Allegheny County Conservation District Your Conservation Solution Center Strategic Plan 2015-2017 Finding the Way Historical Perspective In 1945, Pennsylvania's first districts were formed under the authority of the Conservation District Law (Act 217). On March 5, 1946, an Allegheny County resolution created the Allegheny County Soil Conservation District to be among the first in the state. Act 217 established a broad mission and tasked the state s conservation districts to, provide for the conservation of the soil, water, and related resources of this Commonwealth, and for the control and prevention of soil erosion, and thereby to preserve natural resources; assist in the control of floods; prevent impairment of dams and reservoirs; assist in maintaining the navigability of rivers and harbors; preserve wildlife; preserve the tax base; protect public lands; and protect and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth. Over the 40 or so years after it was formed, the Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD) worked hard to fulfill this broad and important mission, providing widely recognized environmental leadership in addressing water and soil issues. Throughout those years, the District was recognized as one of the best, if not the best, Conservation District in the state and was the recipient of national awards for leadership in environmental issues. In more recent years, the District narrowed its focus to the processing of Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation permits. This significant constriction, coupled with inwardly focused leadership, resulted in a District that was no longer a community
leader and one that chose to not even participate in the community environmental dialogue. At the same time, the need for a strong source of technical assistance and leadership was growing as the state and federal governments began demanding more local action related to stormwater management. Further, the municipalities were burdened with more clean water related regulations and requirements. The community turned to the District for help, but it was not in a position to respond. Vision and Mission In 2009, the District s new Board leadership began to chart a different course. The new Board members saw the challenges faced by the District and started to formulate a plan. An important factor at the time was the strong financial position of the District, which meant that the Board had the funding needed to rebuild the core of the organization. In 2011, the Board, based on a newly completed strategic plan, took the necessary steps to once again realize the potential of the organization and began to lay the foundation for what would become the District of the future. New vision and mission statements were adopted that reflected this potential: Vision The Allegheny County Conservation District envisions an educated and engaged public, clean water, and a sustainable future. Mission - The Allegheny County Conservation District is an urban conservation district that engages and leads through partnerships, innovation, and implementation to conserve, promote, and improve Allegheny County s natural resources. The stage was now set for dramatic change. In 2013, two years of hard work on the part of the Board resulted in a new District Manager, new offices in the Terminal Building, a new outreach and education coordinator, and a full time agriculture conservation technician. Again, good fiscal management and a continuing robust financial position enabled the changes that were needed. The immediate focus for the new District Manager was on rebuilding the core competencies of the organization, and within a year, this process had nearly been completed. The District s restoration effort was successful.
Stepping up into a New Role Over the past several years, a strong desire for the Conservation District to step into a leadership role, particularly on the issue of stormwater management, began to reveal itself on behalf of the civic and elected officials within the Southwestern Pennsylvanian region. Significant energy and effort had gone into the County s stormwater management issues for well over two decades by a score of authorities, municipalities, and civic organizations. However, much more work is still required, especially in terms of helping individual municipalities meet their stormwater and water quality challenges. With the District resurrected and meeting its delegated responsibilities, it is now able to strategize and create a plan to provide coordination and a leadership role in stormwater management. The County now has at its disposal a valuable tool that can be deployed in a number of directions. This Strategic Plan is designed to help define how best that tool can be deployed in service to the County. Strategies The District for decades had as its primary focus the administration of the Clean Water Act Chapter 102 program delegated to it by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. In the recent past, the District expanded its delegated responsibilities to include administration of an agricultural land management program and watershed program management. There was little attempt at integrating the two new elements into the mainstream activity of the organization. The District regarded the two new program areas as standalone, with independent responsibilities and deliverables. With the move and much of the organizational restructuring and revitalization complete, in early 2014 the Board took up the challenge of integrating the seemingly disparate program areas under a single banner. The obvious linkage was non-point source related water quality. The 102 program focused on the management of stormwater related soil erosion on development sites. The Agriculture Technician worked to reduce the loss of critical top soil through run off and contamination due to excess nutrients being carried by water into streams. The Watershed Specialist helped to rebuild eroded stream banks and help educate the public about the impact of runoff. Each of the program areas worked diligently but separately toward the same goal of reducing the impact of non-point source related runoff on water quality in the region. The municipal stormwater program
