The Venango Conservation District is seeking applications for our newly opened Administrative Secretary position. The duties of the Administrative Secretary will be primarily clerical, financial, bookkeeping and administrative in nature as they relate to the mission of the Venango Conservation District. The Administrative Secretary will provide support for the Board of Directors and staff and will be under the direct supervision of the District Manager.
To learn more, click the links below and contact Lisette Lane, District Manager by phone at 814-676-2832 x6 or by email at llane.vcd@outlook.com. click here to read the full Administrative Secretary Job Description click here to download the Venango Conservation District Job Application
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The Venango Conservation District is pleased to announce our accomplishments over the past year in our 2023 Annual Report. Read about our new staff, completed projects, and program updates. The report can be viewed by clicking the link below or by visiting our "About Us" page. 2023 Annual Report If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the work we do, give us a call at 814-676-2832 and we would be happy to discuss. The annual National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) is held February 26 through March 3, 2024, which seeks to raise awareness about invasive species, the threat that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread. The term "invasive" is used for aggressive non-native species that spread and reproduce rapidly, displace native species, and cause major disturbance to the areas in which they are present. Invasive species can cause irreversible harm to the environment and the economy, and often pose a threat to plant, animal, and human health. When managing invasives, certain species and locations are prioritized over others. Early detection and rapid response should be used to find and eradicate new and emerging invasive species in a specific location. This method is much more effective than trying to control a widespread infestation of an established species. This type of effort is seen through the Spotted Lanternfly quarantine order in the state of Pennsylvania. When this invasive planthopper was discovered in Berks county in 2014, the PA Department of Agriculture introduced a quarantine to help stop the spread of the species to other areas of the state. To avoid spreading it to other areas not yet placed in quarantine (such as Venango county), certain regulated articles are prohibited from being moved from quarantined counties. These include firewood, nursery stock, packing materials (pallets), among others. While invasive species management has become all too common in Pennsylvania, it is important to remember that prevention is the most effective method of controlling invasive species. When boating, make sure to inspect and dry your boat, trailer, and other equipment to ensure that aquatic hitchhikers don’t spread to other bodies of water. Look for vegetation that may be in your live well or on your boat motor. When traveling, make sure to “look before you leave” by inspecting your vehicle and other outdoor equipment for egg masses laid by insects such as the spotted lanternfly. Want to get more involved with managing invasive species? Report your sightings! Download the iMapInvasives app or visit www.imapinvasives.org to start recording your observations of invasive species near you. Many organizations and agencies use this data to focus their management efforts. Several field guides such as the Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas and PA Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species are available. The Venango Conservation District now has an open position. We're hiring for our Resource Technician position. This technical position involves operational level work administering PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) delegated programs in the field of Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control (PA Title 25, Chapter 102), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (PA Title 25, Chapter 93), Waterways Obstruction and Encroachment General Permitting (PA Title 25, Chapter 105) and other duties as they relate to Venango Conservation District goals and objectives.
For a full Job Description, click here. For the Job Applicaiton form, click here. Do you need more information about this position? Please contact Lisette Lane, District Manager by phone at 814-676-2832 x6 or by email at llane.vcd@outlook.com. By Bailey Kozalla, Watershed Specialist With the start of the winter season, much of the landscape throughout Northwest Pennsylvania has lost most of its color. Despite this, glimpses of glossy green leaves and red berries are often seen scattering the bottomlands, a signature of the holiday season. The American Holly (Ilex opaca) is easily identified in the winter months against the contrast of a snowy scene. Inhabiting the understory of forests in moist soils, the tree normally grows between 15 to 25 feet tall but can reach heights of 60 feet. Its stout, stiff branches equipped with spine-tipped leaves is considered the hardiest broadleaf evergreen by many. Female plants possess its notable red berries which are an invaluable food source for wildlife species (but are poisonous to humans). The tree's beauty and hardiness makes it a desirable native ornamental. There are over 1,000 native and non-native varieties of the species - before planting, make sure to check with a nursery to ensure you are receiving a native American Holly. By Jake Cochran, DGLVR Technician The Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Road program is predicated on the concept of “local control." At the district level, this is achieved through the recommendations of the Quality Assurance Board (QAB). The QAB is a four-member “steering committee” that makes recommendations to the district board on project funding and local policies. This four-person body is comprised of a nonvoting chairman appointed by the conservation district directors, and one local representative appointed by each of the following entities: The federal Natural Resource Conservation Service, The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the county conservation district. The PFBC or NRCS may appoint members who are not necessarily a PFBC or NRCS employee to the QAB to serve as that agency’s representative. Local conservation agencies such as Trout Unlimited may be a potential source of QAB volunteers. These members assist the district with the establishment of local control and program requirements including but not limited to: fiscal, environmental, and written priorities, training incentives, and site inspections. The QAB’s recommendations are relayed to the conservation district board and action is taken on project approval and spending. The public is welcome to attend QAB meetings. The date, time, and location of these meetings are posted in advance on the district’s website and as a public notice in the local newspaper.
