HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
—More than 200 conservationists
recognized outstanding individu
als and organizations contributing
to the conservation of Pennsylva
nia’s land and water resources at
the annual awards banquet of the
Pennsylvania Association of Con
servation Districts (PACD).
The banquet, put of the 4Sth
annual Joint Conference of the
State Conservation Commission
and the PACD. was held at the
Hilton Hotel in Allentown. Master
of Ceremonies Paul O. Swartz,
executive director of the Susque
hanna River Basin Commission,
introduced the program honoring
the 1992 winners.
Richard Rhoades, who operates
25 farms and a 167-cow dairy
operation in Venango and Clarion
counties, was named Conserva
tion Fanner of the Year. He and
his wife Martha have imple
mented numerous resource man
agement practices for more than
30 years to protect their soil and
the quality of the Mill Creek
watershed in which their proper
ties are located.
The PACD recognizes the
cooperation of the media each
year with a Media Conservation
Award. This year’s winner was
Robert Thomas, general manager
of station WKSL-FM in Green
castle, Franklin County. Thomas
has been actively promoting con
servation for more than 20 years
by broadcasting programming on
environmental concerns, such as
the daily show, “Earth Wire.”
WKSL sponsors a two-mile
stretch in the Adopt-A-Highway
Program. He is also active in com
munity conservation.
Indiana County Parks won the
Watershed Protection Award
for its rehabilitation of Tom’s
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Run, a tributary of the Conemaugh
River. The Tom’s Run Project
began in 1985 with a coordinated
land and water protection strategy
to return the stream to a free flow
ing waterway. The project has
successfully reduced flooding
problems, created recreational and
educational uses, and improved
aesthetic value and habitat quality.
Sterling Raber, Lehigh County
Commissioner, had been named
County Commissioner District
Director of the Year in August at
the annual conference of the Pen
nsylvania Association of County
Commissioners in Pittsburgh. He
was also recognized at the PACD
awards banquet for his support of
agricultural land preservation and
conservation programs. Raber has
held the conservation district
board position in Lehigh County
since 1979.
This year, three award winners
were selected from McKean
County for significant conserva
tion programs they have cooper
ated in establishing and conduct
ing. Among them are a biannual
youth education and public ser
vice program known as Conserva
tion Camporee, and an experimen
tal American chestnut reforesta
tion program. A Special
Conservation Service Award
went to Jim Johnson, part-time
manager of the McKean Conser
vation District, for the work in
developing and supporting the
programs. Bill Getz was chosen
Ann Rudd Saxman Conserva
tion Volunteer for the many
hows he has devoted to imple
menting the projects. This award
was named for Saxman of West
moreland County, whose lifetime
of service sets the standard for the
honor. The third McKean County
recipient was Boy Scout Troop
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449 of Custer City, named Con
servation Organization of the
Year for numerous public service
projects to state and national parks
in the area.
Natural resource education is
strongly supported by conserva
tion districts, so the association
annually chooses a Conservation
Educator of the Year. The 1992
winner is Janice M. Tatara-*'
McCall, third grade teacher at
Steffee Elementary School in
Seneca, Venango County. On
accepting the award for a host of
projects she conducts with her
own students as well as in the
community, Tatara-McCall said,
“Environmental Education is my
life.”
Arthur and Mary Wolfe, own
ers of Deardorffs Milk Farm in
Adams County, were presented by
M.K. Goddard Forest Resource
Management Award for the
practices to protect natural resour
ces they have implemented on
their commercia’. tree farm. The
Wolfe’s have p wned the farm only
since 1983/but they have been
active conservationists for many
years. Art Wolfe was instrumental
in starting the first Adopt-A-
Stream program in Pennsylvania.
All conservation districts are
required to submit annual reports
to the State Conservation Com
mission. Recognizing the report
One of the hired men feeds a totally mixed ration to the Holsteins as Esbern Dairy.
. 11-21
must be appealing to be read, the
PACD awards prizes for design
based on the appearance, compos
ition, content, and completeness
of the report. Westmoreland
County Conservation District was
judged to have produced the best
1991 annual report. The second
place report was produced by
Snyder County.
Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Company representative Dick
Schmidt from the Philadelphia
region was on hand to present
awards in the conservation district
competition designed to recognize
the planning and implementation
of outstanding programs. The
competition is co-sponsored with
the National Association of Con
servation Districts (NACD). This
year, York County was the grand
award winner. In addition to com
memorative plaques, the chairman
of the board and his wife receive
an all-expense paid vacation/study
trip to Camelback Resort and the
Goodyear Farms in Arizona.
A special award was presented
to William Lange, long-term
director of the Lackawanna Coun-
17 cPtsiwn H/llVv ncys said they are looking forward
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offspring growing up to become
top quality cows like Connie.
(Continued from Pag* A2O)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 28, 1992-A2l
WWW ***
ty Conservation District, and
secretary-treasurer of the NACD
since 1988. Lange was honored by
PACD and received a proclama
tion from Governor William P.
Casey, in recognition of Lange’s
years of service with conservation
districts and commitment to pro
tection of the commonwealth’s
natural resources.
This year’s joint annual confer
ence was co-hosted by the Lehigh
County Conservation District and
the Northampton County Conser
vation District. Other activities
included technical workshops
designed to give conservation dis
tricts information on subjects such
as water resource programs, local
roles in nonpoint source pollution,
erosion control products, and
designing publications. Both the
State Conservation Commission
and the PACD conducted business
meetings. Included in the PACD
meeting was the election of a new
slate of officers.
For PACD membership infor
mation, contact the Pennsylvania
Association of Conservation Dis
tricts, 225 Pine Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17101, (717) 236-1006.