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INSIDE THIS ISSUE… Fulton County Conservation District: Who We Are - - - - - - - - - 2

Meadow Grounds Lake, Continued - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3

2013 Fulton County Envirothon - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4

Hidden Valley Farm Conservation Enhancement Project - - - - 5-7

County Recycling Program - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8

Creating a Vision for the Future of Fulton County - - - - - - - - - - 9

Local Environmental Action Group Forms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9

If you want one year of prosperity, plant corn.

If you want ten years of prosperity, plant trees.

If you want one hundred years of prosperity...

educate people.

Chinese Proverb

Meadow Grounds Lake Group Forms

and Teams with Conservation District

Scott Alexander, Watershed Specialist

Most Fulton County citizens were dismayed this spring

as the PA Fish and Boat Commission and PA Department

of Environmental Protection announced that Meadow

Grounds Lake would be drained indefinitely due to un-

safe conditions at the Lake’s dam and spillway. Seepage

at the west side of the dam and a spillway that was under-

sized by current standards were said to present risks that

required the immediate draining of the Lake, and pro-

posed solutions were estimated to cost between 2 and 4

million dollars.

The Fulton County Commissioners sought a second opin-

ion from a reputable engineering firm, whose assessment

painted a much less grim, and much less expensive, pic-

ture. Unfortunately, local officials were informed of the

State’s plan at the same time as the general public, so

there was little hope of finding alternative solutions. A

(Continued on Page 3)

Spring/Summer 2013

A view of the now drained Meadow Grounds Lake from the

breast of the dam. Photo courtesy of Coy Hill.

fultoncountyconservationdistrict.org

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Who We Are

The Fulton County Conservation District is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and was organized under Act 217

(Conservation District Law) of the Pennsylvania Law. Under this law, County Commissioners could declare their county a Conservation

District by a simple majority vote. As a result, the Board of County Commissioners dedicated Fulton County a Conservation District on

December 8, 1945 and a Board of Directors was formed. We are guided by our directors - local citizen volunteers who are aware of local

issues and concerns. Directors are nominated by local organizations and appointed by the County Board of Commissioners for four year

terms. District staff and programs are funded through a variety of State, County and Federal sources.

Our purpose is to promote wise use and management of soil, water, air, plants, wildlife and other natural resources through four program

areas - watershed conservation, agricultural conservation assistance, erosion and sediment control and environmental education.

What We Offer

The role of the Conservation District has evolved in recent years. Having traditionally assisted agricultural producers and other landowners

in protecting soil and reducing erosion, the district also works closely with non-agricultural landowners, developers and local government

officials to protect our natural resources.

The Conservation District protects water resources by providing technical and financial assistance with conservation planning and

permitting requirements. In addition to implementing state-delegated programs, the District leads local voluntary efforts to improve water

quality and restore watersheds through education, grants, cost-share programs and other innovative approaches.

The District believes that education is key to effective pollution prevention efforts. Our programs target a wide range of audiences

including farmers, landowners, local officials, watershed associations, conservation organizations, civic groups, churches, schools, teachers

and youth.

Our Mission

The Fulton County Conservation District is dedicated to helping our residents conserve, protect and restore the natural resources of Fulton

County, promoting the sustainable use of those resources through education as well as technical and financial assistance.

2013 District Board Meeting Schedule

January 10

February 14

March 14

April 11

May 9

June 13

July 11

August 8

September 12

October 10

November 14

December 12

All District Board Meetings are held on the 2nd

Thursday of each month. Meetings start at 10:30

AM and are held in the District Conference Room.

Board of Directors

Directors: Associate Directors:

Neill Miller, Chairman James Schall

Mark Knepper, Vice-Chairman Gary Shives

Irvin Dasher, Commissioner Lonnie Palmer

Bob Swadley, Treasurer Boyd Cromer

Wayne MacDonald Gene Mellott

Russell McLucas Edwin Layton

Jake Richards Richard Mosemann

Jason Shives Brad Palmer

Carri Younker Christian Hann

Conservation District Staff

Phone: 717-485-3547, extension 4 Fax: 717-485-4423

Seleen Shives, ext. 121 District Manager

Denise Grissinger, ext. 116 Administrative Assistant

Scott Alexander, ext. 118 Watershed Specialist

Greg Reineke, ext. 120 Environmental Education Specialist

Eric Cromer, ext. 117 Agricultural Specialist

Andy Stottlemyer, ext. 122 Erosion & Sediment Control Technician,

Franklin County Conservation District

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(Continued from Page 1)