that was under consideration fit well under the non-point source rubric. But the District needed a new architecture a way of organizing itself that showed the linkages between the program areas but also allowed them to retain their own identity. In the course of the strategic planning workshops, the concept of solution centers emerged programs areas within the District that brought specific skills and resources to the County. The individual solution centers agriculture, watershed, erosion, and municipal stormwater when taken in aggregate constituted the conservation solution center for the County. Hence, the new organizing principal for the program activities of the District became the solution center. Further, each of the solution centers carried out their respective responsibilities and activities with essentially the same three strategic approaches - through technical assistance, by making key resources available (financial, regulatory, etc.), or by stepping in to provide leadership when it was needed. At this point, the District had a new identity, a new architecture, and a clear definition of how its services were delivered. The final piece that was needed was a common understanding or definition of what the District delivered or more importantly, what the organization should prioritize its time and assets around. The answer was sustainability standards best operations and maintenance practices associated with non-point source related water quality. Each of the Solution Centers that compose the District brings its perspective on sustainability standards: Agriculture: best practices related to manure, nutrient, and conservation activities Watershed: best practices related to waterways management Erosion Management: best practices related to soil conservation during development and earth disturbance Municipal Stormwater: best practices to reduce runoff and stormwater impacts. With the new organizational architecture identified along with the delivery mechanisms and the new mission built around promoting water quality related sustainability standards, it was now possible to explore in more detail ways in
which the District can best provide these standards to the community. Some of these concepts are presented below. Agricultural Solution Center The main focus of the District s agricultural program over the past 18 months has taken shape around those farms that are in proximity to priority watersheds. Moving forward, we will approach individual farms through a new whole farm approach. The whole farm approach will offer farmers a broader spectrum of services and tools than the current focus of manure and nutrient management. This new toolkit of services includes energy efficiency audits, technical assistance with stormwater management on farm roads, green infrastructure strategies for managing runoff, and conservation planning services beyond nutrient and manure management. Under the energy program we are also exposing farmers to renewable energy options and are helping them to find ways to reduce operating costs. We are also planning to take these core messages of nutrient management and conservation practices beyond the farming community to businesses and property owners with high nutrient use golf courses, schools and universities, parks, sports facilities, corporate campuses, and others - with a goal of reducing the nutrient load in the County s streams. We will also introduce them to conservation practices with a goal of reducing sediment in the streams and preserving local topsoil. Additionally, new potential tasks for this program area include leading the development of major demonstration projects in targeted impaired watersheds (managing nutrient load, manure, etc.), and leading or partnering in fund raising and strategic investment to improve water quality on municipal park lands. Watershed Solution Center The District will launch a new countywide watershed alliance, a non-profit that can serve as project manager, fiscal agent, grant applicant, etc., on behalf of local watershed-based organizations. Local watershed groups often struggle under the burden of managing a 501(c)(3) or applying for/administering grants. Sometimes this struggle can even result in the collapse of an essential watershed group. By providing a stable structure that bears the costs of operating the organization and makes available expert grant management and technical assistance, watershed
groups are better able to focus on project work and community outreach, which are generally the reasons that the group came together initially. The District s Watershed Specialist will also provide outreach to support the development of cooperative strategies related to pollutant loads in streams, Act 167 stormwater plan development, and implementation of green infrastructure. The Specialist will lead and/or build partners toward the development of major demonstration projects in targeted impaired watersheds. Potential activities include providing watershed by watershed coliform source testing (horse, duck, deer, human, etc.) to facilitate stream contamination strategies and working with local universities and the Allegheny County Health Department to assess illness avoidance as a function of water quality related investment to help guide investment strategies. Erosion Management Solution Center The core activity of the District is the administration of the Clean Streams Law Chapter 102 program delegated by the state. The District s primary responsibility is the successful execution of this program. The staff that administers the program is well trained and skilled, but the organization is somewhat limited without the support of an in-house professional engineer. The District is also highly reliant on the state Department of Environmental Protection to provide enforcement support. Representative strategies to expand and enhance the erosion management program include the following: District Engineer: The District will seek a new District Engineer, a position that has never existed. This position will open the door to new opportunities including technical assistance, project planning, and demonstration leadership among other possibilities. With the engineer in place, the District will also launch a training and outreach program related to green infrastructure solutions for new development and for redevelopment projects. Level III delegation: Additionally, the District will seek an expansion of its delegated duties under Chapter 102 to enforcing issues related to erosion and sedimentation. Currently, the District only permits and inspects issues related to erosion and sedimentation controls.
