Senate Agriculture Committee approves Senate Bill 1020

Legislation amends Conservation District Law

HARRISBURG – Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee members met today to consider legislation that would make changes to the county conservation districts, Committee Chairman Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster) said.

County conservation districts exist in every Pennsylvania county except Philadelphia to implement a variety of programs that enhance and protect natural resources and the community. The State Conservation Commission, a joint commission of the state Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, oversees the local districts.

Brubaker said that a study entitled Review of the Operation and Structure of County Conservation Districts was released by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) in June 2005. Several of the recommendations made in that report are addressed in Senate Bill 1020, introduced by Senator Rob Wonderling (R-Montgomery), he noted.

Specifically, Senate Bill 1020:

Declares that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to assist in stormwater management plan development and implementation, as well as agricultural odor management
Clarifies that conservation districts are a primary local government unit responsible for the abatement of non-point sources of pollution
Allows for joint offices to be established by both departments and the Commission to work cooperatively in their functions and mandates the establishment of a single point of contact for support, funding, administration and oversight of the conservation districts
Adds the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and the secretaries (or their designees) of both the Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources and Community and Economic Development as associate, non-voting members of the Commission
Requires the Commission to provide training and certification to directors, staff and volunteers of conservation districts.

In addition, the bill makes changes to allow for ease of appointing members to conservation district boards and clarifies the additional activities in which the districts may engage, including:

Development of alternative energy resources
Management of forest lands
Odor management and air quality.

"Pennsylvania's conservation districts are invaluable for the work they do to preserve our natural resources," Brubaker said. "I believe the changes proposed in Senate Bill 1020 will improve on the good things they already do, and help the Commission and the districts improve their effectiveness."

Senate Bill 1020 was approved unanimously by the Committee, and now moves to the full Senate for its consideration.

Contact:

Kristin Crawford, Executive Director
Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee
717-787-4420