vocal crowd of concerned citizens greeted state offi-

cials at a public meeting in McConnellsburg, and ef-

forts continued behind the scenes for weeks after-

ward, but the draining of the lake went ahead as first

announced. The PA Fish and Boat Commission and

the PA Department of Environmental Protection de-

cided that the potential public safety concerns needed

to be the highest priority, and only a full draining of

the Lake would remove that risk.

The Lake has been a staple in the lives of many for

more than 50 years. Whether used as a place to fish,

hike, hunt, walk the dog, or just to visit on a Sunday

drive, the peaceful nature, unspoiled shoreline and

wilderness character of Meadow Grounds Lake has

been of great value to many inside and outside of Ful-

ton County.

Encouraged by the successful model of a community

group which had worked through a similar dam and

spillway repair at Opossum Lake in Cumberland

County, several local citizens began to plan for the

creation of a Friends of Meadow Grounds Lake com-

munity action group.

Early conversations focused on how to best engage

legislators and decision makers and what type of lo-

cal group should be created. A website

(meadowgroundsfriends.org) and a Friends of Mead-

ow Grounds Lake Facebook group were quickly de-

veloped. Planning to file for incorporation and then

pursue charitable non-profit status, the group has cre-

ated a preliminary board of directors and bylaws and

held their first public meeting at the Fulton County

Library on June 24th.

The primary goals of the Friends of the Meadow

Grounds Lake group are “to work tirelessly, honestly,

and proudly toward the repair of the dam at Meadow

Grounds Lake and toward the restoration of the lake

to its former pristine and non-commercial glory”.

They plan to do this by engaging local citizens in

large numbers, which will pressure legislators and

state agencies to continue the process of assessing,

designing, funding and implementing the needed re-

pairs.

Fundraising will also be a part of the group’s activi-

ties. Local monies are likely to be a small portion of

the funds needed for dam and spillway repairs, but

fultoncountyconservationdistrict.org

Check out the Fulton County Conservation District’s

website! You can learn more about who we are and

the programs and services we offer, you can view our

upcoming events and find out how to get in touch with

us.

The Conservation District is also on Facebook - “Like”

us to receive the latest updates from the field and infor-

mation on upcoming events sponsored by the District.

the group will look to utilize funds collected locally

in a way that will most effectively encourage the pro-

ject to move forward.

Anticipating that becoming a charitable non-profit

will take 6 months or more, the Friends of Meadow

Grounds Lake will be partnering with the Fulton

County Conservation District to raise and safeguard

funds toward the Lake project. The Conservation

District, able to accept tax deductible contributions

toward the mission of the District, will be able to ear-

mark donated funds in an interest bearing account,

that will be used toward the design, restoration, or

enhancement of the Meadow Grounds Lake. The

monies collected will be spent only with both the ap-

proval of the Fulton County Conservation District

and Friends of Meadow Grounds Lake boards of di-

rectors. It is anticipated the partnership will be for-

malized and monies may be accepted toward the end

of July 2013.

Pictures of the devastating effect of draining Meadow

Grounds Lake have been seen online and through lo-

cal news outlets. Even when refilled, it will be many

years before the quality and size of the fish popula-

tion is restored. While the draining of the Lake has

been discouraging and disheartening, the Fulton

County Conservation District and the Friends of the

Meadow Grounds Lake encourages all concerned cit-

izens to get involved with the Friends of Meadow

Grounds Lake group and contact PA State Repre-

sentative Dick Hess and Senator John Eichelberger,

requesting updates and encouraging further action,

such as the development of dedicated funding to

maintain and repair Fish Commission lakes across the

State. With at least 12 other lakes around Pennsylva-

nia in a similar circumstance, it will be important to

maintain a vocal presence with our legislators in or-

der to “stay on the radar”.

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Southern Fulton High School

“Weasels” Team Takes 1st Place

in Local 2013 Envirothon

Greg Reineke, Environmental Education Specialist

While the day was cool and dreary, teams from sever-

al local schools braved the elements to compete in the

2013 Franklin-Fulton County Envirothon competition

held on April 30th at Cowan’s Gap State Park.

