The PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers will host a three-part Meaningful Engagement in Local Government Decision Making for Community Watershed Organizations series if webinars on February 11, 18 and March 4 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The training sessions, supported by the Campbell Foundation, are designed to give community watershed organization volunteers and leaders the knowledge, understanding, and skills necessary to effectively participate in many local and regional policy, land use and planning efforts occurring throughout the Commonwealth.

These efforts include engagement in Phase 3 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan; municipal MS4s stormwater pollution prevention permit compliance; comprehensive planning efforts; local zoning  and subdivision decisions; and other policies that impact local watershed health and sustainability.

POWR hopes that by working together, informed citizens and government leaders can make decisions today that will have lasting regional implications for water resource protection tomorrow.

Webinars

The topics covered by each webinar include--

-- February 11: will include an introduction to local government structure in PA, a review of how and why local government land use and planning decisions have immediate and critical impacts on water resources, and an introduction to local government priorities.  Click Here to register.

-- February 18: will highlight strategies for effective interaction, collaboration with elected officials and will help increase your confidence in communicating your values, concerns, and knowledge about water resource protection and conservation.  Click Here to register.

-- March 4: will help you better understand the role and value of watershed organizations in policy making at the local, state, and federal level. It will present examples of engagement in policy issues and will provide tips for effective advocacy, public comment, and support for sound management and policies for healthy streams.  Click Here to register.

It is recommended that you register for and attend all three ‘live.’ However, the presentations will be recorded so that if you miss one, you can watch the recording, and then join live as your schedule allows.

Click Here to register for the webinars and for more information.  Click Here for other education programs available online.

To learn more about programs, initiatives, other upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers website.

How Clean Is Your Stream?

DEP’s Interactive Report Viewer allows you to zoom in on your own stream or watershed to find out how clean your stream is or if it has impaired water quality using the latest information in the draft 2020 Water Quality Report.

Related Articles - Water:

-- PA State Team Guiding The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan Meets Jan. 26 To Hear Update On State, County Water Cleanup Efforts

-- 26 More Counties Take The Lead In Developing Local Clean Water Action Plans In PA Portion Of Chesapeake Bay Watershed

-- DEP, Partners Provide Progress Report On First Phase Of Chesapeake Bay Implementation Plan To EPA; New DEP Guide To Permitting For Watershed Projects

-- Bay Journal: Can Chesapeake Bay Region Dredge Its Way Out Of Conowingo Dam Problem?

-- CNH Industrial-New Holland Ag Partners With Alliance For The Chesapeake Bay On Riparian Buffer Project In Lancaster County

-- Feb. 3 Webinar: Managing Polluted Runoff In Southeastern PA

-- PA Sea Grant Hosts 4-Part Webinar Series On Bluff Recession Research & Science For PA Portion Of Lake Erie Shoreline

-- Applications Now Being Accepted For Next Penn State Extension Master Well Owner Course

-- Registration Open!  Delaware Estuary Science & Environment Summit; DRBC Climate Change Forum March 1-3

-- $178 Million Invested In 14 Water Infrastructure Projects In 11 Counties By PennVEST

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission To Mark 50th Anniversary Of Basin Compact In 2021

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Songs Of The Susquehanna River Project Entries Due Jan. 31

-- DEP Blog: Helping Eels And Mussels Is Improving Water Quality In The Susquehanna River And Chesapeake Bay

[Posted: January 19, 2021]

1/25/2021