Pa Environment Digest Oct. 17, 2016

PA Environment Digest
An Update On Environmental Issues In Pennsylvania

Edited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates
Winner Of PA Association of Environmental Educators
Business Partner Of The Year Award
PA Environment Digest Daily Blog
Issue #642
Harrisburg, PA
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October 17, 2016
Environmental Issues In Play During Waning Days Of Senate, House Session

The final six scheduled voting days before the election, and the end of
this legislative session, will start October 17, so whatever the House and
Senate want to get done will have to happen in the next two weeks.
After that, all bills die and have to start over in January.
There is potential action on several environmental issues,
including: endangered species, Marcellus Shale drilling regulations, on
the states approach to environmental laws generally, the states Uniform
Construction Code, automatic DEP erosion control permits, making it
easier to destroy unused and unwanted drugs, opening State Parks to
commercial development, deer management policy and natural gas pipeline safety.
Of course, theres always the chance for big surprises, just like happened during the last
few budget seasons. For example, language from a stand-alone bill can easily be added to
another Christmas tree bill with a hodgepodge of other provisions.
Heres a partial list of some issues that may be in play--- House - Endangered Species: Rep. Jeff Pyle (R-Armstrong) has filed amendments to Senate
Bill 1166 (Stefano-R- Fayette) and Senate Bill 1168 (Eichelberger-R-Blair) now on the House
Calendar to add unrelated language to reduce protection for endangered species during
environmental permit reviews.
The language now in Senate Bill 1166 and Senate Bill 1168 would allow the Game and
Fish and Boat Commission to set their own license fees.
The amendments: Senate Bill 1166-- A10257 and A10259 and to Senate Bill 1168-A10260 and A10258-- are similar to legislation Rep. Pyle introduced three years ago as House
Bill 1576. The bill has not been reintroduced since.
Pennsylvanias environmental programs have protected endangered species since 1974.
Click Here for background on the legislation.
-- House - Marcellus Drilling Regs: The House is expected to take up an amendment to be
offered by Rep. Jaret Gibbons (D-Beaver) to House Bill 1391 (Everett-R-Lycoming) to rollback
well site restoration, waste disposal reporting and freshwater construction standards now in
DEPs final Chapter 78a Marcellus Shale drilling regulations.
Amendment A09804 is a 7-page amendment that would gut House Bill 1391, which deals
with the unrelated oil and gas well landowner royalty issue, and slip in regulatory language
repealing several Chapter 78a provisions (page 5 & 6 of the amendment).
Rep. Gibbons is the Democratic Chair of the House Oil and Gas Caucus. Click Here for
more background.
The Senate also passed Senate Bill 1229 (Vogel-R-Beaver) in July that would rollback
the same provisions in DEPs regulations. The bill is now in the House Rules Committee on a
concurrence vote.
In a related action Thursday, the Marcellus Shale Coalition filed a lawsuit in
Commonwealth Court to block implementation of DEPs Chapter 78a regulations for issues
similar to those raised in the amendments.
-- House - Automatic OK Of DEP Erosion Control Permits: Another amendment posted for
consideration to House Bill 1391 (Everett-R-Lycoming) by Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny)-(Amendment A09798)-- would require automatic approval of DEP erosion and sedimentation
control permits if the applications were submitted by a licensed engineer, regardless if they
actually meet Chapter 102 requirements. Click Here for more background.
-- House - Opening State Parks To Commercial Development: In July the House defeated
attempts to open State Parks to commercial development by a vote of 123 to 77. However,
House Bill 2013 (Ellis-R-Butler) could be brought up again at any time for a final House vote.
Click Here for more background.
-- House - Return To Unscientific Deer Management Program: House Bill 2083
(Maloney-R- Berks), which would return the Game Commission to an unscientific approach to
deer management by creating a new Independent Forest and Wildlife Advisory Council to
manage deer by the maximum sustained yield method (sponsor summary), was reported out of
the House State Government (not Game and Fisheries Committee) on September 26 and Tabled.
It could be brought up for a vote at any time.
-- Senate - No More Stringent Than Federal Law: Senate Resolution 385 (Brooks-RCrawford) directing the Joint State Government Commission to identify environmental laws and
regulations more stringent than federal law. The Resolution is is now on the Senate Calendar for
action. It only takes one vote in the Senate to make this happen. No House action is required.
-- Senate - Uniform Construction Code: House Bill 568 (Evankovich-R-Allegheny) which
would change the way the states Uniform Construction Code is updated, including energy
conservation measures, is now in the Senate Rules Committee, back from the House on a
concurrence vote.
The PA Environmental Council, Delaware Valley Green Building Council and the
Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance have expressed concerns about the bill saying its provisions
significantly delays the updating process and the benefits of more efficient new construction.
-- Senate - Nomination Of Patrick McDonnell As DEP Secretary: On September 21, Gov.
Wolf nominated Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell to be the permanent Secretary for the
Department of Environmental Protection. McDonnell has filled that post since the May 20
resignation of John Quigley. The nomination requires an up or down vote by the Senate.
-- Making It Easier To Destroy Unwanted Drugs: With Senate and House leaders and Gov.
Wolf focused on addressing issues related to the opioid crisis in Pennsylvania, taking steps to
prevent prescription drug abuse, like promoting collection events for unused prescription and
over-the-counter drugs, is part of the solution.

Gov. Wolf noted in his address to a Joint Session of the Senate and House on September
28 there are 520 take-back boxes located at police stations across Pennsylvania, and these efforts
have collected and destroyed over 145,000 pounds of prescription drugs, including opioids.
The language in House Bill 1737 (Maher-R-Allegheny) would make it much easier to
permanently dispose of unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Click Here for more
background.
The bill is supported by a variety of groups, including DEPs Environmental Justice
Advisory Board which highlighted the importance of providing safe disposal of unwanted or
unneeded prescription and other drugs.
Covanta Energy, which supplies safe and secure disposal of prescription drugs through its
Rx4 Safety Program, also supports the legislation. Covanta operates five energy-from-waste
facilities in Pennsylvania, including in Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery and York
counties.
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to take up the
bill at a meeting on October 17.
As it happens, October 22 is DEAs National Drug Take-Back Day. Click Here to learn
more about collection events in Pennsylvania.
-- End Exemption From PA One Call For Natural Gas Gathering Lines: The Senate passed
Senate Bill 1235 (Baker-R-Luzerne) that would end the exemption from PA One Call, the call
before you dig program, for natural gas gathering lines (Senate Fiscal Note and summary) on
September 27. The bill is in the House Consumer Affairs Committee.
The Public Utility Commission is supporting the bill, but the conventional oil and gas
drillers represented by the PA Independent Oil and Gas Association (the same group that killed
DEPs conventional drilling regulations) opposes the bill.
The entire PA One Call law is due to sunset on December 31, 2016 without final action
by the House and Senate.
Rep. Bob Godshall (R-Montgomery), Majority Chair of the House Consumer Affairs
Committee, has his own bill-- House Bill 2308-- that would simply extend the program for one
year.
Six more days, what will the Senate and House do on environmental issues? Stay tuned,
well find out soon.
This best expresses the sentiments of everyone watching the last few days of session:
Click Here.
NewsClips:
Marcellus Shale Industry Sues To Block New PA Drilling Laws
Advocates Urge Last-Minute Vote To Save PA Pipeline Safety Law
Marcellus Shale Industry Sues To Block Certain Provisions Of New DEP Drilling Rules
Philly.com reported Thursday the Marcellus Shale
Coalition filed a legal challenge in Commonwealth Court
asking that DEP be blocked from enforcing certain
provisions in the Chapter 78a drilling regulations until it
can be determined if DEP has the statutory authority to
enact those provisions. The regulations went into effect on October 8.

The challenges include:
-- A rule expanding the responsibility of drillers to avoid and protect threatened and endangered
species, which the industry says goes beyond current state or federal law;
-- A rule that requires operators to identify and plug any nearby abandoned well, which drillers
say would require them to obtain access to property they do not control, and would impose
plugging liability for wells the operators do not own;
-- New rules governing centralized freshwater storage ponds, which the industry says are not
authorized by Act 13; and
-- Other rules governing site restoration, spill-reporting, and waste-disposal permitting.
Today, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) filed suit on behalf of its members and
their employees challenging the validity of a limited number of specific provisions contained in
the final Chapter 78a rulemaking, said David J. Spigelmyer, the president of the Coalition.
This approach, which we had hoped we would not have to pursue, was necessary to assert the
legal rights of our members directly impacted by final rulemakings provisions, which conflict
with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) statutory authority as
well as Supreme Court precedent.
Pennsylvanias natural gas industry is governed by some of the nations most stringent
laws and regulations, and our members continue to follow all relevant Pennsylvania and federal
environmental statutes and regulations. Even with a record number of on-site inspections of
unconventional oil and gas well sites, DEPs own data illustrates that environmental compliance
in the oil and gas industry has never been better.
To be absolutely clear, the MSC and its members support fair, consistent, and clear
regulation of the industry while protecting the environment and ensuring safety. However,
certain provisions conflict with DEPs legal authority granted by the Pennsylvania General
Assembly while other provisions are vague and not clear how they will be implemented by the
agency. In order to meet regulatory requirements, industry needs clear and unambiguous
regulations that are consistent with the legislatures intent. These shortcomings are immediately
harmful to our industry because they affect our ability to conduct business and remain
competitive.
We continue to seek ways to work constructively with the DEP to address issues
surrounding the implementation of the new regulations, but on a limited number of issues, its
imperative that members seek legal redress to provide clarity and consistency.
Click Here for a copy of the legal filing.
Legislative Changes
At the same time, the Marcellus Shale Coalition is pursuing similar changes to DEPs
regulations in the House and Senate when they return to voting session October 17.
The Senate passed Senate Bill 1229 (Vogel-R-Beaver) in July that would rollback similar
provisions raised in the lawsuit. The bill is now in the House Rules Committee on a concurrence
vote.
The House is expected to take up an amendment-- Amendment A09804-- to be offered
by Rep. Jaret Gibbons (D-Beaver) to House Bill 1391 (Everett-R-Lycoming) to rollback similar
provisions.
Rep. Gibbons is the Democratic Chair of the House Oil and Gas Caucus. Click Here for
more background.
Gov. Wolf: Bipartisan Agreement To Proceed In June

In June when Gov. Wolf signed legislation killing DEPs Chapter 78 regulations covering
conventional drilling operation, he said this about the Chapter 78a regulations covering
Marcellus Shale drilling-I am pleased to have reached bi-partisan agreement with the legislature to proceed with
the Chapter 78a unconventional oil and gas regulations, which will better protect the health of
our environment and our residents, said Gov. Wolf. As part of the compromise I reached with
the legislature, my administration will get to work immediately to redraft conventional
regulations, and I have directed the Department of Environmental Protection to begin the
process.
NewsClips:
Marcellus Shale Industry Sues To Block New PA Drilling Rules
Gas Industry Files Suit Challenging New Drilling Rules In PA
AP: Gas Industry Challenges New Drilling Rules In PA
Swift: Court Decision On Drilling Impacts Environmental Agenda
Editorial: Lawmakers Should Be Comprehensive When Retooling Drilling Law
With Kids In Tow, Parents Call On Wolf To Regulate Methane
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Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Govs Schedule

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as
well as a list of new environmental bills introduced-Bill Calendars
House (October 17): House Bill 1391 (Everett-R-Lycoming) establishing a guaranteed
minimum oil and gas well royalty (sponsor summary); House Resolution 872 (Causer-R-Forest)
urging federal and state regulatory agencies to use science-based, peer-reviewed data to evaluate
crop protection chemistry and nutrients (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 1166 (Stefano-RFayette) authorizing hunting license changes by Game Commission and Senate Bill 1168
(Eichelberger- R-Blair) authorizing fishing license changes by Fish & Boat Commission.
<> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (October 17): Senate Bill 16 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) establishing a task force on lead and
the hazards of lead poisoning and authorizing a study (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 385
(Pileggi-R- Delaware) further providing for Transit Revitalization investment Districts on
concurrence; Senate Resolution 385 (Brooks-R-Crawford) directing the Joint State Government
Commission to identify environmental laws and regulations more stringent than federal law;
House Bill 1103 (Zimmerman-R- Lancaster) exempting agricultural high-tunnel greenhouse
structures from stormwater permitting requirements (House Fiscal Note and summary). <> Click
Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meeting Agendas This Week
Note: House and Senate Committees can meet with little or no notice as we go through the last 6
days of voting session for the year.
House: the Consumer Affairs Committee meets to consider House Bill 1280 (Farry-R-Bucks)
prohibit a plastic bag ban, tax or fee (sponsor summary), Senate Bill 881 (Blake-D-Lackawanna)
exempting from the definition of public utility a resort offering water or sewer service to private
homes within a resort (sponsor summary). <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill
1737 (Maher-R-Allegheny) further providing for the safe destruction of unwanted or unused
prescription and other drugs (House Fiscal Note and summary) and will hold a joint hearing with
the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on Pennsylvanias strategy for meeting
Chesapeake Bay Watershed cleanup requirements. <> Click Here for full Senate Committee
Schedule.
Bills Pending In Key Committees
Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state
legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.
Here are links to key Standing Committees in the House and Senate and the bills pending in
each-House
Appropriations
Education
Environmental Resources and Energy
Consumer Affairs
Gaming Oversight
Human Services
Judiciary
Liquor Control
Transportation
Links for all other Standing House Committees
Senate
Appropriations
Environmental Resources and Energy
Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Community, Economic and Recreational Development
Education
Judiciary
Law and Justice
Public Health and Welfare
Transportation
Links for all other Standing Senate Committees
Session Schedule
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House-Senate
October 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26
November 16
House
October 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26
November 14, 15
Governors Schedule
Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day
will be posted each morning. Click Here to view Gov. Wolfs Weekly Calendar and Public
Appearances.
News From The Capitol