This year, a team from Southern Fulton High School

took first place in the local competition. The South-

ern Fulton High School “Weasels” team led the field.

In second place was the ”Green Machine” team from

McConnellsburg High School. Following up in third

place was McConnellsburg High School’s team, “The

Mighty Oaks.”

The SFHS “Weasels” team was comprised of Sean

Bright, Austin Mellott, Dristin Mellott, Jacob Pryor

and Connor Litton. Teacher Joe Hollenshead is the

academic advisor for the SFHS teams, along with

Junior High teacher Van Duncan.

Each member of the first place team was presented a

Visa gift card, donated by F&M Trust, a first place

medallion, a certificate of achievement and a Fulton

County Envirothon t-shirt. Environmental Education

funds, raised by the Fulton County Conservation Dis-

trict through our annual Tree Sale, help pay the

team’s way to the PA State Envirothon competition.

Winning the local competition allows the team to rep-

resent Fulton County at the State Envirothon compe-

tition.

Second place at the Fulton County Envirothon was

taken by the “Green Machine” from McConnellsburg

High School. Team members were Andrew Smith,

Jesse Swope, Brandi Welsh, Tristin Deneen and Da-

vid Welsh, Jr. Teachers Craig Elbin and Dot Doyle

are the academic advisors for the MHS teams.

The third place team, “Mighty Oaks,” from

McConnellsburg High School, consisted of Ashton

Doyle, Larkin Shearer, Grace Youngblood, Sara Beth

Winegardner and Brittany Grace.

This year, the 30th Annual Pennsylvania State Envi-

rothon was held May 21-22 at Juniata College in

Huntingdon. The SFHS team placed 26th and com-

peted against Envirothon teams from 61 counties.

The winning PA team from York County will ad-

vance to the North American Envirothon, the interna-

tional competition to be held in Montana this year.

Left to right: F&M Bank Representative, Mary Truax, Sean

Bright, Austin Mellott, Dristin Mellott, Jacob Pryor, Connor

Litton and academic advisor, Joe Hollenshead.

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Hidden Valley Farm Conservation Enhancement Project Underway

Eric Cromer, Ag Specialist

Hidden Valley Farm, located along Cove Creek south of McConnellsburg in Ayr Township, is a 130-acre farm

owned and operated by Curtis and Lori Glazier. The farm consists of nearly 80 acres of crops and 35 acres of

pasture. The Glazier’s raise dairy steers and horses and like every livestock operation, there are “brown lots”

or areas where animals congregate that have little to no vegetation growing on them. Some may choose to

simply ignore these problem areas, but the Glazier’s have chosen to minimize the impact that their operation is

having on Cove Creek and the underlying groundwater.

Every year, the Fulton County Conservation District (District) submits grant requests to the PA Department of

Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Chesapeake Bay Special Projects Program (CBP-SP). This program pro-

vides funding to implement conservation practices to protect not only the Chesapeake Bay, but our own local

waterways. The Glazier’s first worked with the District to develop a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) for

their operation. This plan included a list of conservation practices to be installed to minimize the impacts of

manure to surface and groundwater resources.

Once their NMP was completed, the Glazier’s decided to take the next step to implement some of the conser-

vation practices recommended in their plan. During the winter and early spring months, the horses were con-

fined to several sacrifice lots. Curtis and Lori noticed that these areas became extremely muddy and very hard

to work with. Slate was added in some areas to try to alleviate the problem to no avail. The District ap-

proached the Glazier’s about installing a stabilized, Heavy Use Area (HUA), which they agreed to. The HUA

will allow the Glazier’s to keep their horses on a stabilized, confined area during inclement weather and then

open up the gates and allow their horses to pasture when weather permits.

Working with the District through CBP-SP cost-share, Hidden Valley Farm will install over 15,000 square feet

of HUA protection, roof gutters, a new watering trough and will re-establish several acres of pasture that had

previously served as sacrifice lots for their livestock during the wet months of the year.

A brown lot is

an area around

the barn or in a

pasture that gets

a lot of animal

traffic, causing

areas of bare

ground. It is

necessary to

manage these

areas to keep

manure and soil

from flowing

into nearby

streams and

waterways.

