strategic plan

Dear Conservation Partners:

The Blair County Conservation Districts (District) Board or Directors adopted the Districts Strategic Plan on June 23, 2002. The Strategic Planning Process has been a great learning experience for the Districts Directors and Staff. We feel that it has been a worthwhile experience and that it will help to steer and focus our efforts into the future. The cooperation from our partners has been great. They gave us many ideas to work through to come up with the critical needs of the County. Priorities were set based on the Districts current work and what we felt were the most critical areas. Our board and staff are made up of people with different backgrounds from different areas of the County. This blend of people helped us consider all ideas from different aspects and come up with the most critical.

The Strategic Plan will be distributed to all of our partners through a mailing. It will also be available at the District office and on the web site to anyone interested. The main people we are targeting for the plan are those who we feel share the same goals and/or can help us achieve our goals. Hopefully we will also find new partners through others reading our Strategic Plan and offering or asking for assistance. Through our Directors, Staff and partnerships, we are confident that we will be able fulfill our plan.

The environment is always changing and the times are uncertain; however, we fell that our Strategic Plan has been written to deal with the changes. With the changing environment and the increasing demand being placed on Conservation Districts, growth is inevitable. Because of this, we have also written growth into our Strategic Plan. The growth of the District will allow us to better deal with the changes that are certain to come.

The Strategic Plan for the Blair County Conservation District has been written to focus the Districts work on the most critical resources in our County. With the help of the County and the Districts partners, we feel that we can fulfill our plan and accomplish our goals. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Franklin Long Margaret A. Angle

Franklin Long Margaret Angle

District Chairman District Secretary/Treasurer

BLAIR COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

STRATEGIC PLAN

ADOPTED JUNE 23, 2002

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Blair County Conservation District is the protection, preservation, and enhancement of Blair County ’s natural resources by providing technical assistance and educational guidance.

Creation:

The Blair County Conservation District was established pursuant to Pennsylvania ’s Act 217 on January 5, 1966 by the County’s Board of Commissioners. The District is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania .

Function:

The function of the Blair County Conservation District is to take available technical, financial and educational resources and focus or coordinate them to meet the needs of the local land manager for the conservation of soil, water and other natural resources.

Service:

The Blair County Conservation District provides service to landowners and land managers as well as the general public and government entities. Primary efforts are centered on agricultural use and commercial development. The District seeks to ensure resource conservation through the administration of various government and District sponsored programs. These programs include permitting for land disturbance, monitoring environmental conditions by physical inspection, grant money and other financial incentive distribution, technical expertise assistance and targeted educational efforts to the community.

Critical Natural Resource Issues:

Water

Planning

Education and Government Assistance

Preservation

Biodiversity

Soil

The Strategic Plan for the Blair County Conservation District was conceived to help steer and direct the efforts of the organization into the future. The District appreciates the assistance of the following partners who have helped develop the plan and acknowledges the need for their continued cooperation to successfully carry out the objectives of the plan as intended:

United Stated Department of Agriculture – Natural Resource Conservation Services

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – Bureau of Watershed Management

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Bureau of State Parks

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources – Bureau of Forestry

Critical Natural Resource Issue: WATER

1. Yearly, the District will provide technical and financial assistance through available private and public conservation programs.

2. By December 2002 the District will implement Phase II criteria for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program.

3. By December 2003 an assessment of the Piney Creek Watershed will be completed to include potential projects and Best Management Practices identification and funding sources.

4. By December 2003 a Composting Demonstration Site will be operational to serve the Morrison’s Cove Community’s residential and agricultural needs.

5. By December 2003 a public awareness effort for the conservation and planning of water usage will be initiated.

6. By December 2003 the Federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, with funding, will be initiated in Blair County .

7. By December 2004 Alternative Nutrient Management Methods will be piloted in the intense agricultural areas of the County.

8. By December 2004 the impaired water quality of Glenwhite, Sugar and Kittanning Runs will be assessed, planned for mitigation and/or mitigated.

9. By December 2004 wetland areas as categorized through mapped soils and National Wetland Inventory mapping will be digitized for public distribution.

The District should maintain the following positions: District Manager, Clerical Staff, Agricultural Conservation Specialist, Nutrient Management Specialist, Resource Conservation Specialist, and Watershed Specialist

There is a potential for an additional position of Resource Conservation Specialist who will carry out the Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control (E&SPC) /NPDES program.

Critical Natural Resource Issue: PLANNING

1. By December 2002 the District will develop a Fact Sheet describing the rules and regulations involved with earthmoving activities tailored toward smaller or family developments.