Senate Environmental Committee Meets Oct. 17 On Prescription Drug Destruction Bill
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is
scheduled to meet on October 17 to consider House Bill 1737
(Maher-R-Allegheny) further providing for the safe destruction of
unwanted or unused prescription and other drugs (House Fiscal
Note and summary).
The bill is supported by a variety of groups, including DEPs
Environmental Justice Advisory Board which highlighted the
importance of providing safe disposal of unwanted or unneeded
prescription and other drugs.
counties.
As it happens, October 22 is DEAs National Drug Take-Back Day. Click Here to learn
more about collection events in Pennsylvania.
The meeting will be held in the Rules Room and will be called off the Floor.
Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental
Committee and can be contacted by sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov. Sen. John Yudichak
(D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:
yudichak@pasenate.com.
Related Story:
PA Resources Council, PA American Water Drug Take-Back Events Oct. 22 In Pittsburgh
Chesapeake Bay Strategy Hearing Oct. 18 By Senate Environmental & Ag Committees
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee
and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee have scheduled a
joint hearing on October 18 on Pennsylvanias strategy for
meeting Chesapeake Bay Watershed cleanup requirements.
The Committees are specifically interested in opinions on
Pennsylvanias Chesapeake Bay Restoration Strategy and any
potential funding sources to meet future mandates.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA will be among the
witnesses providing testimony.
The hearing will be in Hearing Room 1 of the North Office Building starting at 9:30 a.m.
Sen. Elder Vogel (R-Beaver) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Agriculture
Committee, and can be contacted by sending email to: evogel@pasen.gov. Sen. Judy Schwank
(D-Berks) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:
SenatorSchwank@pasenate.com.
NewsClips:
PA Gets Critical Funds To Reduce Pollution From Farms
PA Farmers To Get $28 Million For Water Quality
Crable: Tax Hikes, Stormwater Fees After New Regulations In Lancaster
Cochranton Borough Officials To Review Stormwater Issues
Capital Region Water Unveils $50M In Upgrades At Wastewater Plant
Students Paddle Susquehanna With Teach Whos Seen It All
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
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News From Around The State

ARRIPPA, EPCAMR Urge Senate To Continue Waste Coal Power Plant Tax Credits
ARRIPA, the Anthracite Region Independent Power Producers
Association, Tuesday urged the Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee to preserve a recently
adopted tax credit measure that is set to increase from $7.5
million to $10 million per year in 2017 and to explore other
opportunities for economic support and regulatory relief that
would help to keep the plants operating.
Robert Hughes, Executive Director, Eastern PA Coalition
for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, also presented comments
to the Committee supporting the tax credit program.
The FY 2016-17 state budget included a new $7.5 million Coal Refuse Energy and
Reclamation Tax Credit Program promoted by Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair
of the Committee.
Click Here to watch a video of the hearing.
Coal Waste Power Plants
In the last 20 years, Pennsylvanias 14 coal-refuse generating plants have removed 200
million tons of environmentally damaging coal refuse scattered throughout the coal regions of
the state, improved or restored more than 1,200 miles of polluted streams and reclaimed more
than 7,000 acres of abandoned land into productive uses.
With at least 300 million tons of coal refuse remaining, the industry is in danger of
having to shutter these plants, leaving behind the coal piles, either to become a taxpayer clean up
liability or a continuing source of acidic water and air pollution and a health and safety threat.
The reasons for this distress are largely economic.
A sluggish economy has reduced the demand for electricity, while a dislocated natural
gas market in Pennsylvania featuring excessive supply and abnormally low prices have conspired
with such reduced electricity demand to undercut the wholesale electricity pricing market and
make it uneconomical to generate electricity with coal refuse.
Were asking the Commonwealth to be our partner in addressing an important
environmental issue, said George Ellis, Executive Director of ARIPPA. Weve made steady
progress over the last two decades in removing coal refuse and turning it into energy, along with
beneficial ash that can be recycled and used to remediate mining sites and in products such as
concrete and asphalt.
We generate electricity in order to pay for our environmental activities the removal of
abandoned coal refuse piles and the remediation and restoration of coal refuse affected sites. If
our industry does not survive, the cleanup becomes the responsibility of the Commonwealth and
its taxpayers.
The refuse to energy industry also plays a very important role in the economy of the
Commonwealth, said Ellis Our facilities support family-sustaining jobs that pay an average of
$70,000 per year. When operating at peak capacity, the industry generates $740 million annually
in economic benefits to Pennsylvania, concentrated mainly in rural areas.
A robust tax-credit program combined with other regulatory and economic support will
enable these economic benefits along with the environmental remediation activities to continue.
The Commonwealth provided this past June a tax credit of $4 for each ton of qualified
coal refuse used to generate electricity, capped at $7.5 million in 2016. The cap is set to increase
to $10 million in 2017 and beyond.
ARIPPA is urging the Commonwealth to let this process play out to ensure continued
remediation of these coal refuse piles.
ARIPPA presented the Senate Committee with an economic and environmental analysis
prepared by Econsult Solutions, of Philadelphia.
The report said, at its peak, the industry removes and uses 10 million tons of coal refuse
and reclaims and remediates 200 acres per year, improving numerous waterways and
groundwater resources, the Commonwealths air, and the health and safety of its citizens in the
process.
Starting at a baseline of zero today and supporting these activities moving forward would
yield quantifiable environmental benefits of nearly $6 million in the first year alone and would
total more than $520 million over the next 20 years.
Moreover, the industry is estimated to generate nearly $20 million in annual taxes and
fees for the Commonwealth through sales, income and business taxes and environmental taxes
and fees.
Coal refuse, also known as waste coal, boney, culm and gob, is a legacy of previous coal
mining. It consists of low-quality coal mixed with rock, shale, slate, clay and other material that
was discarded as a waste during the original coal extraction operations and randomly disposed
in piles near the mine sites or at transfer stations.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection, there are at least 840 such
piles on nearly 10,000 acres of abandoned mine lands scattered throughout the commonwealths
anthracite and bituminous coalfields.
These piles, which can spontaneously combust or catch fire from lightning strikes, and
which also leach acid mine water and other hazardous substances, are major sources of polluted
water and air and represent public health and safety hazards.
Based on DEPs most recent inventory, the piles are estimated to contain at least 300
million tons of coal refuse.

The coal refuse energy facilities provide a unique environmental benefit by utilizing
state-of-the-art fluidized-bed combustion technology to generate electricity from coal refuse.
The facilities are strategically located adjacent to the coal refuse piles, and with the
exception of one plant the Seward facility are relatively small in size, with heat input rates as
low as 30 megawatts, and averaging between 80 to 85 megawatts of generating capacity.
Nevertheless, the plants collectively generate about 10 percent of the total electricity
produced in the Pennsylvania/West Virginia region.
In 2010, Pennsylvanias 14 coal refuse plants generated 10.5 million megawatt-hours of
energy and consumed 11.4 million tons of coal refuse. Production declined slightly over a
five-year period, but still averaged 9.3 million megawatt-hours of energy and 10.5 million tons
of coal refuse from 2010 through 2014.
In 2015, energy production fell an estimated 27 percent from this five-year average, to
6.8 million megawatt-hours, and coal refuse consumption fell an estimated 22 percent, to 8.2
million tons.
Projections for this year show an even steeper annual decline, with energy production
projected to decline 33 percent to 4.5 million megawatt-hours, and coal refuse consumption
projected to decline 35 percent, to 5.3 million tons.
The 2016 activity levels are anticipated to be approximately half of the annual averages
observed from 2010 through 2014.
These plants have saved the Commonwealth millions of dollars in cleanup costs, but the
current economic conditions have caused a large drop in the cleanup efforts, said Ellis.
Maintaining the tax credit program at increasing levels as set forth in the 2016-17 budget,
combined with other regulatory and economic support, will help us return to the level of activity
of previous years, reducing pollution, restoring streams and reclaiming land for productive uses.
Click Here for a copy of ARIPPAs complete testimony.
EPCAMR Mine Reclamation
To see the amount of material that has been excavated, backfilled, seeded, and mulched,
on dozens of reclamation sites over the last two decades is simply amazing and truly a testament
to the land reclamation efforts of the waste coal industry, said Robert Hughes, Executive
Director of EPCAMR. Fuels managers, machine operators, plant operators, and heavy
equipment operators and their fuel supply companies, like Northampton Fuel Supply, Inc., who
just won the National Association of Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Award last week for
the extensive land reclamation efforts that has had to occur on the Loomis Bank Operation,
Hanover Township, Luzerne County, PA to backfill, regrade, create surface contours and
conveyances to control stormwater, and to keep surface water from entering the underground
abandoned mine pool in the lower Wyoming Valley that would have ultimately continued to
contribute to the formation of abandoned mine drainage (AMD) that would have ended up
discharging into the Nanticoke Creek Watershed, had they not reclaimed the site.
What stands out the most is the lack of the mountainous black banks of waste coal,
culm, slate rock, and burnt clinkers of coal that dominated the regional landscape historically,
explained Hughes. There is no longer the smell of burning mine fires with its sulfur gas
dispersing into the air as prevalent as it was 20 years ago. The greening of the landscape and
topography, along with the surface features that have been reclaimed now dominate hundreds of
reclamation sites.
Land reclamation has significantly reduced the environmental damage that had
historically been a problem across the Coal Region, said Hughes. The work of the waste coal
industry has improved thousands of acres of trees, grasses, and wildflowers that have now been
reestablished on sites with lush vegetative growth and ground cover that has reduced sediment
and erosion into the local waterways.
Click Here for a copy of EPCAMR complete testimony.
The hearing was held in the Carbon County Courthouse Annex Building in Jim Thorpe.
Visit the Senate Environmental Committee webpage for more information on the hearing.
Click Here to watch a video of the hearing.
NewsClips:
PAs Coal Refuse Plants Look To Harrisburg For Aid
Coal Waste Recycling Industry Asks For Legislative Lifeline
Campaign Starting Now To Reauthorize Federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fee
Pennsylvania, as well as many other States and Tribes
across the Nation, are gearing up to push Congress to
reauthorize the reclamation fees associated with the
federal Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act.
The fees are set to expire in 2021.
These reclamation fees, placed on every ton of
coal mined by the active coal mining industry, are
deposited into the federal Abandoned Mine Land
Fund which provides States and Tribes with funding
for the eliminate of health and safety hazards and
environmental degradation left over from our Nation's pre-regulation coal mining era.
Without the per-ton fee on today's coal mining industry, communities will continue to be
burdened with abandoned mine pollution, degraded economies, and decreased quality of life.
The Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation is participating in
the national effort to reauthorize SMCRA by collaborating with States and Tribes to establish a
grassroots campaign and publish tools for citizens, non-profits, and legislators to use for
advocating for abandoned mine reclamation.
Click Here to watch a video produced by WPCAMR about the need to reauthorize the
federal mine reclamation fees and is the first publication to come from this collaboration.
Stay tuned for more materials, including a website, to be available soon.
(Written By Anne Daymut, WPCAMR, and reprinted from Abandoned Mine Posts. Click
Here to sign up for your own copy.)
Background
The Department of Environmental Protection reports abandoned mine sites, mine
discharges and dangerous highwalls impact 43 of the states 67 counties. A total of about $1
billion is needed to cleanup this legacy of past mining.
Discharges from abandoned coal mines is the second leading cause of water quality
impairment in Pennsylvania. There are 5,607 miles of mine-polluted streams in the
Commonwealth, according to DEPs draft 2016 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and
Assessment Report.
As a result of Congressional action to sequester (cut) federal funding across-the-board
several years ago, Pennsylvania has received significantly less federal Abandoned Mine
Reclamation Funding that it should have, according to the 2006 reauthorization agreement.
In 2016, for example, Pennsylvania received $42 million-- $40 million less than projected
when the fee was last reauthorized.
Recently, Pennsylvania made up some of that ground when the federal Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced the state would receive $30 million from a
pilot program to reclaim abandoned mines which have economic development potential.
NewsClips:
Other Mine Reclamation Stories:
Op-Ed: Federal RECLAIM Act Can Help In Reshaping Northeast PAs Economy
DEP Hosts Kick-Off Ceremony For Ehrenfeld Mine Reclamation Project In Cambria
Act Now: PA Congressmen Absent From Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funding Debate
DEP Invites Comments On Changes To Emergency Mine Reclamation Plan
The Department of Environmental Protection published
notice in the October 15 PA Bulletin inviting comments
on proposed amendments to the states Emergency Mine
Reclamation Plan.
The Emergency Plan describes how Pennsylvania
will coordinate emergency mine reclamation work like
stabilizing mine subsidence affected areas, mine fires
damaging property, landslides, open mine shafts or
portals and similar emergency issues with the federal
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
and other agencies.
Comments are due November 14. Click Here to view of copy of the proposed changes.
Comments submitted by facsimile will not be accepted. Comments, including comments
submitted by email, must include the originator's name and address. Commentators are
encouraged to submit comments using the Department's online eComment for Policies webpage.
Written comments may be submitted by email to ecomment@pa.gov or by mail to the
Policy Office, Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson State Office Building,
P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063. Use ''Abandoned Mine Reclamation Plan
Amendment No. 3'' as the subject line.
For more information on the program, visit DEPs Report An AML Emergency webpage.
(Photo: The Times-Tribune, Scranton, September 21, 2012.)
NewsClips:

