The PA Association of Conservation Districts was awarded a $210,000 Landscape Scale Restoration grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to pilot a Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) program in the northwest region of Pennsylvania.

The northwest region covers 13 counties: Erie, Warren, McKean, Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Forest, Elk, Lawrence, Butler, Clarion, Jefferson, and Armstrong.

Conservation districts for each of these counties will form advisory groups consisting of local partner organizations and community members to identify and prioritize projects in their counties.

Projects may be educational events and/or treatment projects--

-- $40,000 of the grant will be used for education and outreach mini grants. Northwest conservation districts will apply for up to $2,000 at a time to offer project tours, guided walks, invasive species visuals and factsheets, workshops and trainings, community science projects, and more.

-- $149,000 will be used for invasive species treatment and management projects. Funding will be distributed evenly among conservation districts participating in the program to allow for a wider span of treatment projects. Where applicable, projects may span multiple counties and multiple conservation district teams to treat large areas threatened by invasive species.

A 50:50 match is required.

Partners, including the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward Program, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Allegheny Forest Health Collaborative, and Allegheny Hardwood Utilization Group are collaborating with PACD to contribute matching funds to the PRISM pilot program.

Like all of PACD’s sub-grant programs, the conservation districts will be the primary applicants.

Conservation districts, through consultation with their diverse advisory groups and conservation district boards, will submit applications for projects to PACD for approval.

The program opened July 1, 2023, and will close June 30, 2027.

For more information about fighting invasive species, visit the Governor’s Invasive Species Council webpage.

(Courtesy AG ONE newsletter, Vince Phillips: xenobun@aol.com.)

NewsClips:

-- Centre Daily Times: PA Could Be Seeing An Explosion In Slow Motion Of Poison Hemlock

-- Scranton Times: Spotted And Soon Seen: Lanterflies Set To Return To NE PA

Related Articles:

-- Join Statewide PA iMapInvasive Species Program August Scavenger Hunt; July 31 Webinar To Learn More  [PaEN]

-- Pilot Partnerships For Regional Invasive Species Management Program Initiated In Northwest PA  [PaEN]

-- Fish & Boat Commission: Actions Taken On Invasive Species, Fish Stocking, Boating Registration At July 24 Board Meeting

[Posted: July 24, 2023]  PA Environment Digest

7/31/2023