6

Excavation of the

stabilized Heavy

Use Area within

the existing brown

lot begins.

New fencing is

installed to create

paddocks. The

fencing will limit

the horses access

to pasture and

confine them to the

stabilized Heavy

Use Area during

wet periods of the

year. Geotextile is

put down before

clean stone is ap-

plied.

7

Clean stone is

brought to final

grade and all are-

as surrounding the

new Heavy Use

Area are stabi-

lized.

GOT BROWN? If you have livestock, it is likely that you have a brown lot on your operation. Brown lots are referred to as Animal

Concentration Areas (ACAs) or Animal Heavy Use Areas (AHUAs). The following are considered ACAs or

AHUAs:

Barnyards

Feedlots

Loafing areas

Exercise lots

Other areas where grass will not grow

All ACAs or AHUAs must be addressed in your Manure Management Plan and Agricultural Erosion & Sediment

Control Plan. State regulations require you to:

Divert clean water away from the ACA/AHUA;

Collect or treat dirty water flowing from the ACA/AHUA;

Minimize the size of the ACA/AHUA;

Move feeding and watering areas away from streams;

Limit animal access to streams;

Routinely remove manure where it has accumulated.

To make sure the management of an existing ACA or AHUA on your operation is meeting the current regulatory

requirements, please contact Eric at 717-485-3547.

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Recycle Your Rechargeable Batteries

Greg Reineke, Recycling Coordinator

Has your cordless power tool battery gone bad, cell

phone battery died, cordless phone battery gone bel-

ly-up or your battery back-up system is no longer

holding a charge? The Fulton County Conservation

District is now your outlet for recycling rechargea-

ble batteries. M&M Electronics was accepting such

batteries, but they are no longer in business in Ful-

ton County. The Conservation District, in conjunc-

tion with the rechargeable battery recycling pro-

gram, Call2Recycle, is now your Fulton County

drop-off site for unwanted rechargeable batteries.

Please drop-off batteries during normal business

hours (8:00 AM—4:00 PM, Monday through Fri-

day) at the Conservation District Office. If you

have lead acid batteries, they can be dropped off at

any of the electronics collection sheds, or can be

recycled at R&D Recycling, located at 27438 Great

Cove Road, north of McConnellsburg. Please, no

regular household batteries will be accepted, only

rechargeable batteries!

If you have questions, please contact Greg at 717-

485-3547.

Hold Onto Your TV’s!

Greg Reineke, Recycling Coordinator

If you have a television to recycle, please hold onto it

for a few months. One of our electronics collection

sheds is literally spilling out into the parking lot. Our

electronics trailer is full, it has been for a month and

we are on a waiting list for an empty one.

So until the present backlog has a chance to work it-

self out, please hold onto those televisions for a while

longer. I am hoping that we will get an empty trailer

soon, but even if we do, the quantity of televisions that

keep coming in is overwhelming the state-wide elec-

tronics recycling program. There are apparently hun-

dreds of thousands of TV’s and they are extremely

difficult to recycle.

As you hopefully know, a law was passed making it

illegal to dispose of televisions, computers and com-

puter peripheral equipment in the garbage. Of course,

it has always been illegal to pitch it along the road, but

that is another issue. Fulton County, before the law

even went into effect, developed a program whereby

residents could take electronics to one of four “sheds”

that are near the current single stream recycling drop

boxes. The electronics were then collected, separated,

boxed or palletized and placed on a trailer. When the

trailer was full, it was picked up by a recycling compa-

ny and was switched out with an empty one.

That worked well enough, until the law actually went

into effect this past January. The amount of electron-

ics that have been pouring in has been nothing short of

mind-boggling. While we have quite a bit being col-

lected in Fulton County, there are counties in the state

that see more material in one week than we have in the

past year! The companies that wind up dealing with

all those electronics are completely overwhelmed and

every one of them has a huge backlog of material that,

at present, they cannot get rid of. Why should you

care? If they cannot deal with what they have, then

they cannot deal with what we collect!

Therefore, until the end of the summer, please do

not bring in any televisions to recycle. Just hold on-

to them for a while and hopefully things will smooth

out and we can start taking them again later in the

year. From the looks of many of the TV’s that come

in, many of you have had them around for many

years, so I am hoping a few months will not be an

imposition!