Brodhead Watershed Assn. Honors Monroe Conservation Districts Craig Todd
At its 27th annual Members & Friends Celebration on September 30,
Brodhead Watershed Association honored Craig Todd for for his
exceptional commitment to maintaining a healthy environment for
future generations.
The event, held at Northampton Community Colleges
Tannersville campus, included 200 BWA members and friends.
Todd has been manager of Monroe County Conservation
District for more than 30 years, bringing together partners from around
the county and across the state on projects and plans to protect
water quality and quantity, maintain biological diversity, and educate
children, adults and public policy makers on the importance of the natural environment.
Craig has been a leading voice for the vital need for planning, whether it be erosion and
sediment control plans for individual sites or planning for the future of Monroe County, said
Edie Stevens, founder and board member of BWA.
Along with the accolades, Craig Todd received an engraved river rock for his garden.
Todd joins the Issues Committee of BWA, a group that identifies and addresses
environmental problems within the watershed.
Also honored were three staff members of Monroe County Planning Commission
Christine Meinhart-Fritz, director; Evan Makuvek, environmental planner; and George Basila,
GIS analyst as valuable partners in BWAs Green Infrastructure Project, promoting use of
nature-based solutions (such as rain gardens) to protect water quality.
For information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Brodhead
Watershed Association website or call 570-839-1120. Click Here to sign up for regular updates
from the Association.
Ag Industry Leaders, Decision-Makers Take Penn State Water Quality Research Tour
Researchers, educators, elected officials, farmers, agribusiness
professionals and agricultural and environmental agency
representatives gathered for the 2016 Penn State Agricultural
Research Tour in late September to learn about current water
quality and soil health research relevant to the Chesapeake Bay
watershed.
Organized by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences
and the Penn State Ag Council, the day-long event included
visits to two large dairy farms in Clinton County,
Pennsylvania.
(Photo: Sjoerd Duiker, associate professor of soil management and applied soil physics,
discusses management practices that benefit soil health.)
On the tour, Penn State researchers and partners shared innovations that could help
maintain Pennsylvania's productive agricultural industry while addressing water quality goals,
and discussed research initiatives that have combined multiple agricultural disciplines and
cooperative projects between Penn State and its partners.
On planning this year's research tour focus, Penn State Ag Council president Matt
Ehrhart and Director of Watershed Restoration at the Stroud Water Research Center, said,
"Water quality issues are front and center now, especially the discussion around state goals, so
water quality made a lot of sense, as well as the topic of soil health, which has many related
applications.
"This tour highlighted producers who are working with the University on these topics and
also have really strong farm performance levels. These farmers are excellent managers, and the
questions we're examining are about how we magnify that knowledge and management
capacity," said Ehrhart, who also serves as the director of watershed restoration for Stroud Water
Research Center.
This year's theme also aligned closely with research priorities for Penn State's College of
Agricultural Sciences, according to Rick Roush, dean of the college.
"Addressing water quality is a major goal for the college," Roush said. "This is a topic
that affects agriculture and the environment across the state, and our researchers and educators
are working hard to develop science-based strategies and partnerships to promote water quality
in Pennsylvania and the bay."
Water Quality And The Chesapeake Bay
Representatives from several key environmental agencies involved in water quality issues
and Chesapeake Bay conservation attended the tour, including the Department of Environmental
Protection and Chesapeake Bay Commission.
"For me, with the bay, it's about how we come up with efficient, effective solutions, and I
personally place a lot of value on seeing the work that people are doing on the ground and
getting that perspective," said Patrick McDonnell, the Acting Secretary of Environmental
Protection.
"It was great to see so much interest in water quality and agriculture, and how they
co-exist," said Marel King, director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission's Pennsylvania office.
"The role of research and extension in helping to expand our knowledge about these issues and
communicating to the farm community and to others is so important."
In addition to their dairy operations, the farms on the research tour included acreage that
is dedicated to Penn State research projects to test cultivation and management strategies
intended to promote efficient agricultural production while reducing nutrient and sediment inputs
to Pennsylvania's waterways.
Both farms participate in the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance, an organization of producers
who collaborate on sharing and promoting no-till crop production practices and related research
and technology innovations.
Tour participants learned about the benefits of combining no-till practices with cover
crops, including the improvement of water infiltration into soil, which reduces field runoff of
water and associated nutrients and sediment into local streams.
Presenters explained how the use of cover crops such as ryegrass and clover also can
suppress weeds, take up excess field nutrients and add to the organic and nutritional content of
the soil improving soil biology and composition and yielding production benefits for field and
forage crops rotated on the same fields.
"At the end of the day, water quality issues and agriculture affect everyone," said Chris
Houser, one of the tour presenters and interim assistant director of agronomy and natural
resources programs for Penn State Extension. "We visited farms that host research and include a
lot of best management practices. They're demonstrating what agriculture can contribute to water
quality, and we're showing what Penn State and the college can do to help."
Tour highlights also included technological innovations such as the Penn State
Interseeder, a piece of equipment for no-till producers that was developed and commercialized
by a team of Penn State researchers with input from the farming community.
The interseeder was designed to establish cover crops earlier in the growing season,
allowing farmers to seed and fertilize a cover crop into an existing primary crop such as no-till
corn.
Soil Health, Education And Water Quality
The value of agricultural outreach was echoed by several researchers and technical
experts who work closely with farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to optimize soil health
on their properties using tested conservation techniques.
"Education is so important. When farmers understand and value soil as a resource, they're
going to do the right thing. I see soil health as the way to move forward that everybody benefits
from the farmers, the public and the environment," said Lisa Blazure, agricultural resource
conservationist for Clinton County Conservation District.
"Farmers see a lot of anecdotal evidence of soil health, and they know what works for
them," she said. "Decision-makers need research to back up these observations, and Penn State
documents the good outcomes farmers are seeing, which can inform future regulations."
Blazure and Sjoerd Duiker, associate professor of soil management and applied soil
physics, spoke to tour participants about cover-crop research projects and no-till cropping
systems.
They are two of the co-authors of a printed "Soil Health" guide for landowners that
presents 14 tested field-crop and forage-crop production practices.
Tour participants received copies of the guide, which was produced as a partnership
among Penn State Extension, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Capital Resource
Conservation and Development group and Clinton County Conservation District.
Visitors also observed the farms' field-crop and forage-crop acreage, which featured the
integration of cover crops with no-till, a strategy being refined by several research initiatives.
Duiker spoke on the findings of a multi-year program that yielded high adoption rates of
cover-crop use on small Pennsylvania dairy farms by using educational outreach with a high
level of cost efficiency.
"For cover crops and soil health improvement practices in general, I believe outreach is a
very sound approach," said Duiker. "I really appreciate the partnership we have with the farmers
and with organizations like the conservation districts. When you develop a common vision and
work toward that, a lot can be achieved."
Other tour discussions led by Penn State agronomy and entomology researchers focused
on farm management resources, such as nutrient index calculations that assist producers with
conservation planning, and additional field techniques that work in concert with no-till farming
and cover crops. Integrated pest management strategies and cover crops were reviewed for their
potential to control slug pests and promote beneficial pest predators such as ground beetles.
Tour participants also were introduced to the concept of "planting green," or planting
spring cash crops into a standing winter cover crop, rather than dispatching the cover crop before
spring planting; this practice is being studied for potential soil health and pest management
benefits.
Pennsylvania Management Practices
During the event, attendees received an update on the Pennsylvania Farmer Conservation
Practice Survey from Houser and Matthew Royer, director of the Agriculture and Environment
Center in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Administered in the early months of 2016, the
survey asked Pennsylvania farm producers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to document
conservation practices they have employed to promote water quality and soil health; the
collected responses were kept confidential and not associated with farmers' names or locations.
The survey was developed collaboratively by Penn State, the PA Farm Bureau, PennAg
Industries Association, PA Farmers Union, PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture,
Professional Dairy Managers of PA, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
Environmental Protection, the State Conservation Commission and the PA Association of
Conservation Districts.
Royer and Houser explained that Pennsylvania farmers have contributed much to water
quality improvement in the state's waterways and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, but many
conservation practices previously have not been recorded in tracking progress toward priority
water goals, because they were implemented independently from formal or cost-share programs.
The survey is meant to ensure that the state's voluntary agricultural conservation practices
are captured for analyzing water quality progress.
Researchers are analyzing the data collected from more than 6,700 completed surveys
and Penn State Extension's on-site visits to a smaller subset of farms, and they expect to
complete the analysis this fall.
James Shortle, distinguished professor of agricultural and environmental economics and a
lead researcher in the state survey, concluded the tour event with a discussion on the applications
of survey and land use data in conservation planning and strategic modeling.
"One of the questions we need to ask is how much work we need to do and where we
can look at individual watersheds in the Chesapeake to evaluate where we need the most
conservation practices," he said. "In the context of water quality, we want to make sure we
achieve our goals, which means we need to see a relationship between what we do on the land
and what happens in the water. It's a complex question because you need to be able to predict
how the land use practices are going to change the water."
Research Applications For Pennsylvania
Among the research tour attendees were agency personnel, community educators and
local elected representatives who came to learn more about how the presented management
practices and research findings could have application in regions throughout Pennsylvania.
"I work with groups in Lancaster and Chester counties, so I'm interested in the newest
things being presented to see if they can be scalable to other places in the state," said Megan
Keegan, who works for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 3 office. "I think
collaboration is absolutely essential to Pennsylvania reaching its bay goals, and it's really the
diversity and willingness of the stakeholders that will make a difference for clean water."
Partnerships, efficiency and outreach were recurring concepts in the day's discussions on
implementing science-based solutions for reaching water quality goals and maintaining strong
agricultural production.
"It was great to hear a lot of the good management practices that are being implemented,
and more than that, they're being done economically and economics are always important for
research applications to be relevant in the real world," said Fred Strathmeyer Jr., deputy state
agriculture secretary for plant industry and consumer protection. "It was also great to see the
farm producers had only good words for the researchers. Partnership in this day and age, when
resources are stretched, when we see these kinds of implementations of private-public
relationships, it speaks volumes for what we can do moving forward."
The College of Agricultural Sciences' Ag Research Tour was co-organized by the college
and the Penn State Agricultural Council, an independent association of more than 90
organizations that represent agricultural or related interests in Pennsylvania.
Sponsors for the 2016 tour included the PA Farm Bureau, American Mushroom Institute,
PA State Grange and T.A. Seeds, all Penn State Ag Council member organizations.
(Written By: Amanda Yeagar, Penn State News, October 11, 2016.)
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Op-Ed: Meeting Water Quality Goals For PAs Rivers, Streams And The Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Journal Celebrates 25 Years Of Covering Bay Issues
By Patrick McDonnell, Acting Secretary of DEP
Thank you for inviting me to open the second Pennsylvania In The
Balance meeting. And thank you to everyone who participated last
year.
Last year's meeting brought together a diverse and
important group of people to discuss the challenges we face in our
commitment to restoring Pennsylvania's local waters, the waters in
our backyards and on our farms, and ultimately the restoration of
the Chesapeake Bay.
Protection of our water resources is one of the most important efforts that we can
undertake. Easier said than done, given all of the priorities that we collectively face each day in
the work that we each do.
We need to look beyond this familiar call to action and dig into the realities of how we
get it done here in Pennsylvania.
What remains clear is that Pennsylvania has been, and continues to make strides towards
protecting and improving local water quality.
We are pleased to see reports from the Chesapeake Bay Program that estimated nitrogen,
phosphorus, and sediment going into the Bay have all dropped and that water quality at many of
our monitoring stations is continuing to improve.
We are proud to be able to show that nutrient and sediment loadings to the Chesapeake
Bay have all dropped. Phosphorous has decreased by 25 percent, nitrogen by 6 percent, and
sediment by nearly 15 percent.
However, while the results of our work so far have been encouraging, we know that there
is still much more to do. This is why all of you are here today.
I am sure you can agree with me that while a majority of our farmers are doing the right
thing, and working to ensure that they are using safe and sustainable strategies to reduce runoff
of pollutants, we must make sure that every producer is working to minimize their impact to
local water quality.
To that end, last year Gov. Wolf announced a Chesapeake Bay Restoration Strategy to
focus our efforts to maintain the quality of Pennsylvania's local water supply. This strategy
outlined how Pennsylvania would work to accelerate its progress, continue its good work, and
meet our goals.
This strategy is a collaborative effort between Pennsylvania's Departments of
Environmental Protection, Agriculture, Conservation of Natural Resources, and a variety of
important stakeholders.
We all came together to outline how Pennsylvania would continue to protect our waters,
and continues to work together to coordinate plans, policies, and resources.
Pennsylvania's strategy relies on a mix of technical and financial assistance, technology,
expanded data gathering, improved program coordination and capacity and when necessary
stronger enforcement and compliance measures.
Together, we have been able to craft a plan that combines elements that are proven to
work; that focuses on putting high-impact, low-cost best management practices in place and
identifying more of these in watersheds impacted by agriculture or stormwater, and works
towards meeting EPA's goal of inspecting 10 percent of farms in the watershed, ensuring
development and use of manure management and agricultural erosion and sediment control
plans, and making sure that we are enforcing these standards in our communities.
In addition, earlier this month, Gov. Wolf showed his commitment to this effort by
announcing a new federal and state partnership with USDA and EPA to accelerate our progress
towards achieving our goals and improving Pennsylvania's, and the Chesapeake Bay's, water
quality.
To strengthen this partnership, he announced an additional commitment of $12 million in
state funds in this fiscal year to further the implementation of the Restoration Strategy and help
reach our 2025 nutrient and sediment reduction goals.
This funding will provide:
-- $2.5 million for additional riparian forest buffer funding (DCNR);
-- $4 million to implement high priority agricultural conservation practices (DEP/PDA);
-- $1 million for agricultural practices installed through projects implemented by Conservation
Districts from PA Department of Agriculture;
-- $1.5 million to help farmers finance the development of the state-required nutrient/manure
management or agricultural erosion and sediment control plans through a conservation plan
reimbursement program (DEP); and
-- The remaining $2.8 million will be directed from existing sources, programs and funds from
the three agencies and matching funds
[Click Here for a more detailed breakdown of these new commitments.]
However, this is just a start. It is time to start planning next steps, to plan towards 2025
and the Phase 3 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan, or WIP.
With this in mind, some very early findings from the Chesapeake Bay Program Midpoint
Assessment indicate that:
-- Pennsylvania is still responsible for 69 percent of the remaining basin-wide nitrogen load
reductions;
-- Agriculture will likely be responsible for as much, if not more, than 80 percent of those
reductions; and
-- A minimum of an additional $80 million per year in cost share monies will be needed if we are
to be successful.
Here is my challenge to you today.
A lot of excellent work went into your initial conference and the themes and initiatives
that resulted from that conference. It is time to build on that work and start laying the framework
that puts Pennsylvania in a good position to address the commitments and expectations that will
result from this Midpoint Assessment.
We need to start now to plan for the development; and, more importantly, the
implementation of the WIP.
Strong themes and action-oriented items came out of the first Pennsylvania In The
Balance meeting and subsequent report. Today, we need to focus in on a few key actions that we
can accomplish collectively in order to move forward productively.
To get us started, I would like to offer the following framework:
1. Let's not fall back to "more of the same." For 30 years we have been relying on activities
such as training, outreach and technical assistance. Let's build on the concept you created in your
first session around a "Three Pronged Approach" that combines implementation with
enforcement, where needed.
Training, outreach and technical assistance all are key components, but it is time to stop
devoting resources only to these activities unless they can be directly linked to on-the-ground
accelerated implementation of practices that lead to actual reductions and water quality
improvement.
2. Let's build on your concept to "Develop Plans, Partnerships and Leadership in Priority
Watersheds" to accelerate BMP implementation in targeted, high-priority areas. We need to
continue to develop and deploy effective targeting in high-priority areas that support
community-based and locally led approaches to conservation.
3. Of course, funding is key. Any ideas you can develop to collaboratively explore innovative
new incentive programs and funding opportunities or more effectively utilize existing funding
sources will obviously be a step in the right direction.
In conclusion, I think we can all agree Pennsylvania's agriculture community will play an
active role and be in the spotlight as we move forward.
The Bay Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan has to be finalized by the end of
December 2018 and implemented by 2025. We need to create a timeline today and in subsequent
forums with these deadlines in mind.