Stormwater plan reviews: The District will explore the opportunity to perform development related stormwater management plan reviews. This would reduce the current burden residing on the municipalities to perform the reviews. Municipal Stormwater Solution Center This newly created program will provide resources and technical assistance to help municipalities develop solutions to their stormwater management challenges. Examples of some of the key elements of this new initiative are presented below: Technical assistance: The District will provide technical assistance and perform research that will be made available to the municipalities to help them better understand their stormwater issues (existing and emerging regulations, water quality testing and results, etc.). Additionally, the District will provide possible solutions to remedy stormwater issues through green infrastructure options, watershed modelling, agency coordination, data collection and rationalization, etc. The District will provide internal funds as well as seek external funds to put in place demonstration projects in the communities to help promote these concepts. Roads program: The state makes funds available each year to help municipalities deal with stormwater challenges related to their dirt and gravel roads. Starting in 2014, the state is also making funds available for low volume roads. The District will again, after a decade long absence, serve as a grant maker to the municipalities for the state road funds. These funds afford the District an opportunity to work directly with municipalities on their road related stormwater management issues and, through our Stormwater Solutions program, ensure that projects are being properly coordinated to ensure the maximum reduction in pollutant loads to our watersheds. Stormwater authority: There is significant regional interest in the development of a county wide or even regional stormwater authority. The topic is very controversial, and, as a result, there has been reluctance on the
Outreach part of governmental and civic organizations to perform even preliminary work to assess its viability. Over the next two years, the District will explore this concept beginning with a benchmarking study of successful stormwater authorities in comparable regions. We will also evaluate organizational types/structures, initiate a rate study, and perform a preliminary feasibility assessment. The District will then develop a preliminary budget and model various forms of organization best suited for a stormwater authority. If it appears that the formation of such an authority makes sense, the District will put the concept forward to regional leadership, and if the decision is made to move forward, help support its implementation. An outreach function is a relatively new addition to the District, and when introduced was considered to be standalone from the rest of the organization, with independent goals and responsibilities. Moving forward, outreach will be a fundamental element of each of the solution centers, and each staff person will be expected to be an active participant in the District s outreach activities. Some of these activities will include: Remote learning: The District has begun the process of creating a video library that provides information on District processes (such as how to complete a Chapter 105 permit application), best practices (such as manure management strategies and techniques), and information on topics of interest (such as how the Right to Farm Law might apply to backyard chickens). This library is not only informational, but will allow for continuing education credits to be earned by professional partners and even allow them to obtain a special certification from the District upon completion of a certain set of modules. Social media: The District will expand its use of social media to provide relevant information to interested parties. Technology: The District is now starting to utilize an on-line permit application registration form through its revised website. With the implementation of PracticeKeeper as a file management and GIS information
system, the District will move toward more integrated data management and the potential for controlled access to data through the website. The District will also be utilizing more comprehensive electronic file storage, especially for non-npdes records. Branding: Over the past year, the District has undergone a major cultural and programmatic shift. The new website reflects the new organizational solution center based architecture, but additional work is needed that continues to capture the District s evolution. A new logo, new tabling materials, and a new look for publications such as the annual report will be important as the District moves forward. Grant program: The District collects review fees with each permit application and can distribute these funds throughout the community to support projects that help to improve water quality. In 2013, the District restructured its grant program to establish defined grant rounds, a standardized application, clear goals, and a competitive process in order to bring forward the best projects and better align the program with the Districts mission. In future years, the program will expand, as funding permits, to include strategic demonstration projects that the District initiates or that are brought to the District by key partners. Organizational Development Much effort has gone into creating a culture of professionalism and mutual respect over the past year. Key points of focus related to the continuing development of a culture that will best support staff and the Board in executing the organizational strategy are presented below. Training and Development A highly trained and professional staff is key to the organization meeting its delegated and assumed responsibilities. Examples of key elements of the District s training and development program include: Training/Crosstraining: The District has taken on Chapter 105 and will soon be exploring a Level III delegation related to enforcement. We have also added significant new program responsibilities and will continue to pursue
more opportunities for civic involvement. Fortunately, internal processes have been streamlined, new technology has brought significant efficiencies, and individuals have dedicated themselves to higher levels of productivity. However, with these new efficiencies has come a heavily reliance on individuals playing specific, critical roles in the operation, creating vulnerabilities should they not be available to perform those roles at times. As such, the need for crosstraining has never been higher nor more important to the organization. A detailed plan will be developed and implemented to ensure continuity of operations. Succession Planning: Planning for a seamless transition into the future is critical. Some informal succession planning and corresponding skills development is underway, but a much more structured approach is needed to ensure continuity. A detailed succession plan will be developed for each of the key roles in the organization. Customer Service As the District expands its role from being a reactive regulatory body to a proactive civic partner, more emphasis must be placed on good customer service. Increasingly, the District will adopt the concept of high quality customer service to help support its growing community interface. Financial Resources The District has the ability for at least some of its program-related activities to determine its own fees. As such, it has some degree of financial security. However, those program fees tend to be directly related to the economic health of the region, which is far outside the District s ability to influence. As such, the District must have taken steps to ensure its viability in light of the possibility of an economic downturn, a change in the state s strategy related to delegated program delivery, etc. Some strategies to ensure long term viability are outlined below: Operating reserve: The organization currently has approximately one year of operating reserve. A Board committee will be formed to determine an appropriate operating reserve, and should it be determined that the
reserve that is required is less than is currently in place, what should be done with the remaining funds. Diversification: The District is heavily reliant on fees associated with delegated programs, which is unlikely to change. There is opportunity, however, to explore diversification of funding sources. Other funding sources might include: o Allegheny County operating support o Private foundation funds o Fees for service o Consulting/services to other state and federal agencies o Public grant funds for projects (Growing Greener, etc.). Next Steps For each of the next three years, in parallel with the development of the annual operating budget, an annual work plan will be prepared with the purpose of continuing the implementation of the goals and ideas associated with the strategic plan. Each annual operating plan will contain clearly defined objectives for the year and measureable benchmarks to accompany them.