The 2015 Watershed Congress along the Schuylkill River will take place Saturday, March 14, 2015,  from 7:30AM to 3:15PM, at the Montgomery County Community College campus in Pottstown, PA.

• Register online.

The 2015 Watershed Congress will offer an empowering keynote, information packed breakout sessions, one-on-one poster discussions and more. Read more about the 2015 program, including session abstracts, here.

Benefits of Attending: Network across disciplines • Hear from experts and practitioners • Broaden your knowledge • Receive continuing education/professional development credits.

Who Should Attend? Federal, state & local agency representatives • Municipal officials & staff • Environmental consultants & contractors • Watershed organizations • Community groups • Conservancies & land trusts • Educators & students • The general public.

Registration fees include locally sourced continental breakfast and lunch with gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options.

• Registration: Through February 27th, $50
• Late Registration: February 28th through  March 14th, $75
• A special Student Rate of $35 is available for current graduate or undergraduate students. To qualify for the Student Rate, submit by mail: 1) your registration form, 2) payment, 2) a copy of your dated student ID, and 3) a copy of an official picture ID.

The Watershed Congress is a an annual gathering of citizens interested in watershed protection and restoration.

Attend as a representative of your local stream!

Montgomery County Conservation District, 143 Level Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, will receive sealed bids for the following project:  Jenkintown Creek Watershed Improvements.

Spec. #6254, Jenkintown Creek Watershed Improvements, due February 3, 2015, by 3:00 P.M.

Further information and requests to receive an official copy of a detailed specification may be found on the County website http://www.montcopa.org at the “Requests for Proposals/Bids” link.

The required certified check or bid bond must be enclosed in a sealed envelope, clearly marked on the outside “Montgomery County Conservation District Proposal for Jenkintown Creek Watershed Improvements” and delivered to the Montgomery County Conservation District, 143 Level Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, prior to the 3:00 P.M. deadline on the date set forth above.

A mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 10:00 A.M., at the site, Sisters of St. Basil the Great, 701 Fox Chase Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046.

Bids will be opened publicly by representatives of the Montgomery County Conservation District, 143 Level Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, PA at 3:30 P.M. on the same day.

The right is reserved to accept or reject any or all bids or parts thereof and to award the contract as is determined to serve the best interest of the Montgomery County Conservation District.

A new trifold pamphlet featuring a brief overview of the Chapter 102 Regulations is available for download by clicking here.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it will hold a webinar at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, to discuss the implementation of Act 162.

On Oct. 23, 2014, Governor Tom Corbett signed H.B. 1565 into law, creating Act 162. The act changes what projects are subject to the mandatory riparian buffer requirements in Chapter 102. The webinar will provide an overview of DEP’s proposed implementation of the act, including buffer equivalency demonstrations and offsetting guidance.

The webinar is geared toward, but not limited to, county conservation districts, developers, transportation engineers and mining operators.

Act 162 will go into effect on Dec. 21. DEP plans to issue interim technical guidance related to the equivalency demonstration and the offsetting guidance in advance of the effective date. These guidance documents will concurrently go through the public participation process.

Preregistration is required to participate in the webinar. To register, visit www.dep.state.pa.us and click on the webinar button. The webinar will be recorded and posted on the DEP website for future viewing.

To learn more about Act 162, visit www.dep.state.pa.us, keyword: Act 162.

For more information, call 717-787-3411.

Media contact: Amanda Witman, 717-787-1323

Revised District Application & New Expedited Review Program

The Montgomery County Conservation District Board of Directors, at the October 20, 2014, Board of Directors meeting, passed a resolution adopting revisions to the “Application for Chapter 102 and/or NPDES Permit Review.”  As well, a resolution was passed to implement an “Expedited Review Program.”  These changes will be EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2015.

Any application received after 2:00 pm on December 31, 2014, will be required to submit a project using the new application form.  The instructions and fee schedule have been revised to reflect the increasing requirements of implementing the Chapter 102/NPDES program.

The new application form and Expedited Review Policy will continue to be available on the Chapter 102/NPDES Program page of our website.

Questions pertaining to the revised “Application for Chapter 102 and/or NPDES Review” and the “Expedited Review Program” may be directed to the District Manager, Gus Meyer, at (610) 489-4506 x 22.