The priorities we set today and going forward for the action plans and set of initiatives
has to be driven with these legal requirements in mind.
The importance of this effort cannot be overstated and the safety and quality of our water
cannot be gambled with.
I am proud to be a dedicated partner in the effort to safeguard local water quality and I
want to thank all of you for your support of Pennsylvania's efforts and commitment to improving
local water, and the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Thank you.
For more information about the Pennsylvania strategy to restore the health of the
Chesapeake Bay, visit Agricultures Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay webpage and the DEPs
Chesapeake Bay webpage.
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left
column). Click Here for a copy of CBF-PAs most recent newsletter.
Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell delivered these remarks October 12 before
agricultural and environmental leaders at the second Pennsylvania In The Balance Conference.
This second conference was convened to provide a collaborative forum to help expand
existing and advance new, innovative solutions developed at the first conference last March.
The goal of this group is to help ensure vibrant, productive agriculture while meeting
water quality goals for the Commonwealth's rivers and streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
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By Rona Kobell, Chesapeake Bay Journal
Twenty-five years ago, the first issue of the Bay Journal hit the streets
or rather, the mailboxes across the watershed. Its lone cover
photo featured swans taking flight; the headline read: 1991: Taking a
new look at an old goal.
The newspapers 12 pages featured stories about budgets, turtles, a list of toxics of
concern, and an ominous report that nutrient reduction efforts could fall short in 2000.
The entire publication, from writing the headlines to driving the paper to the printer, fell
on the shoulders of Karl Blankenship (photo), a Michigan native with a passion for the outdoors
and an understanding that covering the Chesapeake Bay well meant spending a considerable
amount of time indoors at meetings.
Today, the Bay Journal has a distribution of 30,000 and at least that many monthly
visitors to its website.
Each issue now averages 40 pages and it has broadened its coverage beyond Chesapeake
Bay Program policy to include a variety of stories on topics ranging from fly ash to farming,
sea-level rise to snakehead invasions.
The Journals readers have consistently said in surveys the newspaper has
commissioned as well as in letters, emails and calls that the publication offers the most
comprehensive information on the Chesapeake Bays health.
Thats become increasingly important as mainstream news staffs shrink and the cleanup
story becomes more complicated.
What was once an unprecedented voluntary effort to restore the nations largest estuary
has become a more tightly regulated and litigated mandate, as the six states in the Bay
watershed and the District of Columbia must meet pollution reduction targets set by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
Its pretty amazing to see where this publication has gone. And Karl deserves at least 95
percent of the credit, said Frances Flanigan, former longtime executive director of the nonprofit
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. She hired Blankenship in 1990 to produce a newsletter about
the restoration effort that eventually became the Journal.
None of the other reporters would have sat through all those Bay Program meetings like
Karl did, Flanigan said. To the scientists, he was a real person, a face, and they would read his
story, and they would say, Yeah, he got that right.Its my belief that the scientists learned
from Karl how you explain things to the public.
Alliance staffer Cindy Adams Dunn recruited Blankenship from the Harrisburg
Patriot-News, where he had started an environmental news page. Dunn, now secretary of
Pennsylvanias Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, thought Blankenship could
produce the Alliances newsletter, the Chesapeake Citizen Report.
Through a friends wife who worked for a printer, Blankenship discovered he could
reduce costs if he printed the publication as a newspaper. A longtime fan of High Country News,
an environmental newspaper covering the West, he decided to give it a try.
I just got to thinking, what the Bay needed was a newspaper, not a newsletter. And there
was just something about the switching the format to newsprint that really changed peoples
perceptions, Blankenship said. The response of the first issue was just really amazing. We got
so many letters. People just seemed more prone to read it.
At the time, Blankenships wife, Kathleen Gaskell, was a layout/copy editor at The
Baltimore Sun. In the week leading up to the Bay Journals monthly deadline, she would
proofread its stories, headlines and captions.
After their son, Grant, was born, the two would take turns with child care and work
duties, often driving as a family to deliver the page proofs to the printer or to the FedEx office.
Gaskell left The Sun in 1995 to become the Journals layout/copy editor and second employee.
The pair work out of their home in Seven Valleys, near York, PA, nestled among woods
and farm fields. In 25 years of working together, Gaskell said, they have never missed a deadline
not even when Blankenship underwent successful treatment for cancer several years ago, or
when he broke his hip in a bicycling accident two years ago.
For more than two decades, the Alliance published the Journal as a part of the Bay
Programs overall communications and outreach efforts. In an unusual arrangement, the EPA
underwrote the newspaper through the Alliance.
Even more unusual: No one with the EPA or the state-federal Bay Program demanded to
review Blankenships articles, or threatened to reduce funding out of displeasure with a story. In
the last decade, Blankenship has diversified the organizations funding, with grants from
foundations and donations from thousands of readers.
In 2010, Blankenship took the Bay Journal independent, forming the nonprofit
Chesapeake Media Service to serve as publisher.
The print edition, produced 10 times a year, is mailed to subscribers and distributed to
public libraries, seafood restaurants and various other locations. Schools can receive the Journal
in bundles for their students. It remains free of charge.
And like many other newspapers, the Bay Journal has sought to broaden its audience by
launching new ventures and expanding into other media.
It has a travel supplement, Bay Journeys, that features the historical, cultural and natural
features of the Chesapeake, encouraging readers to kayak, bike, hike and visit various natural
features across the 64,000 square-mile watershed.
There is a Facebook page, a Twitter feed, a weekly e-newsletter, and a syndication
service for op-eds and some news articles that reaches close to 2 million readers each month.
For five years, the Journal co-produced and co-hosted a monthly show on Marylands
main public radio station, WYPR, reaching 90,000 people.
The Journals staff of 10 helps to produce the print newspaper and its online and
syndicated offerings.
Over the past eight years, Blankenship has hired top environmental journalists with a
history of covering the Bay.
Among them: photographer Dave Harp, columnist Tom Horton and reporters Rona
Kobell and Tim Wheeler, all formerly with The Baltimore Sun. Longtime staff writer Lara Lutz,
of Annapolis, also edits Journeys and the website.
Writer Whitney Pipkin reports from the Washington area and covers many stories in
Virginia. Jeff Day, a veteran of the Bloomberg BNA news service, also helps to cover Virginia.
Tim Sayles, former editor of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, edits the news service op-eds and
articles.
While early stories focused on the Bay Program and the Chesapeakes cleanup efforts,
the newspaper has expanded its coverage to a wide range of other issues affecting the fate of
North Americas largest estuary.
Among them: invasive species, sustainable seafood, urban greening, sea-level rise and
population growth.
Reporters have tackled controversies over the natural gas fracking boom, the pipeline
push in the Virginia highlands, the expansion of poultry operations on the Eastern Shore, the
water-quality impacts of power plants coal ash disposal, and the conundrum of what to do about
the buildup of polluting sediment at Conowingo Dam.
Though much about the Journal has changed in a quarter century, some features remain
the same.
Kathy Reshetiloff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been writing the Bay
Naturalist column almost since the beginning. Most issues have run a list of watershed volunteer
activities and cleanups, now called Bulletin Board.
The Journal also provides a forum for varied views and insights about the Chesapeake
and the effort to restore it.
The head of the EPAs Bay Program office is a frequent contributor, though deadlines are
not as exciting as they were in the days of Bill Matuszeski, who served in that position from
1991 to 2001.
With hours to go before the Journal went to press, Matuszeski would stay up all night
writing his columns, Blankenship remembered, and once he faxed one in the wee hours of the
morning with this note: Heres 900 words. Eat them.
Matuszeski, who had been a political appointee for his whole career except for his 10
years with the Bay Program, fondly remembers his Journal experience.
I found that writing for the Bay Journal was an excellent discipline, because it forced
you once a month to explain, in clear terms, just what the hell we were doing, and there really
werent that many opportunities to do that at the federal level, he said.
The Journals greatest accomplishment, Matuszeski said, was to give credibility to a
novel concept: That money, will and science could restore an estuary. And, he said, if such an
effort could succeed in the heavily populated Chesapeake watershed, then the rest of the world
would have no excuse.
We were not off on a lark somewhere. We could actually get measurable results,
Matuszeski said. And Karl was probably exactly the right person for the job, because he is
sufficiently loquacious without being at all threatening. If he was a different kind of person, it
would not have worked.
Over the years, the Journals readership has broadened considerably beyond Bay Program
insiders to include farmers, watermen and seaside residents. Staffers have been surprised to
encounter fans in places like Rhode Island, Arkansas and Kansas.
Journalists from mainstream newspapers have long used the paper as a source for stories.
While he was still at The Baltimore Sun, Horton further encouraged that practice by
praising the paper and Blankenship in one of his columns. It was, Horton noted, the only time his
Sun editors let him write about another publication.
I knew good, solid reporting, especially when it came to the Bay, Horton said. Time
and time again, articles on topics I was familiar with came out in more depth in the Journal than I
was seeing anywhere else.
Looking back over a stack of issues encapsulating his career, Blankenship recalled a few
watershed moments. The Journal, he said, was the first to report a connection between air
emissions from power plants and vehicles and the nitrogen causing algae blooms and dead zones
in the Bay.
The paper tackled pollution from septic systems, which was tricky because while theyre
a relatively small factor in the Bays overall water quality, they can be significant sources of
nitrogen getting into rivers.
He covered the ups and continuing downs of trying to restore once-abundant spawning
runs of American shad, and the successful rebound of striped bass after a controversial fishing
moratorium in Maryland.
His coverage has garnered praise. He received the Renewable Natural Resource
Foundations first excellence in journalism award in 2001. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation
gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
The Journal also has been mentioned on a New York Times blog and featured in the
Columbia Journalism Review.
Besides getting praised, some stories have helped change policies. Blankenship said hes
been told his coverage of a program to drive eels around the Conowingo Dam led to ongoing
funding for that effort. Others have changed lives.
A story in 2013 about Kelley Phillips Cox, a Tilghman Island native trying to launch an
environmental center, led to a reader pledging $50,000 so she could buy the shuttered oyster
shucking house that is now her headquarters.
Scientists appreciate the coverage Blankenship has given their work.
Karls grasp of Bay issues is more comprehensive than anyone I know, said Robert
Orth, a biologist with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Orth, who directs an annual
survey of the Bays submerged aquatic vegetation, credits Blankenship with being the first
journalist to publicize the results, which are now looked to as a key indicator of the
Chesapeakes ecological health.
He could easily pass any of VIMS students Masters or Ph.D. qualifiers or defenses,
Orth said of Blankenships knowledge of Bay issues.
Blankenships bachelors degree in journalism from Michigan State University, coupled
with his intense curiosity, have been more than sufficient to drive the Journal as it has evolved
over the last 25 years.
Now, he would like to expand its reach, engaging a growing share of the watersheds 17
million residents in the continuing challenges of restoring an ecosystem thats played such a key
role in the nations history and culture.
In those early days, I remember how optimistic everyone was. It seemed like things
were doable. I remember wondering what I was going to do in 2000, when they met their goals,
Blankenship said. In those early years, they didnt appreciate just how hard some of these things
would be.
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PA Growing Greener Coalition Updates Guide To Watershed, Recreation Funding
The PA Growing Greener Coalition is now offering an updated
edition of the Finding The Green Guide to Watershed, Recreation
and Land Conservation Funding available for download.
The purpose of this single-source guide is to provide an overview
of funding opportunities that may benefit the work you do. The
guide contains a thorough listing of state funding programs for
conservation, preservation and recreation projects.
In addition to a list of specific grant opportunities, you'll find tips
on how to apply and where to go for more information.
Click Here to view the Guide.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PA
Growing Greener Coalition website. The Coalition is the largest coalition of conservation,
recreation and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth. Click Here to sign up for
regulation updates, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.
Northwest PA Watershed Workshop Oct. 25 In Crawford County
The PA Environmental Council is inviting watershed
groups to share resource information, learn techniques to
help build membership, and network with other groups at
the Northwest PA Watershed Workshop on October 25 at
the Bossard Nature Center at Woodcock Lake in
Saegertown, Crawford County from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
PEC is convening meetings across the state in every
Department of Environmental Protection region to help
build capacity and identify technical resource needs.
Invited guests include DEP and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff,
County Conservation District Watershed Specialists and national, state, regional, and local
environmental organizations with watershed-focused programs and resources.
Please feel free to bring photos, maps or other printed materials about your watershed
organization to share with others.
Click Here for the workshop agenda. The cost of the workshop is $15, which includes
dinner and all workshop materials.
Click Here to register and for more information, contact Susan Myerov, PEC Watersheds
Program Director by sending email to: smyerov@pecpa.org or call 267-479-6102.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA
Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on
Facebook. Visit PECs Audio Room for the latest podcasts. Click Here to receive regular
updates from PEC.

