Penn Soil RC&D Council: 60 Years of Bringing The Pieces Together

For Community Improvements!

Canva custom creation

Penn Soil Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council is a registered 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization formed in 1964, serving the residents of eight northwestern Pennsylvania counties including Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango and Warren. Penn Soil RC&D Council actively seeks and manages grants for projects proposed by local communities and organizations which are consistent with the RC&D mission. Primarily, we provide assistance to community groups pursuing projects in one of four elements of our Strategic Area Plan: Community Development, Water Management, Land Management, and Land Conservation.

Financial and technical assistance provided by Penn Soil RC&D Council may include assisting a group to develop project plans, implement fundraising plans, developing and managing grant proposals, facilitating contractual arrangements, creating an escrow fund to hold and maintain funds raised by partner groups or contributing donors for the purpose of supporting an event or project. We also act as a fiscal agent for groups that do not have a 501(c)3 designation, such as The Toy Shoppe of Warren, The Allegheny Outdoor Club, and most recently the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania - Kinzua Country Service Unit 3628 (Warren Co.), The Kinzua Heritage Festival and the Allegheny Greenhouse senior volunteer group.

Penn Soil RC&D has operated as a true stand-alone charitable organization since losing federal funding through the USDA in 2011. Since that time, Penn Soil has been able to remain afloat without any constant, direct funding sources. Raising money through writing grants for proposed projects and soliciting donations are our main funding sources to currently pay two part-time, Co-Executive Directors (one of whom is getting ready to retire in the next year while training the new, incoming Executive Director) and pay a part-time office assistant AND fund all of the projects that we have made possible in an 8 County region! Since 2011, Penn Soil has secured over 4.3 million dollars in grants and donations and has leveraged that funding to support projects at a ratio of 10:1 compared to our annual administrative budget! Penn Soil RC&D has had an influx of requests for assistance from many groups and organizations over the last 6 months. We have several new community projects in the works already and are quickly reaching our capacity of how many projects we can plan, write grants for and manage with two part-time Co-Executive Directors during this transition phase, which will soon be down to one part-time Executive Director.

The Storywalk Trail Toy Shoppe 25th Anniversary Float New & Beginning Farmer Outreach

Some of the dozens of projects that Penn Soil RC&D has been a sponsor or partner of include:

Two Mile Run Dam project that created Justus Lake in Venango Co.
Two Mile Run Park Nature Lodge Accessibility project, Venango Co.
Clarion River Canoe Access project in Forest Co.
Creating a Value-Added Dairy program offering cheese making classes in several counties
Tionesta Public Boat Launch in Forest Co.
The Storywalk Trail at Chapman State Park, Warren Co.
Akeley Swamp Water Control Structure, Warren Co.
Allegheny Geo Trail Project in 10 counties in PA
Amish Gray Water Treatment System Research Project
180 Rural PA Dry Fire Hydrants installed statewide
Bollinger Enterprises Concession Stand project at Chapman State Park
9 years of coordinating the Nature Art Showcase and Sale in Franklin, PA in conjunction with Franklin On Ice, Venango County
Big Bend Bird Viewing Platform and ADA compliant Big Bend Riverside Watchable Wildlife Trail Paving project, Warren Co.
Bevington Boat Launch Access Area on Beaver River in Lawrence Co.
Conewango Creek & Allegheny River Cleanups, Warren Co.
Sponsoring & winning the Allegheny River as PA River of the Year 2017 designation and providing 13 mini-grants to multiple counties for community projects
Chandlers Valley Community Assoc. Dam Repair project, Warren Co.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Outreach project, Area Wide
Energy Harvest Solar Powered Water Pumping project for intensive grazing
Alternative Energy Education for Erie County Envirothon
Fuels for Schools Educational Program at Edinboro Energy Fair, Area Wide
Hosting Geo Woodstock IX Event bringing 5,000 visitors to Northwest PA in 2011
Tionesta Handicapped Accessible Fishing Pier in Forest Co.
Tionesta Beach Recreation Area Improvement project, Forest Co.
Local Agriculture as An Integrating Concept Educational Project, Warren Co.
Meadville Market House, Crawford Co.
Tionesta Valley Snowmobile Club Trail Grooming Equipment project, Forest & Warren, Co.
Morrison Trail Improvement Project, Warren Co.
Kellettville Re-Route of the North Country Trail project in Forest Co.
Lowlands Trail North County Trail Connector project, Chapman State Park, Warren, Co.
Northwest PA Nutrient Reduction Demonstration project, Area Wide
PA Wilds Trail Conference, Area wide
Kinzua Beach Pathways project on the Allegheny Reservoir, Warren Co.
Northwest PA Project Grass initiative and field days, Area Wide
5-year research project with the USDA and Michigan State University's Forest Carbon and Climate Program team to analyze ecosystem services management options as it pertains to carbon sequestration and climate change
Tri-State Poultry Assoc. Exhibit, NWPA, NEOH, & WNY
Upper Shenango River Water Trail Project, Mercer Co.
On-Farm trials of Warm Season Grass Varieties, Area Wide
Numerous projects at the PA Fish and Boat Tionesta Fish Hatchery, Forest Co.
Erie Bluffs State Park Trail Improvement project, Erie Co.
Pennsylvania Crude, Boomtowns and Oil Barons Book publishing
Hatch Run Conservation Demonstration Area improvements, Warren Co.
New and Beginning Farmer's and Women in Agriculture project working in conjunction with multiple county NRCS and Conservation District offices and staff
Outdoor Safety Day program to rotate around at least 9 Northwest PA counties
Many years of organizing Warren Co. Winterfest at Chapman State Park, Warren Co.
DRINC - an EPA grant project to address water treatment concerns in Fryburg, Pa, Clarion Co.
Adding value to local switch grass production technology project, Area Wide
and many, many, MANY more!!

From top left: New mobile switch grass poultry bedding production technology, Big Bend Bird Viewing Platform, Nature Art Showcase and Sale, Dry Hydrant, Erie Bluffs State Park Trail Improvements, one of the numerous cheese-making classes, Meadville Market House and the Polar Plunge at Warren Co. Winterfest.

Growing Your Community Connections

By Penn Soil RC&D Council

Growing Your Community Connections

Giving Tuesday kicks off our first year- end fundraiser!