Cumberland County Conservation District reports on Envirothon, farm runoff projects, ENS/PCSM workload and succession planning

District staff provided a six‑month update on conservation work and operations, highlighting youth outreach programs, revenue sources that support conservation programming, completed farm runoff mitigation projects, E&S/PCSM permitting activity, and internal succession planning.

Carl Gutschhorn, district director, reported that this year’s Envirothon drew more than 80 students from five public high schools; Shippensburg High School won the local competition and placed in the top 15 at the state level. The program offers testing in aquatics, forestry, soils and wildlife and relies on coordination with schools and agency staff to run the contest.

The district’s annual tree sale remains a major fundraiser, providing roughly $8,000 that supports Envirothon awards, meals and related programming. Staff noted growing interest in containerized plants (potted redbud, serviceberry, sweetbay magnolia) because of higher survival rates and ease of planting.

Gutschhorn described completed agricultural best‑management projects that reduced nutrient runoff: installation of roofed heavy‑use areas, manure stacking pads designed for up to six months of storage, and downspout/sump designs to recharge groundwater and prevent runoff. He highlighted a farm where adding fans reduced bedding usage by about half because circulation kept livestock areas drier. Several projects are complete, five were in progress and eight to nine projects are planned for the coming year; typical project delivery from initial assessment to completion can take about a year.

The district noted recognition for Ridge Road work: a statewide dirt‑and‑gravel award and a tour attended by municipal representatives. Local clean‑water awards were given to Mainline Excavating and to landowners who implemented conservation practices in the Middle Spring watershed.

On erosion and sediment control (E&S) and post‑construction stormwater management (PCSM), the district explained that Cumberland is a level‑3 delegated district with authority to enforce violations and conduct technical PCSM reviews. Inspection counts fell after 2019 (partly due to COVID) but are rebuilding; fee revenues this year are roughly in line with 2023 when accounting for a general permit renewal that skewed some counts in 2024. The district is considering converting a part‑time ENS inspector role to full time and possibly expanding a part‑time engineer position to full time if workload and permit volumes remain high; those staff additions would be funded from the district’s clean water fund rather than the county general fund.

Staff discussed permitting thresholds: historically the disturbed‑area threshold was lowered over time (from 25 to 5 to 1 acre) and there is no current plan to raise the one‑acre threshold. DEP has a low‑hazard/local environmental concern general permit that has not had widespread takeup; staff said eligibility criteria may be loosened in the future to better serve smaller projects.

Carl and staff reviewed succession planning undertaken since 2017: creation of an assistant manager and two program manager positions, internal promotion of Emily Stambaugh to ag program manager, the hiring of an ENS program manager (Thomas Schwartz), and a planned retirement and transition for Carl. The district intends to finalize training and complete the staff transition by year‑end.

The report closed with fundraising highlights: a golf tournament raised nearly $13,000 this year (the largest single year) and roughly $88,000 since inception to support Envirothon scholarships and conservation education.

Ending: Commissioners thanked district staff for the presentation and their attention to water resources and conservation programming.