Penn State Berks County Master Watershed Steward Program Seeking Volunteers
The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward
Program in Berks County is seeking volunteers to
participate in training the first class in Spring of 2017.
Individuals with an interest in the environment, a
willingness to learn more and most importantly, a strong
desire to make a difference in the community can be
Watershed Stewards.
Whether you are a teacher, an accountant, a
construction worker, a homemaker, a student, or have
another background, you can become involved.
An information session on the program will be held January 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00
p.m. Berks County Ag Center, 1238 County Welfare Road in Leesport.
The 2017 training program will begin on March 16 and continue on subsequent
Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. through mid-June. The sessions will be held at partnering
environmental organizations, including Berks Nature and the Berks County Conservation
District.
For more information, Click Here to view a flyer on the program, or contact Karin
Wulkowicz, Berks County Master Watershed Steward Coordinator at 610-378-1327 ext. 221 or
send email to: krw42@psu.edu.
Watershed Stewards In Other Counties
The Penn State Master Watershed Stewards Program is also available in these counties:
Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton,
Philadelphia, Wyoming, and York.
Click Here to see the status of other counties seeking volunteers for 2017 training
programs.
For more information on the program generally, and an application form, visit the Penn
State Master Watershed Stewards Programs webpage.
If you live in the participating counties or would like to establish a program in your
county, contact Erin Frederick at 610-391-9840 or send email to: elf145@psu.edu.
Landowners In Yellow Breeches, Conodoguinet Watersheds To Get Stormwater Help
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is offering financial
assistance to property owners living in the Yellow
Breeches and Conodoguinet watersheds in to install
Conservation Landscapes and Rain Gardens on their
properties.
Eligible areas within the watersheds include all of
Cumberland County, as well as the certain municipalities
in Adams County, Franklin County, and York County.
Landowners can apply online now for funding to
install their projects in Spring 2017.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is offering this assistance as part of its Reduce
Your Stormwater program, which is generously funded by the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation.
Homeowners can apply by visiting the online Yard Design Tool to create a personalized
Conservation Landscape or Rain Garden plan. Users answer a questionnaire about their property
and choose one of five garden templates, such as a native meadow or a butterfly garden.
The tool then provides a list of materials, suggested plants, and DIY instructions specific
to that property.
After submitting an application, homeowners will be contacted by an Alliance
representative with next steps.
Cost-share recipients then visit a partnering nursery to pick up the plants and materials
outlined in their personalized plans, with a maximum discount of 80 percent. Applicants can also
apply for cost-share towards professional Rain Garden installation.
Stormwater runoff is created when rain falls on roads, driveways, parking lots, rooftops
and other paved surfaces that dont allow water to soak into the ground. Slowing runoff reduces
sediment, chemicals, animal waste and more from making its way to our rivers and the
Chesapeake Bay.
Both Conservation Landscapes and Rain Gardens help control stormwater runoff.
Conservation Landscapes are landscaped areas that use native plants adapted to the
region. These plants attract wildlife and typically require less watering, pesticides, and fertilizer
than non-native species, which helps protect our air and water supplies.
Rain Gardens also use native plants, but require more excavation to focus on capturing
rainwater and helping it absorb slowly into the ground.
For more information, visit the Alliances Reduce Your Stormwater website.
More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events on the Alliance
for the Chesapeake Bay website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Alliance,
Like the Alliance on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, add them to your Circle on Google+
and visit the Alliances YouTube Channel.
NewsClips:
Feature: James Henry, A Pennsylvania Advocate For Forested Buffers-- In 1883
By James Wilson, Parks Recreation Specialist, Northampton County Division of Parks and
Recreation
Now deceased 121 years, James
Henry (1809-1895) is one of
Pennsylvanias unsung pioneer
conservation heroes, and among
the very first Pennsylvanians to
make original and progressive
contributions to the protection and
enhancement of the aquatic
resources of the state.
In 1883, he drafted a bill-- Senate Bill 71-- titled, An act to encourage the planting of
trees over the springs and water courses of this Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which passed
the Senate, but was defeated in its third consideration in the House*.
Had it passed all three legislative readings in the House, James Henrys bill, sponsored by
State Senators Peter Hay (Philadelphia) and Jeremiah Hess (Northampton), would have become
Pennsylvanias first public law dealing with the protection of stream corridors and water
resources across the Commonwealth by establishing a state nursery system for the purposes of
reforesting these waterways.
It wasnt until 1897-- twelve years after Henrys bill was defeated and two years after his
death-- that the Pennsylvania state legislature would authorize a Forestry Commission and Forest
Reserve System to rehabilitate the states forest and water resources through the creation of a
forest nursery system, as was James Henrys vision.
A narrative of the bill, in its brief entirety, is below.
Brief Life Story
James Henry was born October 13, 1809 in Philadelphia to John Joseph and Mary
Rebecca Henry. He was the first born in the fourth generation of the famous Henry family of
Pennsylvania Rifle makers.
In 1821, at the age of 12, James and his parents relocated to the Henry Homestead at the
familys Boulton Plantation on Bushkill Creek, in Northampton County. The family homestead
was home to James for the remainder of his life.
He was educated at nearby Nazareth Hall, a military school for boys. He entered the
Moravian Theological Seminary in Nazareth in 1825.
Upon completion of his seminary courses in 1829, he accepted a post as teacher at
Nazareth Hall, serving there until 1831, at which time he joined his father in the family firearms
manufactory at Boulton.
In 1833, James Henry married Mary Magdalena Sautter. Seven children were born to
them at the Henry Homestead.
In 1857, James served as an alternate delegate to the General Synod of the Moravian
Church and accompanied the delegates to Herrnhut, Saxony. He combined this opportunity with
an extended tour of Europe, where he studied the forestry principles and practices of France and
Germany.
A lifelong scholar, he devoted his leisure time to philosophical studies, the mastery of
languages and historical research. He was conversant in five European languages and could read
Latin, Greek and Hebrew.

