Building Watershed Coalitions

Susan Myerov, Watersheds Program Director
Susan Myerov, Watersheds Program Director

As a follow-up to our 2016 series, POWR and PEC are convening a series of regional workshops across the state to identify needs and provide organizational capacity and technical resource tools to Pennsylvania’s community watershed organizations. Invited guests include staff from PA DEP, PA DCNR, County Conservation Districts and regional and local environmental organizations with watershed-focused programs and resources.

Visit the resource page for copies of workshop agendas and presentations for each of our regional meetings as they occur.
 


Staff from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) and the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) were excited to host a meeting of local watershed groups from the North Central region of Pennsylvania on April 25, 2018.  Our meeting — the first in a series of regional gatherings planned for this summer — was held at the Montour Preserve Visitors Center in Danville PA, with local and regional watershed groups and statewide organizations represented. These included:

  • Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance
  • Chillisquaque-Limestone Watershed Association
  • Fishing Creek Watershed Association
  • Pine Creek Headwaters Protection
  • Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance
  • The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership
  • Penn Future

Attendees heard presentations from Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Carol Parenzan, PA DEP Environmental Justice Regional Coordinator John Brakeall, ALLARM Executive Director Julie Vastine, and Trout Unlimited Mid Atlantic Coordinator Robert Shane. Also on hand to report on current funding opportunities were PA DEP North Central Regional Watershed Manager Jason Fellon, Montour County Conservation District Manager Sean Levan, and Agricultural Technician/Watershed Specialist Todd Deroba.

Thanks to Rob Shane of Trout Unlimited for sharing this short film about TU’s Unassessed Waters initiative:

 

Bob Stoudt, Director of the Montour Area Recreation Commission hosted our event and provided background on the preserve.  Guided tours were also provided to interested attendees after the program.

PEC’s Watershed Program Director, Susan Myerov and POWR Executive Janet Sweeney facilitated the workshop and were excited to kick off this new round of regional workshops in North Central PA in recognition of the 2018 River of the Year, the Loyalsock Creek.

 

Coming up next:  South-Central PA workshop on June 20 and Southeast PA Workshop on June 28.

For more information and to register for the June 20th workshop, please click here.

We will announce our meeting schedule for Northeast, Southwest and Northwest PA soon, so visit the resource page regularly.

For more information or questions, please contact Susan Myerov [email protected] or Janet Sweeney [email protected]