2. By December 2002 the District will create a Personnel Committee to address all staffing issues including future growth.

3. By December 2002 the District will create a Service Center Committee to look at the possibility of hosting an Agricultural Service and Environmental Education Center in Blair County .

4. By December 2002 the District will assist with the conversion of existing GIS aerial photography to Ortho-rectified images at a minimum scale of 1”:400’.

5. By December 2003 the District will continue to cooperate with the Blair County Planning Commission to have the County Comprehensive Plan completed with appropriate land use, Agricultural Security Areas, and Eased acres identified.

6. By December 2003 the District will assist in the development of a County GIS system.

7. By December 2003 promotion of Forest Resource Planning will be strengthened by educational outreach to forest and woodlot landowners as well as timber harvesters.

8. By December 2004 the District will evaluate the possibility of hosting an Agricultural Service and Environmental Education Center in Blair County.

There is a potential for a new position, GIS Coordinator, who will assist in the development of the county wide GIS system.

District Directors and Associate Directors will be solicited to form the Personnel Committee.

District Directors, Associate Directors and Cooperating Partners will be solicited to form the Service Center Committee.

Critical Natural Resource Issue: EDUCATION AND GOVERNMENT

ASSISTANCE

Continue to review Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control (E&SPC) plans, process National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits and inspect sites.

2. Yearly, the District will administer the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Gypsy Moth Suppression Program for the County of Blair .

3. Yearly, the District will continue to review E&SPC plans, process NPDES permits, and other duties delegated under Chapter 102

4. Yearly, the District will continue to allocate funds for the Dirt & Gravel Roads program and encourage increased municipal participation.

5. By December 2002 Schools will be contacted to clarify the Districts role in Environmental curriculum implementation.

6. By December 2003 the District will co-host a “Business After Hours” program through the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.

7. By December 2003 the District will contact or attend meetings of at least 75% of the municipalities in Blair County .

8. By December 2004 at least 75% of Blair County ’s municipalities will have signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) with the Blair County Conservation District.

Continue E&SPC Reviews, process NPDES permits and perform other Chapter 102 delegated duties

There is a potential for a new position, Environmental Education Coordinator, who would work with the school districts and other interested parties in developing environmental curriculums.

There is a potential for an additional position of Resource Conservation Specialist who will carry out the Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control (E&SPC) /NPDES program.

Critical Natural Resource Issue: PRESERVATION

Unique areas such as: Canoe Creek, Little Juniata River, Class A Wild Trout and High Quality Streams, Wetland Areas, Municipal Watersheds, Farmland, Mountain Land

1. Yearly, the District will continue to support and promote the Farmland Preservation Program.

2. By December 2003 the District will have contacted 100% of the municipalities in Blair County concerning floodplain issues.

3. By December 2004 the District will identify, catalog, and prioritize Unique Areas of the County and develop a Geographical Information System (GIS) layer.

There is a potential for several new positions including increased technical staff for the growing E&SPC and NPDES programs, a GIS Coordinator who will assist in the development of a county wide GIS system and a full time Farmland Preservation Coordinator to administer the expanding Farmland Preservation program.

Critical Natural Resource Issue: BIODIVERSITY

1. By December 2003 the District will have worked with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and other historical and/or conservation groups to develop a Natural Heritage Inventory.

2. By December 2004 the District will develop Geographic Information System (GIS) layers containing the Natural Heritage Inventory information.

Contact the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and other historical and/or conservation groups.

The District should maintain the following positions: District Manager, Clerical Staff, Resource Conservation Specialist, and Watershed Specialist.

There is a potential for two new positions including increased technical staff for the growing E&SPC and NPDES programs who will work with the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI), and a GIS Coordinator who will assist in the development of a county wide GIS system.

Critical Natural Resource Issue: SOIL

1. Yearly, the District will continue to Review Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control (E&SPC) Plans and process National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits.

2. Yearly, the District will continue to encourage water management and runoff management from all communities and citizens in Blair County .

3. Yearly, the District will provide technical and financial assistance through all available private and public conservation programs.

4. By December 2003 the District will encourage Conservation Planning for all agricultural communities.

Continue to provide technical and financial assistance for soil conservation efforts through all programs available.

The District should maintain the following positions: District Manager, Clerical Staff, Watershed Specialist, Nutrient Management Specialist, Agricultural Conservation Specialist, and Resource Conservation Specialist.

There is a potential for an additional position of Resource Conservation Specialist who will carry out the E&SPC and NPDES programs.

Blair County Conservation District

Strategic Plan