In 1857, James Henry was one of the founders of the Moravian Historical Society, and
from that time until his death in 1895, with the exception of two years, he served as president of
the society.
Many of his writings, most of them based upon extensive personal research, were
published in the Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society. His Sketches of Moravian Life
and Character was published as a separate volume by J.B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, in
1859.
Under the pen name of The Modern Telemachus, he wrote a series of papers on art,
music, nature and philosophical topics, which were published in The Literary World, New York,
in 1853.
James Henry died peacefully in his sleep, just before midnight, on June 14, 1895, at the
age of 85.
Conservation Efforts
James Henry led an effort to try to pass major environmental legislation for the
protection, conservation and enhancement of the natural environment of Pennsylvania by
literally drafting, revising and finalizing the Commonwealths first proposed bill protecting
stream corridors and water resources across the state.
He brought national attention to Pennsylvanias natural resources by personally and
successfully petitioning the American Forestry Congress in Boston, and the Forestry Division of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture to recommend support of this bill in the Pennsylvania state
legislature.
He personally invested heavily in the long-term education of Pennsylvanias and
Americas youth on conservation issues by lobbying these same and other agencies for the
establishment of schools of forestry in all the state colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, and
across the nation.
Through his creation of proposed legislation preserving stream corridors and
watercourses across Pennsylvania by reforesting them, James Henry played a leading and
pioneering role in attempting to reclaim and enhance water resources throughout the
Commonwealth, at a time when much of the states waterways and water quality were in dire
straits.
With a mind and a heart toward conservation, James Henry saw the desperate need to
reforest the states mountainsides and waterways, which had been utterly denuded in the
lumbering heyday of the 19th century, resulting in tremendous environmental impacts due to
uncontrolled stormwater erosion and stream sedimentation.
He knew the onus for restoring the states forests and water quality rested with the
Commonwealth itself.
In 1883, James engaged in correspondence with Senator Hess, from Northampton
County, regarding the degraded state of forests and water resources throughout much of
Pennsylvania.
Senator Hess expressed great interest in preserving and renewing the states forests and
waterways, and suggested that James, with his grasp of the situation, understanding of ecological
principles and formidable writing skills, draft a bill, which the senator would sponsor in
Harrisburg, for the establishment of a state nursery for the purposes of affording free distribution
of trees among Pennsylvanians for planting along the states watercourses and springs.
James Henry immediately went to work on drafting just such a bill, and over the course
of a year, wrote several versions before completing a final draft of proposed legislation for
Senators Hay and Hess to co-sponsor in the state assembly.
During the second session after its presentation, the bill passed the State Senate with but
one dissenting vote. And during the same 1884-85 session, it received an affirmative vote in the
State House of Representatives, and passed the second reading of that body.
Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass its third and final consideration of the state House by
a vote of 90 to 58.* Had it passed that reading, James Henrys bill would have become
Pennsylvanias first public law addressing the protection of waterways by creating a state
nursery system for the planting of riparian forest buffers.
Henrys vision was finally realized twelve years later and two years after his death, when
the state legislature did pass a similar bill.
While Senators Hay and Hess together co-sponsored James Henrys legislation in
Harrisburg, James himself vigorously lobbied both the House and Senate for support of the
measure.
In a letter urging the State Senate to support the bill, James wrote, The protection of our
streams and springs should be the first avowed object of arboriculture in our State, and the great
work naturally falls on the State, it being the proprietor of the waters as it is of the game and the
fish.
And in a letter to the State House of Representatives seeking support of the bill, he stated,
The establishment of nurseries for the cultivation of useful forest trees, and offering these for
gratuitous distribution to the landholders of our State, is to bring about the recuperation of our
woodlands and water courses.
Your attention is called to the very important fact, that our streams and living springs are
more or less suffering by the denudation that has taken place; and they are destined to suffer
much more by the continued destruction of timber, not a vestige of which is left standing for
their protection and preservation.
In addition to personally lobbying the state legislature for support of his bill, James
Henry also petitioned the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, the American Forestry Congress in
Boston, and the Forestry Division of the US Department of Agriculture to recommend and file
support for the bill in Harrisburg.
In a letter to the Pennsylvania Forestry Association seeking support of the measure,
James wrote, in avant-garde fashion, Admitting that humus produced by the fallen leaf is the
preservation of our waters, and that the State is the undoubted owner, we must conclude that the
guardianship of the woodland territory through which these waters find their way should be
assumed by the State.
It remains a problem however, not easily solved, how these borders of our streams could
now be appropriated by our Commonwealth, as their purchase would be out of the question.
Without the timely protection of these bordering lands and securing them for an exclusive
arboriculture, our water supply will diminish at a fearful rate, and floods will ravage the districts
through which the creeks and rivers flood more and more every year.
By instituting a system of planting, many of the terrors of drought and flood can be
warded off, and in order to carry out any measure having this end in view, the State and citizen
must act together.
And in reply to James Henry from the American Forestry Congress, the secretary of that
organization wrote, Your welcome information with regard to Pennsylvanias move for the
encouragement of forestry along its watercourses has been received and will find its place before
the Congress at Boston. In my estimation this is the way to begin, and I sincerely hope you will
succeed in passing the bill.
And in reply to James Henry from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Chief of the
Forestry Division stated, I wish to express my concurrence in your remarks regarding forest
preservation as incumbent upon the State of Pennsylvania, where absolutely useful, i.e., along
watercourses and on mountainsides.
At the same time he was lobbying the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, the American
Forestry Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for support of the bill he wrote for the
Commonwealth, James Henry was also petitioning these same agencies to aggressively promote
forestry as part of the academic curriculum in institutions of higher learning in Pennsylvania, and
across the nation.
In a letter to the Pennsylvania Forestry Association urging support of his bill, James
added, I am looking forward to the time, when, in Pennsylvania, our Colleges will combine
Forestry with other useful practical studies. It belongs to the most captivating of our intellectual
pursuits, and I have no doubt our Youth, and especially those who represent our rural interests,
would listen to lectures on this subject with intense interest. I hope you will regard with favor
what I have thus cursorily written to you. To me the work is a labor of love, and I have been in it
since 1875.
In response, the secretary of the association replied, Your suggestion, to get Forestry
taught in all our State Colleges and Universities, is an excellent one. I think a statement in Forest
Lands to that effect, would do some little good, but more direct appeals would do better. We
need instruction from persons of your knowledge and experience. Prof. Rothrocks illness and
enforced absence obliges us to fall back upon our friends. Your suggestions will be submitted
and acted upon to the best of our ability.
And in a letter to the American Forestry Congress seeking support of his bill for the
protection and preservation of Pennsylvanias water resources, James wrote In conjunction with
this scheme, however, no suggestion could be more urgent than to appeal to all our Colleges to
open schools of Forestry. There will be but lukewarm movements made in our Legislatures,
looking to the encouragement of dendrology among our citizens, until our representatives
themselves have been educated up to the subject.
And in reply to the same petition to the Forestry Division of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the chief of that agency wrote to James, Although I am not very sanguine to
immediate action in this direction, I am glad to see such men as yourself and Mr. Kinney of
California, who I believe is really organizing a forestry school, interested in this matter.
James Henry was an active member of both the Pennsylvania Forestry Association and
the American Forestry Congress. He served on the council of both organizations for a number of
years, and regularly contributed articles to the Pennsylvania Forestry Associations periodicals,
Forest Leaves and Forest Lands.
Forestry was one of James primary interests. Between 1886 and 1889, he wrote the first
draft of an unpublished, book-length study of forestry, which includes nine volumes. He also
authored scores of articles and other papers on the subject of forestry throughout his life.
Today, all of his literary works, including several drafts of his bill, An act to encourage
the planting of trees over the springs and along the water courses of this Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, are in the possession of the Jacobsburg Historical Society, where they are
carefully archived and made available to the public for interpretation and study.
In the late 1950s, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began to purchase portions of the
original Henry properties in Bushkill Township, Northampton County, as part of Pennsylvanias
State Park system.
This land acquisition culminated in the early 1970s with the purchase of the last parcels
of Henry real estate, which included the Henry Homestead and Henrys Woods, a 40-acre stand
of old growth forest reported to be one of the oldest stands of timber in eastern Pennsylvania.
In his book, Guide to Ancient Forests of Pennsylvania, author Bruce Kershner writes,
This 40-acre site is one of the most significant natural treasures of eastern Pennsylvania. The
Henry family preserved Henrys Woods because they appreciated its special natural beauty and
recreational value for their family and the community. Thanks to the foresight and stewardship
of the Henrys, the woods are now part of the Bureau of State Parks 1,168-acre Jacobsburg
Environmental Education Center.
We at Jacobsburg believe James Henry would be proud of his familys enduring legacy in
the upper Bushkill Creek watershed, Northampton County, and is worthy of recognition for his
contributions to Pennsylvanias early conservation history and heritage.
James Henry was a man of his time, and a man ahead of it as well.
Over 130 years after his vision for forested buffers was first proposed, the conservation
of streamside forests our link between land and water is today a subject of community
concern and greenway initiatives throughout the Commonwealth.
And forestry and environmental science curricula are today offered at many state colleges
and universities across Pennsylvania and the nation, due in no small part, to the progressive and
proactive efforts of early environmentalists, like James Henry.
To be sure, he is one of Pennsylvanias little known and unsung, pioneer conservation
heroes.
Senate Bill 71 (House Bill 519) Text As Considered By The House
(As Printed In The House Legislative Record, June 9, 1885*)
AN ACT
TO ENCOURAGE THE PLANTING OF TREES
OVER THE SPRINGS AND ALONG THE WATER COURSES
OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Preamble
Whereas a large portion of the Eastern and South Eastern portions of our State has been
exhausted of its timber to such a degree as to produce a visible effect on springs, streams, and
water courses; therefore
Section 1
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same,
That for the encouragement of the citizens of this State to plant trees around springs and along
the streams and water courses of their lands, inducements be held out to all landholders by
donations of seedling trees for the purpose named.
Section 2
To promote this end and for the further protection and propagation of timber in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the State Board of Agriculture be and is hereby instructed as a
tentative experiment to establish one or more nurseries in such location as they may deem most
favorable for the purpose in which shall be sown the various kinds of useful trees, such as pine,
fir, larch, oak, linden, locust, maple, ash, mulberry, willow and other evergreen and deciduous
trees, and the seedlings distributed gratuitously to all bona fida landholders in this
Commonwealth.
Section 4
To fulfill the designs of this enactment it shall be enjoined upon all recipients of
seedlings to transplant them on the borders of running waters and around springs. Provided,
however, That the owner or owners of land shall not be restricted to the use of the said seedlings
for that purpose alone, but may plant in groups and groves throughout their estates.
Section 5
That for the purpose of carrying this act into effect the sum of two thousand dollars be
and the same is hereby appropriated for the year 1886, 1887 and 1888: Provided, That the State
Board of Agriculture under oath of their secretary shall annually make to the Auditor General an
itemized statement showing how much and for what purpose the money was spent and unless
such itemized report is made and approved by the Auditor General. The State Treasurer is
hereby directed not to pay any money for said purpose until such report shall have been made
and approved.
Section 8
No seedlings shall be dispensed to any applicant who cannot furnish good and sufficient
evidence of his true and honest purpose to plant the same and not use them with a view to gain or
traffic.
James Wilson can be contacted by sending email to: JWilson@northamptoncounty.org. *The
author wishes to thank the state Senate Library staff for their help in finding the record of Senate
Bill 71 in the Legislative Record quoted here.
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Oct. 11 Watershed Winds Newsletter Now Available From Penn State Extension
The October 11 Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State Extension
featuring stories on--- Penn State Gathering Takes Aim At States Orphan Oil & Gas Well Problem
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-- Click Here to sign up for your own copy.
NRCS PA State Technical Committee Meeting Oct. 18
The U.S. Department of Agricultures Natural Resources Conservation Service invites the public
to attend the PA State Technical Committee meeting on October 18 at the USDA State Office,
359 East Park Drive, Harrisburg starting at 1:00 p.m.
Quarterly State Technical Committee Meetings are held to discuss the conservation of
soil, water, air, plants, wetlands, wildlife and agriculture.
October's meeting will include highlights of NRCS engineering assistance, training and
safety, as well as FY 2017 Financial Assistance Programs updates.
More than a dozen Pennsylvania federal, state and local agencies make up the committee,
which provides recommendations to NRCS on the implementation of the natural resources
conservation provisions of the Farm Bill.
State Technical Committee meetings provide an opportunity for people and conservation
groups across the state to share experiences and collaborate on positive solutions to better serve
Pennsylvanias natural resource needs, says Denise Coleman, NRCS State Conservationist.
To attend via teleconference, call 1-888-844-9904 with access code 6941559.
Attendees with disabilities requiring special accommodations and/or alternative means
for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) associated with
this meeting should contact Ted Evans at 717-237-2209, or send email to:
ted.evans@pa.usda.gov.
For more information, visit the NRCS PA State Technical Committee webpage.
Susquehanna River Basin Commission Hearing Nov. 3 On Water Withdrawal Requests
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission holds a hearing on proposed water withdrawal
requests on November 3 in Room 8E-B East Wing of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg starting
at 2:00. (formal notice)
The Commission will take comments on 25 water withdrawal requests and 2 actions
involving water diversions out of the Susquehanna River Basin.
The deadline for comments is November 14.
Written comments on any project listed previously may also be mailed to Jason Oyler,
General Counsel, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, 4423 North Front Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17110-1788 or submitted electronically online.
The next business meeting of the Commission is scheduled for December 8 at the Loews
Annapolis Hotel, 126 West Street, Annapolis, MD starting at 9:00 a.m.
For more information, visit SRBCs Public Participation Center webpage.
Keep PA Beautiful: Still Time To Participate In The International Coastal Cleanup
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful would like to remind
Pennsylvania residents there is still time to organize an
event or volunteer for the 2016 International Coastal
Cleanup which runs through October 31.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is proud to coordinate
the International Coastal Cleanup in Pennsylvania.
Our goal is to prevent trash from ever reaching our
waterways where it contaminates water supplies, poses health and safety risks to humans and
animals and is difficult and costly to remove, said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep
Pennsylvania Beautiful. We thank the individuals and groups across the Commonwealth for
taking the initiative to care for our natural resources.
The Ocean Conservancys International Coastal Cleanup is the largest volunteer effort
aimed at improving the health of the ocean, bringing out hundreds of thousands of volunteers
from around the world to remove millions of pounds of plastics and debris from beaches, lakes
and waterways.
This event has grown to include participation by all 50 states and U.S. territories and 90
countries with the number growing each year.
Any cleanup site is eligible since we all live in a watershed and all waterways flow into
our coastal waters. Gloves and bags are available for registered events while supplies last.
If you are interested in coordinating or volunteering for an ICC cleanup, please contact
Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send an email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.
For more information, visit KPBs 2016 International Coastal Cleanup webpage.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep
Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them
on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.
Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up
communities and keep them clean and KPBs new Electronics Waste website.
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PA Resources Council, PA American Water Drug Take-Back Events Oct. 22 In Pittsburgh
The PA Resources Council, PA American Water and other
organizations will host three Drug Take-Back Day drop-off
collection events in Allegheny County on October 22 from 10
a.m. 2 p.m.
The events will be held at--- Green Tree: Green Tree Borough Building, 10 W. Manilla
Avenue;
-- Mt. Lebanon: Medical Rescue Team South, 315 Cypress
Way; and
-- Robinson: The Mall at Robinson, Sears parking lot, 100
Robinson Centre Drive.
This program provides a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of
prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of
medications, according to PRC Regional Director Justin Stockdale. People should not flush
medications down the toilet or throw them in the trash since improper disposal poses a very real
threat to the environment.
Building off of the success of past collections, PRC will again collaborate with the DEA
and local law enforcement to provide residents with a safe and convenient option, thanks to the
support of our many sponsors, said Stockdale. PRC is proud to collaborate with PA American
Water as well as the Borough of Green Tree, Municipality of Mt. Lebanon, Robinson Township,
The Mall at Robinson and the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.
Nationwide on Drug Take-Back Day, more than 5,000 collection sites will enable
patients, caregivers and pet owners to properly dispose of unwanted prescription drugs and
over-the-counter medications at no cost.
Unwanted, expired or unused prescription medications are often an unintended catalyst
for addiction, said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg. Take-Back events like these
raise awareness and offer the public a safe and anonymous way to help prevent substance abuse.
Since launching the nationwide Drug Take-Back Day effort in 2010, the DEA and its
partners have collected more than 6.4 million pounds about 3,200 tons of medication.
According to the DEA, studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are
obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
To Find Drop Off Locations Near You
Click Here to find permanent drug take-back locations near you from the PA Department
of Drug and Alcohol Programs.
Click Here to find locations affiliated with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Drug
Take-Back Day..
For more information concerning the three local collection events sponsored by the PA
Resources Council and PA American Water, visit PRCs Pharmaceuticals webpage or call
412-488-7452.
Pending Legislation
House Bill 1737 (Maher-R-Allegheny), passed by the House in May, would make it
easier to dispose of unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs collected during drug
take-back day events.
The bill is supported by a variety of groups, including DEPs Environmental Justice
Advisory Board which highlighted the importance of providing safe disposal of unwanted or
unneeded prescription and other drugs.
counties.
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to take up the
bill at a meeting on October 17.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Resources
Council website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates, follow PRC on Twitter or Like them
on Facebook. Click Here for PRCs Events Calendar.
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Related Story:
Senate Environmental Committee Meets Oct. 17 On Prescription Drug Destruction Bill
October 13 DEP News Now Available
The October 13 edition of DEP News is now available featuring
articles on--- New DEP Shale Drilling Regs Take Effect Oct. 8
-- NRCS, EPA, PA Commit Another $28 Million For
Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Work In PA
-- Go-Time: Centralized Grant System To Streamline,
Consolidate Application Process
-- DEP Northwest Regional Office Receives Energy Star Label
Certification
-- 2016 PA Brownfields Conference October 26-28
-- Click Here to sign up for DEP News
For more information, visit DEPs website, Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on
Twitter and visit DEPs YouTube Channel.
Sponsorships Available: 2017 Environmental Professionals Conference April 5-7
The PA Association of Environmental Professionals will hold its
2017 Annual Conference April 5 to 7 at the Toftrees Golf Resort in
State College.
Consider sponsoring the Conference and reserving exhibit space
for this premier gathering of environmental professionals from
across the state.
Click Here for an overview of the opportunities available. Contact
the PAEP Business Office by sending email to: info@paep.org or
call 814-355-2467 to check the availability of sponsorship opportunities and to discuss
sponsorship benefits.
For more information on programs, initiatives, workshops and other special events, visit
the PA Association of Environmental Professionals website. Click Here to sign up for regular
updates on PAEP activities or Like them on Facebook.
PA Housing Finance Agency Awards $6.2 Million In Housing Grants From Drilling Fees
The PA Housing Finance Agency Thursday announced its board approved $6.2 million for 40
housing projects to improve the availability and affordability of housing in 29 counties.
These projects are being supported by the PA Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation
Enhancement Fund, which is administered by PHFA and funded by the 2012 Act 13 impact fee
on natural gas producers.
"The PHARE program is doing a terrific job of helping to address the housing shortage
created by the growth of the natural gas industry in the Marcellus Shale region," said Gov. Tom
Wolf. "Local governments are directing the funding to projects that can produce the most
positive impact by rehabilitating housing, or building new housing, that is affordable in their
communities."
"Now in its fifth year, the PHARE program has proven its value to local community
leaders who have played a vital role in its success," said Brian A. Hudson Sr., PHFA's executive
director and CEO. "Since its inception, the program has invested more than $39 million into
Pennsylvania communities, in addition to nearly $255 million of other leveraged funding, to
complete these housing projects and programs. The PHARE program provides a good example
of state and local governments partnering to improve housing for Pennsylvanians."
A list of grants awarded is available online.
For more information, visit the PA Housing Finance Agencys PHARE Plan webpage.
DEP Northwest Regional Office Building Receives Energy Star Label Certification
The Department of Environmental Protection and the
Meadville Redevelopment Authority Friday announced
they have received Energy Star Label Certification for
the Victor C. Leap office building at 230 Chestnut
Street in Meadville.
The Victor C. Leap Commonwealth Office
Building is an approximate 63,000 square foot building
and is owned by the Meadville Redevelopment
Authority. Its sole occupant is home to DEPs Northwest Regional Office with approximately
200 office and field staff based there.
The building was constructed in 1994 and has been continuously occupied by the DEP
since opening. Early attempts to benchmark data going back to the late 1990s showed an Energy
Star rating in the low 50s on a scale of 1-100. As of April 2016, the current Energy Star score
is 93.
The MRA worked in conjunction with DEP to identify and prioritize energy
improvement projects such as lighting, HVAC zone controls and balancing, and replacing a
30kW humidifier with a natural gas humidifier resulting in the Energy Star Label Certification.
To attain Energy Star certification, the building must be in the top 25 percent in energy
efficiency. In addition, Energy Star certified office buildings use 35 percent less energy, generate
35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and cost 50 cents less per square foot to operate.
From its beginning in 1992, the Energy Star Program has helped identify and promote
energy efficiency in products, homes and building nationwide.
For more information, visit EPAs Energy Star webpage.
Public Invited To Nobel Prize Winners Climate Change Address Oct. 26 In Harrisburg
The departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and
Natural Resources are hosting Nobel Prize winner Dr. Richard Alley in an
upcoming public appearance where he will address the effects of climate
change on Pennsylvania.
Dr. Alley will speak at 12:30 p.m. October 26, in the auditorium
of the Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market St., Harrisburg.
The Evan Pugh professor of geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Alley
was awarded the Seligman Crystal and was one of several Penn State earth scientists contributing
to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel
Prize with Al Gore.
He was the first recipient of the Louis Agassiz Medal and was elected to the National
Academy of Sciences and as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
For more information on climate change and Pennsylvania, visit DEPs Climate Change
webpage.
NewsClips:
Weis Markets Recognized With EPA GreenChill Awards
Drexel Students Supporting Climate Change Mount Voter Registration Driver
Op-Ed: Climate Accord More Likely To Succeed With A Price On Carbon
Op-Ed: Discussing The Politics Of PAs Energy Future
Bloomberg: Carbon Dioxide Emissions Drop To 1991 Levels
Central PA Conservancy 2016 Goddard Student Leadership Legacy Institute A Success
Central PA Conservancys July 2016 Goddard Student
Leadership Legacy Institute was a great success this
year giving students a range of perspectives and
experiences through leadership training and
team-building, volunteer service projects, and hands-on
learning about the environment and our region's role
within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
This years Institute was a collaboration between
program partners-- Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources/Pine Grove Furnace State Park,
Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA, Cumberland County
Conservation District, and Yellow Breeches Educational Center.
Some of the highlights of this action-filled week included a trip to the Diakon Wilderness
Center for high and low ropes courses, the Letort Spring Run invasive species removal and
native planting, a kayak tour of Laurel Lake, a tour of the Garman dairy farm, and, for the first
time ever, a trip to the Philip Merrill Environmental Center on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis,
MD.
Lane Whigham, CBF's Student Leadership Project Coordinator, remarks that CBF is
looking forward to continuing to work with the GLLI to identify and educate future leaders to
advocate for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Olivia Termini, a student at Dickinson College who worked with the program as a
counselor and serves as CPC's intern through the school year, comments, "the most valuable part
of my participation was to see the kids' realization that what they were doing upstream on the
Letort headwaters could affect the Bay downstream. At the Bay, they were able to piece together
the idea of ecological interconnections. This is a very important concept to understand so early
in their lives and will help them become lifelong stewards of the environment."
At the Bay, students participated in a work program at the Oyster Restoration Center,
shoveling several tons of shells into large flats, shaking oysters clean of debris, and then touring
the Center to understand how the cleaned shells would be used to grow native oysters through
aquaculture and restored to the Bay by re-establishing oyster reefs.
Students learned that oysters are vital to improving water quality as they naturally filter
algae, sediment, and other pollutants, and their current population is only 1 percent of historic
levels.
Students not only learn about the environment, but learn the value and importance of
building friendships between students from different schools and backgrounds and giving back to
their community.
Michael Brant, a sophomore from Carlisle Christian Academy says, "I would highly
recommend this camp to teenagers who want to learn about the environment; it gives you a
picture of how drastically our actions can harm our ecosystem. Aside from learning about
environmental science, at this camp you get to meet many different people and have the chance
to become friends with people you otherwise may have never met."
Because of the leadership, team-building, and stewardship values imparted to students
throughout the week, a strong bond developed among students and staff that we hope will stay
with them as they pursue similar opportunities and challenges in their lives.
Several parents mentioned that this program is a unique summer enrichment opportunity
for 8th and 9th graders.
The Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute is generously supported by grants from the
Chris Thorpe Foundation, the Katie Svitek Memorial Foundation, and the Friends of Pine Grove
Furnace State Park.
The Conservancys aim is to continue the program each year with the help of these
partners. The in-kind support provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA added significant value and made for a very
successful program.
The Central PA Conservancy would like to thank these sponsors for their support and is
looking forward to continuing to offer this unique summer program.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Central PA
Conservancy website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy.
NewsClips:
Agricultural Education Goes Mobile
(Reprinted from the Central PA Conservancys October E-News.)
4th DCNR Foliage Report: Southwest, Central, Northeast Areas To Peak Over Next Week
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Friday posted its fourth Fall foliage report showing forest
colors are expected to peak in the Southwest, Central and
Northeast areas of Pennsylvania over the next week.
Fall foliage visitors can also get suggestions about the best
spots to view foliage on DCNRs Penns Woods Fall Foliage
Story Map.
For more information, visit DCNRs Penns Woods Fall Foliage webpage.
NewsClips:
Allegheny Front: Peak Forest Colors Coming To Southwest, Central PA This Week
Dry Summer, Drabber Fall Foliage
Fall Foliage In The Lehigh Valley, 4 Great Road Trips
NE PA Fall Foliage Could Be More Muted This Year
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy
Adams Dunn Wednesday joined Bureau of Forestry officials and
others in formally dedicating the Pinchot State Forest District,
renamed in honor of Gifford Pinchot, conservation pioneer and creator
of forestry practices that continue to shape and benefit Pennsylvania's
state forests to this day.
"It is so fitting that this state forest district now bears the name
of a man who introduced so many innovative forestry practices to a
nation when it desperately needed sound conservation guidance," said
Dunn. "Distinguished forest management is synonymous with
Pennsylvania, and Gifford Pinchot laid the groundwork for what we
now have."
Addressing a gathering at the Pinchot Trail trailhead off Bear Lake Road, not far from the
village of Thornhurst, the secretary noted DCNR actually renamed the Lackawanna State Forest
District on August 11, 2015, to mark the forestry icon's birth date.
"That move marked the 150th anniversary of the conservation pioneer's birth and saluted
his creation of forestry practices that continue to shape and benefit Pennsylvania's state forests to
this day," Dunn said. ""Pennsylvania is blessed with 20 state forest districts and this one -bearing a new name in the northeast area of the state personifies Gifford Pinchot's crusade for
healthy, sustainable woodlands, to be enjoyed and appreciated by all."
Noting Pinchot district has grown from an initial 2,854 acres in 1902 to 46,278 acres
today, Dunn said:
"With this renaming, we not only commemorate Pinchot's conservation ethic, we also
establish a new and separate identity for a district that should be recognized for its significant
increases in state forestland in recent years."
State Forester Dan Devlin pointed out the district encompasses all that its namesake held
dear: extensive forestlands reaching into Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Susquehanna and
Wayne counties; easily accessible to the public; and protecting two major watersheds the
Lackawanna and Susquehanna.
"The conservation legacy of Gifford Pinchot can't be overstated," Devlin Said. "He
helped to shape forestry and land management practices at the national and state level. Naming
this state forest district in his honor is a tribute to his lasting impact on conservation."
Formerly known as Lackawanna State Forest District, the Pinchot State Forest District
began in 1902 when 2,854 acres were purchased in Lackawanna County. Some 100 years later,
state forest acreage had increased to almost 11,000 acres, and two major state forest tracts had
been created in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
In the 1895, Pinchot accepted appointment as forester in the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, and helped lead the national campaign for the conservation and rational use of the
nation's forests. In 1905 Pinchot became head of the new United States Forest Service.
Working with President Theodore Roosevelt, he played a major role in shaping American
conservation policy and significantly expanding the nation's western forest reserves.
These were tremendous accomplishments, but Pinchot realized early on that the nation
needed "American foresters trained by Americans in American ways for the work ahead in
American forests."
After leaving the U.S. Forest Service in 1910, Pinchot enjoyed a long and productive
career that included two years as the Pennsylvania Commissioner of Forestry and two terms as
governor of Pennsylvania.
In the end, however, it was for his work in forestry that Pinchot hoped to be remembered.
"I have ... been a governor every now and then," Pinchot wrote in his memoirs, "but I am a
forester all the time."
For more background on Gifford Pinchot, watch this WITF video on Gifford Pinchots
Conservation Legacy and visit the Grey Towers Heritage Association website. Click Here to
sign up for updates from the Association, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, visit
their YouTube Channel, become part of their Google+ Circle and follow them on Instagram.
Also visit the Grey Towers Historic Site website and the Pinchot Institute for
Conservation website for information on its conservation research and policy programs. Click
Here to sign up for the Institutes regular updates.
For more information on DCNRs conservation and recreation programs, visit DCNRs
website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Click Here to be part of DCNRs
Online Community, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
NewsClip:
State Forest District Dedicated To Honor Gifford Pinchot
Related Stories:
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday joined Bureau of
Forestry officials and others in renaming the bureaus Penn
Nursery and Wood Shop the Mira Lloyd Dock Resource
Conservation Center in honor of the late woman
environmentalist, botanist and civic activist who
championed reforestation and anti-pollution measures.
How appropriate that a woman who rallied against
pollution and environmental degradation should be honored
at a DCNR facility aiding in reforestation efforts across the commonwealth, and helping the
public better enjoy the wealth of natural resources and natural beauty in our state parks and state
forests, Dunn said, addressing DCNR employees and guests drawn from conservation and
environmental groups across the state.
DCNR hosted a celebration and renaming ceremony on the nursery and wood shop
grounds, off Route 322 in Spring Mills, Centre County.
Named after William Penn, the nursery traces its origin back to 1908 and a potato patch
on property of a late forest ranger. It began as a source of seedlings needed to replant land
denuded by timbering and subsequent forest fires that scoured Penns Woods in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries.
One has to wonder how Mira Lloyd Dock would react to how what once was a potato
patch now aids in reforestation efforts across the state, Dunn told the gathering. This nursery
now helps bring shade, watershed protection and increased enjoyment to state park and forest
visitors across Pennsylvania. What a fitting legacy for a woman who fought against pollution;
and for reforestation.
Noting the role of the DCNR woodshop on the property -- supplying picnic tables, signs
and other items to state parks and forests Dunn displayed a new Mira Lloyd Dock Resource
Conservation Center seal that will be affixed to some of these products in the future.
Picnickers at nearby at nearby Poe Paddy State Park, for instance, will know of the
woman and what she fought for, when they sit down at a new park picnic table, Dunn said.
This seal should be a source of pride for all the committed, professional and highly skilled
women working within our bureaus at DCNR.
Echoing Dunns sentiments was State Forester Dan Devlin, who, as Bureau of Forestry
Director, oversees nursery and wood shop operations:
Mira Lloyd Dock was a visionary and passionate conservationist whose legacy is felt
still today. Naming this center in her honor is a tribute to her great work and forward thinking,
said guest speaker Marci Mowery, president of the PA Parks and Forests Foundation. "Mira
Lloyd Dock made an incredible contribution to conservation in Pennsylvania and broke glass
ceilings for women, yet her story was almost forgotten. We applaud DCNRs initiative to rename
the nursery and to reconnect Pennsylvanians to their history and to the legacy of our incredible
forest system."
In the early 1900s, Dock teamed up with a Harrisburg businessman and civic reformer J.
Horace McFarland to target pollution in the Harrisburg area and support improved water and
sewage facilities and added 900 acres of new city parks, public lakes, athletic fields and
playgrounds.
As president of the American Civic Association, McFarland became a national leader in
the City Beautiful movement that revitalized American cities, including Philadelphia.
The first woman appointed to a Pennsylvania state government position, Dock lectured
on botany at the newly opened State Forestry Academy at Mont Alto, a school she had helped
found by lobbying for its creation.
She would continue to teach there until 1929, using her own textbook, which described
all the trees that grew in the state and where they flourished the best.
After stepping down from the Forest Commission in 1912, Dock was active in a broad
range of causes, including the movement, led by McFarland, to preserve Niagara Falls, and the
local campaign for women's suffrage.
The nurserys goal is to propagate the finest tree/shrub seedlings available for
reforestation and wildlife enhancement projects on state properties.
Nursery and forest district staff coordinate the selection, harvesting and collection of
millions of tree/shrub seeds from state forest trees and orchards across the state to preserve and
maintain genetic diversity.
Over the years, the Nurserys operations have expanded to include state of the art sign
and picnic table operations. The sign shop provides high quality wood, plastic, and laminated
signs to direct visitors through Pennsylvania's state parks and forest lands.
For more background on Mira Lloyd Dock, watch this WITF video on Mira Lloyd Dock:
A Beautiful Crusade or visit the Mira Lloyd Dock webpage on ExplorePAhistory.com.
For more information on DCNRs conservation and recreation programs, visit DCNRs
website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Click Here to be part of DCNRs
Online Community, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
Related Stories:
$3 Million In State Funding Announced For Schuylkill River Trail In Philadelphia
Gov. Tom Wolf Monday joined Sen. Anthony Williams
(D-Philadelphia), Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia),
Secretary Cindy Dunn (photo), and others to announce a $3
million state grant to aid in the development of a 2.25 mile
section of the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia.
With the help of our investment, the Schuylkill River
Development Corporation will be able to reclaim and
redevelop brownfield sites along the river, Gov. Wolf
said. Turning a former eyesore and blighted area into a new and accessible space for city
residents, we will create a valuable resource in a currently underserved neighborhood in
Southwest Philadelphia.
The Schuylkill River Trail is one of many solid examples of a citys vibrancy and a
rivers rebirth, and DCNR is very proud to be a longtime partner in its development, said
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn
The $3 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant will allow the
Schuylkill River Development Corporation to complete a $13 million greenway trail project
from Bartrams Mile to Passyunk Point.
The scope of the RACP includes land acquisition, remediation, site work, and
construction for Phase I and Phase II of the project.
SRDC is thrilled to receive this RACP grant, said Joseph Syrnick, President & CEO of
SRDC. It allows us to extend the trail into the Elmwood neighborhood, which is currently
underserved in regards to open space.
The Schuylkill River Trail project is a great opportunity for Philadelphia to create a
one-of-a-kind experience that will encourage thousands of community members to get outside
and enjoy some of the beauty our city has to offer, Rep. Harris said. Connecting more
neighborhoods to each other via the trail will only increase the neighborly bond Philadelphians
share and open them up to new experiences they otherwise may not have had.
This project will make not only provide open green space within the City of
Philadelphia, but will also help revitalize an area in desperate need of improvement, Sen.
Anthony Williams said. I applaud Gov. Wolf for approving the funding that will enable this
needed expansion of a trail that is a true asset for the city and its residents.
The Schuylkill River Trail is a multi-use trail in Southeastern Pennsylvania with a
projected length of almost 130 miles when complete. There are currently over 60 miles of
completed trail, including a 30-mile stretch from Philadelphia to Parkerford. The trail
accommodates over two million users each year.
For more information, visit DCNRs website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource
newsletter, Click Here to be part of DCNRs Online Community, Click Here to hook up with
DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
NewsClips:
PA Pitches In $3 Million To Help Expand Schuylkill River Trail
Trail Reconnecting Horticultural History On The Schuylkill
On The Appalachian Trail Combat Vets Learn To Let Things Go
Op-Ed: Wilderness Areas No Place For Bike Trails
Schuylkill River Towns Host Phoenixville Prohibition Party Oct. 15
Shell Employees Renovate, Upgrade Westmoreland Park
Volunteers Build Coatesville Community Park
Lone Park Ranger In Harrisburg Could Get Partner
Riding, Parking Improvements Announced To Bloody Skillet ATV Trail In Centre County
Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday joined Rep. Mike
Hanna (D-Centre) in announcing riding and parking
improvements to heighten ATV enthusiasts enjoyment of
the Bloody Skillet ATV Trail near Snow Shoe, Centre
County.
Working in cooperation with Rep. Hanna, DCNR
is moving to offer more riding miles on the existing Bloody
Skillet Trail, Dunn said at a media event at the Snow Shoe
Township Building. In addition, our Bureau of Forestry hopes to offer trail riders expanded
parking and access, and will be taking a hard look at the feasibility of linking this trail with the
nearby Whiskey Springs Trail.
Long a proponent of expanded ATV riding opportunities in the state, Rep. Hanna (D-76th
Dist.) hailed the expansion possibilities.
I have long been a supporter of ATV enthusiasts and believe it is time that the riding
trails throughout our region receive the enhancements they so desperately need, Rep. Hanna
said. After years of championing development efforts of ATV trails and riding opportunities in
our state forests, I am pleased that DCNR is reviewing and considering expansion possibilities.
One of 11 designated, state forestland ATV riding trails across the state, Bloody Skillet
offers 38 miles of summer and winter trails to riders. It is off Route 144, about 19 miles north of
the Snow Shoe Exit of US Route 80.
Pointing to the recent reopening of the nearby Whiskey Springs ATV Trail in Clinton
County after extensive mine reclamation work, Secretary Dunn noted, We now have over 120
miles of ATV trails within an hour of Renovo.
Riders are invited to try the Whiskey Springs and Bloody Skillet trails, as well as the
Denton Hill ATV Trail System and Haneyville ATV Trail.
Specifically, as proposed Bloody Skillet will offer:
-- Addition of 3 miles of trail within the existing Bloody Skillet trail system;
-- The opening a parking lot at Bloody Skillet in conjunction with an additional 1.2 miles of trail
along a former railroad grade from Orviston west to the existing connector trail;
-- The commissioning of a feasibility study to examine connector trail corridors between the
Bloody Skillet trail system and the town of Renovo; as well as from Renovo to the Whiskey
Springs ATV trail system;
-- The study also would look at the safety and sustainability of the same two ATV trails and
provide suggestions for improvement;
-- As well as offer a series of public and stakeholder meetings to explain and gather local input
regarding the connector proposals; and
-- As of the end of the summer, ATV active registrations were just short of 166,000. Riders are
Invited to legally travel on 11 designated ATV trails on state forestland across the state, which
offer 267 miles.
For maps and other ATV riding information, visit DCNRs State Forest ATV Riding
Trails webpage.
NewsClips:
Gov. Wolf Announces Multimodal Transportation Grants, Including Trail, Bike Projects
Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary Leslie S. Richards Friday
announced 37 highway, bridge, bike and pedestrian
projects will receive $40 million in Multimodal
Transportation Fund grants from the Department of
Transportation.
The projects include these related to trails and bike
paths--- Allegheny County: Allegheny County Parks -$2,100,000 to improve roadways throughout Allegheny Countys parks through widening the
shoulders, paving, signage installation, and bike markings.

