre County and our planet,” he said.