The Venango Dirt, Gravel & Low Volume Road Program QAB held a meeting on December 6, 2023 at 11:00 AM at the Venango Conservation District. The recommendations from this meeting were given to the Venango Conservation District's board of directors on December 14 at their monthly board meeting. The Venango Conservation District board of directors has approved funding for the following projects for the 2023-2024 DGLVR season: Dirt and Gravel Road Projects Canal Township – Wood Road - $95,877.00 Oakland Township – Gifford Road - $147,430.96 Pinegrove Township – Hale Road - $197,720.00 Irwin Township – Kerr Road - $80,000.00 Low Volume Road Projects Irwin Township - Whieldon Road - $23,700.00 By Bailey Kozalla, Watershed Specialist Over a century ago, eastern hardwood forests looked very different than they do today. What once made up a quarter of deciduous tree species across its range has now been wiped away leaving little to no trace of its former existence. Now, the ghosts of over four billion individuals haunt our woods, and have since been a distant memory. The American Chestnut succumbed to a fungus known as chestnut blight or Cryphonectria parasitica. It was first discovered in 1904 at the Bronx Zoo and had since infected the chestnut’s entire range by 1950. The fungus forms cankers throughout the tree’s inner bark and eventually girdles the tree. Young American Chestnuts are often found stump-sprouting from ancestor trees, but they too will eventually die from the blight before they reach reproduction potential. The fungus resides in nearby oaks, which are notably unaffected. Despite these young chestnuts still being present in our forests, they are considered to be functionally extinct due to their inability to reproduce. As the chestnuts vanished, eastern forests were forever changed. The lumber industry lost a hallmark wood product that was known for its strong integrity and its ability to withstand weathering. In fact, many of the old fence posts seen on farm lands are made of chestnut wood. Additionally, many declining wildlife populations are attributed to the loss of the chestnut. The chestnut crop was a consistent annual food source for deer, squirrels, bears, turkeys, and others - unlike the oaks which only produce acorns every few years. Early 1900 reports document the steady decline of squirrel species, and several pollinator species who relied on the mid-summer bloom of chestnut flowers have declined or gone extinct. The present shrub-like chestnuts seen in the understory hardly resemble the ghosts of the “sequoias of the east” that dominated the landscape over one hundred years ago. There is hope, however, to see the return of chestnut trees to eastern forests. The American Chestnut Foundation began breeding blight-resistant trees with the naturally resistant Chinese Chestnut in 1989. This process continued over many years and resulted in a 94% American Chestnut and 6% Chinese Chestnut offspring. Doted the “Restoration Chestnut,” these trees are being experimentally planted throughout their historic range on federal, state, and private lands. Managers at the Allegheny National Forest are researching restoration techniques including site suitability, impacts of deer browsing, and the chestnut's response to prescribed fire. Research is still being done with regard to modern genetic modification in hopes to increase blight resistance even further. The regulatory process associated with reintroducing the blight-resistant chestnut will likely take many years, however. Despite the goal being to restore the tree to its native range, the chestnut will not likely be as dominant as it once was. This is due to the threat of invasive species and deer browsing which will make it difficult to encourage seedlings to become established naturally. This Halloween, remember that the ghost of the American Chestnut is a horror story of its own that haunts our eastern forests. Restoration efforts, however, are hoping that future generations of people, wildlife, and forests can enjoy the American Chestnut and the ecosystem services that it provides. Trout Unlimited’s Bullion Run Large Wood Addition Project Stream restoration staff from Trout Unlimited were busy carefully creating fish habitat and improving stream function on Bullion Run earlier this month. A tributary to Scrubgrass Creek in Clinton Township, Bullion Run is a designated cold water fishery that supports naturally reproducing trout populations. During the week of August 7, a large wood addition project aimed to improve habitat conditions for coldwater species resilience. A Growing Greener grant was awarded to Trout Unlimited in 2019 and was used to implement a streambank stabilization project at the mouth of Bullion Run. The remaining funds from this grant were used to support this large wood addition project. Also known as strategic wood addition, this “chop and drop” technique involves cutting trees of various sizes using chainsaws and felled into the stream, and are