-- Dauphin County: City of Harrisburg -- $2,236,667 to improve the vehicular, transit,
pedestrian, and bicycle movements within the city north of the Capitol Complex and to address
several transportation-related safety issues. A total of $6,710,000 is committed over the next
three years for this project.
-- Lancaster County: City of Lancaster -- $1,305,713 to construct the Northeast Trail
Extension, a 2.35-mile on- and off-street trail that will connect the City to parks, schools, and
employers to the east and northeast and create a bicycle commuter route.
-- Lackawanna County: Heritage Valley Partners, Inc. -- $463,179 to create safe,
ADA-compliant access from existing Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to Lackawanna Avenue,
providing a direct link to downtown commerce, government services, historical and cultural
venues, and educational institutions.
-- Philadelphia: Schuylkill River Development Corporation -- $911,637 to complete the final
phase of construction for the South Street to Christian Street extension of the Schuylkill River
Trail (photo), including plaza paving, fencing, trail furniture installation, landscaping, irrigation,
pavement markings, and signage.
A complete list of projects funded is available online.
Communities across Pennsylvania rely on infrastructure improvements to support
economic growth and attract new residents and businesses, Gov. Wolf said. These projects
support improved transportation for all residents, whether they walk, bike or drive.
The fund allows us to assist communities with needed transportation improvements that
otherwise may not move forward, said PennDOT Secretary Richards. This process represents
an opportunity for worthwhile local projects to secure the support needed to come to fruition.
The Multimodal Transportation Fund was created by Act 89, enacted in November 2013,
Pennsylvanias far-reaching transportation funding plan. For the first time, transit, aviation, rail
freight and pedestrian and bicycle modes obtained dedicated sources of funds, putting the modes
on a firmer footing for future initiatives.
For more information about the program, visit PennDOTs Multimodal Transportation
webpage. Click Here for information on bike routes in Pennsylvania. Click Here for more on
trails in Pennsylvania.
NewsClips:
Dedication Of Historical Marker To Honor Firefighters Who Died in 1938 Wildfire Oct. 19
The public is invited to join DCNRs Bureau of Forestry,
Historical and Museum Commission officials, and local
firefighters in the dedication of a State Historical Marker commemorating the Pepperhill Fire of
1938, in which eight young firefighters died.
The event begins at 10 a.m. October 19, at the Emporium Fire Department, 419 N. Broad
St., Emporium, Cameron County.
The wildfire just outside Emporium claimed the lives on October 19, 1938. After
reviewing tragic events surrounding that fire, a case study for training wildfire fighters statewide
was developed with the intent of preventing any future loss of life. This ongoing training has
saved many lives and will continue to be offered to, and required of, future wildfire fighters.
For more information on wildfires and prevention, visit DCNRs Wildfire In PA
webpage.
Related Stories:
Get Outdoors PA Webinar: Learn How to Develop a Successful Birding Program Oct. 17
Get Outdoors PA is offering a free webinar October 17 from
2 p.m.3 p.m., where you can learn how to develop a
successful birding program.
Expert birders will offer helpful tips on: marketing events;
finding program partners; accessing equipment; and finding
the perfect places to observe birds.
Birding is growing in popularity and Pennsylvania offers
countless opportunities to get outdoors and experience these
amazing creatures.
More and more Get Outdoors PA partners are offering programs that introduce
participants to the enjoyment of watching, feeding, or counting species of birds.
Click Here to register for this Get Outdoors PA webinar.
(Photo: Northeast PA Audubon Society.)
October 12 Resource Newsletter Now Available From DCNR
The October 12 Resource newsletter is now available from
the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
featuring articles on--- Abundant Opportunities To Get Outdoors And Experience
Fall In PA
-- $3 Million In State Funding Announced For Schuylkill
River Trail In Philadelphia
-- PennDOT, DCNR Secretaries Ride Proposed Pike2Bike
Trail In Breezewood
-- NRCS, EPA, PA Commit Another $28 Million For
Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Work In PA
-- Additional State Forest Roads Opening For Hunting Seasons, Other Outdoor Activities
-- French Creek State Park Portion Of Big Woods Trail In Berks County Dedicated
-- 2017 PA River Of The Year Nominations Now Being Accepted
-- DCNR, Fish Commission Reopen Sections Of Penns Creek In Mifflin County To Fishing
-- Agriculture Extends Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area In 2 Counties
-- Public Invited To Nobel Prize Winners Climate Change Address Oct. 26 In Harrisburg
-- Dedication Of Historical Marker To Honor Firefighters Who Died in 1938 Wildfire Oct. 19
-- Get Outdoors PA Webinar: Learn How to Develop a Successful Birding Program Oct. 17
-- Conservation Tip: Take A Child Outdoors!
A reminder that beautiful fall days are the perfect opportunity to take a child outdoors!
Recently, childhood has moved indoors and in front of screens, which impacts childrens health
and eliminates a connection to the natural world.
DYK Pennsylvania has more than 5,800 local parks for free play or taking a walk? They
are discoverable on an interactive map. Ranger Rick has some great ideas for fall family
activities outdoors.
-- Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter
For more information, visit DCNRs website, Click Here to be part of DCNRs Online
Community, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube and Flickr.
Natural Lands Trust: 1,505 Acre Bryn Coed Farms Closer To Preservation In Chester
County
The Natural Lands Trust Friday announced a major
milestone in the non-profit land conservation
organizations effort to preserve 1,505 acres in northern
Chester County known as Bryn Coed Farms.
On September 28, Natural Lands Trust and the
current property owners, the Dietrich family, executed
an Agreement of Sale for the property. Natural Lands
Trust now has six months to conduct due diligence,
including Phase II environmental testing.
The fate of the property has been the subject of
much speculation over the years as development pressures have increased in the region.
Located primarily in West Vincent Township, Chester County, with portions also in East
and West Pikeland Townships, the property is one of the largest remaining undeveloped,
unprotected tracts of land in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Under current zoning, nearly 700 homes could be built on the property if it is not placed
under protection.
Natural Lands Trust has been working with the Dietrichs for more than five years to
conserve the land.
It is too early to celebrate, but we are optimistic that much of this iconic property can be
conserved, said Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands Trust. Its a complex deal with
many moving parts, but Bryn Coed is certainly worth fighting to save. Its a community and
ecological treasure.
If successful, the deal would result in a 400-plus-acre nature preserve with eight miles of
hiking trails that will be owned and managed by Natural Lands Trust.
The preserve will be open to visitors, free of charge, just like other nature preserves
owned by the regional conservation groupincluding the 112-acre Binky Lee Preserve in nearby
Chester Springs.
In addition, West Vincent Township is considering Natural Lands Trusts offer to
establish a 72-acre municipal park on the property.
The remainder of the property would be divided into large conservation properties,
preserved by conservation easements, and sold to private individuals.
The amount of land that can be permanently protected as a Natural Lands Trust preserve
is dependent on the amount of funding we can raise. The cost of preserving the entirety of such a
vast and valuable property is beyond the currently available resources. We will be seeking
support from the public in the weeks and months ahead, Morrison added.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Natural
Lands Trust website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Trust and Like them on
Facebook.
Gifford Pinchot Grey Towers: Cemetery Tour Oct. 22, A Night With Poe Oct. 29
Cemeteries can tell stories of people and communities and
a Laurel Hill Cemetery Walk at Grey Towers National
Historic Site, Milford, Pike County on October 22, will do
just that. The 1-hour program begins at 11 a.m.
On October 29 there will be a Halloween Dramatic
Reading - A Night With Poe program from 8:00 to 9:00
p.m.
The Laurel Hill Cemetery, located on Old Owego
Turnpike at Grey Towers, holds the history of some of
Milfords earliest inhabitants. As one of the towns first graveyards, Laurel Hill is the final
resting place for nearly 200 residents who helped shape the community in the early 1800s.
There was the Colonel who was a farmer and also was elected to Congress. And the hotel
keeper who was responsible for opening up Broad Street by clearing the brush. Mystery
surrounds the deaths of five young children from one family, all of whom died within a week of
each other.
Experts also will be on hand to explain gravestone symbolism and epitaphs and to talk
about restoration and research efforts.
Registration is required and the program will be held rain or shine. Participants should
meet in the Visitor Pavilion of the Grey Towers Visitor Parking Lot. Wear comfortable shoes as
there is walking on uneven terrain.
The fee is $8 for adults; $7 for seniors. Exact change and cash is preferred.
For more information contact the U.S. Forest Service at Grey Towers by sending email
to: greytowers@fs.usda.gov or call 570-296-9630.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Grey
Towers Heritage Association. Click Here to sign up for updates from the Association, Like them
on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, visit their YouTube Channel, become part of their
Google+ Circle and follow them on Instagram.
Also visit the Grey Towers Historic Site website and the Pinchot Institute for
Conservation website for information on its conservation research and policy programs. Click
Here to sign up for the Institutes regular updates.
NewsClip:
Game Commission Seeks Comments On Removing Osprey From Threatened Species List
The Game Commission Thursday announced the opening of a
30-day public comment period during which the public can
comment on the proposal to remove the osprey from the
states list of threatened species list.
Criteria for removing the osprey from the states
threatened-species list are laid out in the Game Commissions
Osprey Management Plan.
The plan calls for removing ospreys as a
threatened-species if the population is steady or increasing
and, if in two consecutive surveys, at least 50 nesting pairs are documented, including at least 10
nesting pairs each in four of the states major watersheds.
Those objectives all were achieved in the 2016 nesting season. In fact, a record 148
active osprey nests were documented in 2016.
Game Commission endangered birds biologist Patti Barber said Pennsylvanias ospreys
exhibit a great deal of tolerance for human activities, a trait thats helped them to thrive.
More than 90 percent of the nests in the state are built on structures: nesting platforms,
communication towers, docks, buoys, old factories almost anything sturdy enough to support a
nest.
Ospreys are very accepting of the human landscape, and their increasing numbers show
it, Barber said.
Barber said removing ospreys from the states threatened-species list would neither
hinder osprey populations in Pennsylvania nor knock off course the species comeback here.
If the osprey is delisted, the bird will continue to be protected under the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act, and the Lacey Act.
And to provide ospreys an additional layer of protection, the Board of Commissioners has
said it would adopt a heightened replacement cost to be paid by anyone convicted of unlawfully
killing an osprey.
A similar replacement cost was adopted after the bald eagle was removed from the states
list of threatened species in 2014.
Comments on the proposal must be received before midnight November 12. The Board
of Game Commissioners will consider all public comments received before casting its vote.
Those wishing to submit comments on the proposal to remove the osprey from the states
threatened-species list may send them by email to: osprey@pa.gov. Those who are without
email may mail their written comments to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of
Wildlife Management, ATTN: Osprey Comments, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA
17110-9797.
For more background, visit the Game Commissions Osprey webpage.
NewsClips:
Elk Mating Really Gets Pennsylvania Going
Radnor Bear Trapped In Delco, Relocated To Dauphin
Bears Visiting Town Arent An Uncommon Occurrence In NE PA
National Aviarys Baby Sloth Makes TV Debut In Pittsburgh
Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events