If you absolutely cannot handle having the TV

around, check with electronics stores such as Best

Buy, etc. and see if they will recycle your television.

Some stores will, but they have restrictions on size

and type. Call first!

COUNTY RECYCLING

PROGRAM

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Creating a Vision for the Future

of Fulton County

Seleen Shives, District Manager

In July, Conservation District Directors and Staff

will participate in the first of two, day-long ses-

sions to develop a Strategic Plan for the Conser-

vation District. Strategic planning is the system-

atic process of envisioning a desired future and

translating this vision into broadly defined goals

or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve

them.

Over the past several years, the Conservation

District has been in “survival mode” due to a

number of factors beyond our control: county

and state budget cuts, program changes, addi-

tional workload, etc. The Directors and Staff

feel that it is time to regroup and refocus our ef-

forts with the resources that are available to us.

Ultimately, the Conservation District serves the

citizens of Fulton County. We want to make a

significant impact in our community. We wish

to create a better future for the individuals we

serve and the community we affect. The Dis-

trict’s Strategic Plan will serve as our “north

star” for the vision that we hope to create.

Local Environmental Action Group

Forms to Raise Awareness

Greg Reineke, Environmental Education Specialist

Are you interested in local environmental concerns?

Do you feel that there are pressing conservation needs

or concerns that are not being addressed in Fulton

County? Would you like to discuss larger, global envi-

ronmental issues and how they relate to Fulton County?

Do you have an interest in helping develop workshops,

tours, and other outreach for county residents to look

more closely at local environmental concerns and im-

proving life here in Fulton County?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then

please consider becoming a part of the Environmental

Action Group. This is a group of local citizens that is

meeting to address the aforementioned questions.

While the Fulton County Library and the Fulton County

Conservation District are supporting and assisting in

this endeavor, the group is primarily made up of inter-

ested citizens that have come together in their shared

concern for the welfare of Fulton County and its envi-

ronment. We want to welcome you and your contribu-

tions to this group.

At this time, the group has proposed to develop and pro-

vide a series of workshops over the coming year. The

Conservation District submitted an Environmental Edu-

cation grant request to the PA Department of Environ-

mental Protection and was awarded a mini-grant to help

facilitate the workshop series. We hope to start the pub-

lic education programs this September.

The Environmental Action Group desires to look at how

environmental and conservation issues can impact our

life here in Fulton County. We want to discuss what

steps can be taken - as individuals, as households, as

businesses and as a community at large - to successfully

guide us in addressing these issues. The group looks

forward to your active participation and suggestions for

discussion points.

To find out how you can participate in this group, please

go to the Fulton County Conservation District website,

www.fultoncountyconservationdistrict.org or “Like”

our Facebook page, or call the District at 717-485-3547.

Your voice and input is important!

2013 TREE SALE

The Board of Directors and Staff

would like to thank all those who supported

the District’s Environmental Education

Program by purchasing trees this year.

We hope you enjoy them!

Stay tuned to the 2013 Fall/Winter Newsletter

for details on next year’s Tree Sale!

10

PLEASE HELP US UPDATE OUR MAILING LIST:

Contact us by e-mail, or clip and send this card to:

Fulton County Conservation District

216 North 2nd Street, Suite 15

McConnellsburg, PA 17233

e-mail: fccd@pa.net

Name __________________________________________

Address ________________________________________

City ___________________________________________

State ______________ Zip Code ____________________ Check One: ______ I’m receiving duplicate copies. ______ Please add my name to your list.

______ Change of address.

______ Please remove my name from your list.

2013 Holiday Schedule:

The District Office will be closed in observance of the

following holidays:

January 1, 2013 New Year’s Day

January 21, 2013 Martin Luther King Day

February 18, 2013 Presidents Day

March 29, 2013 Good Friday

May 27, 2013 Memorial Day

July 4, 2013 Independence Day

September 2, 2013 Labor Day

November 11, 2013 Veterans Day

November 28 & 29 2013 Thanksgiving

December 2, 2013

December 24 & 25, 2013 Christmas

216 North 2nd Street, Suite 15

McConnellsburg, PA 17233

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Mailing

Address

Goes

Here

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