often mechanically moved using winches or heavy machinery to create different structure types. At the height of industrial logging in the nineteenth century, much of our forests including riparian cover were removed from the landscape. Streams were removed of material including fallen trees and boulders that could impact navigability primarily for the timber harvesting industry. These changes altered the stream’s flow velocity and channel patterns that often led to many ecological consequences that are still encountered today. Streambank erosion, entrenched channels, and the lack of complex habitat resulted from the removal of woody material from streams. Without the presence of pool features that downed trees create, streams are void of important spawning areas for coldwater fish species and its ability to absorb some of the harsh effects of flooding. By simulating natural recruitment of woody material, pools are able to form, banks are protected from erosion, and base flows become colder. A stream with a diverse pattern of features such as riffles, pools, and runs perform different functions for the aquatic plants and animals living in it. Macroinvertebrates including insects, crustaceans, and mussels rely on diverse habitat types for feeding, reproduction, and protection from predators. Sensitive fish species such as trout depend on high dissolved oxygen levels that cold water provides, as well as the availability of macroinvertebrates as an important food source. Many of these habitat requirements are addressed through the presence of wood additions, whether natural or human-induced, to streams. Large wood additions are a useful tool for creating habitat and improving stream function, but is not an all-encompassing solution for reintroducing wood in streams. In the long term, protection and reintroduction of riparian forests allows a natural process of woody debris recruitment to ensure a biologically diverse stream ecosystem that ensures environmental, recreational, and economic benefits. Further Reading: Penn State Extension: Benefits of Large Woody Debris in Streams, Trout Unlimited: A Beautiful Mess, The Freshwater Trust: Benefits of Large Wood Structures in Rivers L to R: Doug Wolfgang, Executive Secretary State Conservation Commission, Richard Negrin, Secretary PA Department of Environmental Protection, Mike Ohler, Venango Conservation District Board of Directors Chairman, Gregory Hostetter, Executive Deputy Secretary PA Department of Agriculture On July 19th, 2023, the Venango Conservation District Board of Directors was honored to receive the State Conservation Commission’s Leadership Excellence Award. The award is presented annually to a conservation district board that provides a well-articulated, relevant and implemented mission addressing natural resource challenges and opportunities within the county, demonstrates exemplary leadership and service to the community, continuously supports and evaluates professional management and leadership and demonstrates a commitment to excellence in effective management, accountability, oversight and stewardship of the conservation district. Doug Wolfgang, Executive Secretary of the State Conservation Commission commended the Venango Conservation District Board of Directors on their hard work through a challenging year, leading the district through the sudden passing of District Manager Lance Bowes, while at the same time managing open positions of more than half of district staff. Accepting the award on behalf of the Venango Conservation District Board of Directors was Mike Ohler, Chairman of the Board. Mike said about leading through this challenging year that he could not say enough about how well the board responds to challenges, how well board committees work together and how active members are at meetings. He added that a good conservation district is also a response created by a good staff. Welcome, Abigail Zerbe, our new Administrative Secretary! Hi, my name is Abigail Zerbe! I am the new Administrative Secretary at the Venango Conservation District. I grew up outside of Emlenton and now live in Knox. I graduated from Clarion University in the spring of 2021 with my bachelor’s degree, double majoring in Geology and Environmental Geoscience with a concentration in Mineral Resource Exploration. During college, I interned with the Jefferson County History Center, installing their award-winning “Stones and Bones” exhibit, and I served as Geoscience Club treasurer for two semesters and president for one semester. I received my Professional Bookkeeper, Professional Tax Preparer, and QuickBooks Specialist certifications from Universal Accounting School in 2022. I consider myself perpetually curious; thus, I have a lot of hobbies. My favorite indoor pastimes include crocheting, printmaking, quilting, and aquarium keeping. Of course, I love spending time outdoors, from fly fishing or kayaking on the water to hiking in the woods. |
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