This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and
meetings and other interesting environmental events.
NEW means new from last week. [Agenda Not Posted] means not posted within 2 weeks
of the advisory committee meeting. Go to the online Calendar webpage for updates.
Note: House and Senate Committees can meet with little or no notice as we go through the last 6
days of voting session for the year.
October 15-- PA Association of Sustainable Agriculture Farmer-To-Farmer Education Event Productive Riparian Buffers. Happy Hollow Farm, 2486 Orwig Road in Stewartstown, York
County. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
October 15-- Gifford Pinchots Grey Towers Fall Walks. 122 Old Owego Turnpike, Milford,
Pike County. 10:00.
October 15-- Brodhead Watershed Association Get Outdoors Poconos Hike Shuman Point
Natural Area, Lake Wallenpaupack. Hawley, Pike County.
October 16-- Lacawac Sanctuary 3rd Annual Lake To Lake 8K Run & 5K Wag. Lake Ariel,
Wayne County.
October 17-- NEW. Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider
House Bill 1737 (Maher-R-Allegheny) further providing for the safe destruction of unwanted or
unused prescription and other drugs (House Fiscal Note and summary). Rules Room. Off the
Floor.
October 17-- NEW. House Consumer Affairs Committee meets to consider House Bill 1280
(Farry-R-Bucks) prohibit a plastic bag ban, tax or fee (sponsor summary), Senate Bill 881
(Blake-D-Lackawanna) exempting from the definition of public utility a resort offering water or
sewer service to private homes within a resort (sponsor summary). Room 60 East Wing. 11:00.
October 17-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Economic Development Workshop. Shawnee
Inn and Golf Resort, 100 Shawnee Inn Drive, Shawnee on Delaware, PA. 6-8 p.m.
October 17-- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay & Partners Financing Your Stormwater
Management Project Workshop. Lemoyne Borough Office Building, 510 Herman Ave.,
Lemoyne, Cumberland County. 10:00 a.m.
October 17-- NEW. Get Outdoors PA Webinar: Learn How To Develop A Successful Birding
Program. 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
October 18-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee hold a joint hearing on Pennsylvanias strategy for meeting Chesapeake
Bay Watershed cleanup requirements. Hearing Room 1 North Office Building. 9:30 a.m. Click
Here for more information.
October 18-- Agenda Posted. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-772-3277, edinger@pa.gov.
-- Proposed repeal of the low-RVP gasoline requirement in the 7-county Pittsburgh Region
-- Proposed update of Radiological Health regulations.
-- Consideration of a rulemaking petition to upgrade the stream classification of Whetstone Run
in Delaware County
-- Click Here for available handouts
October 18-- Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Katie Hetherington Cunfer, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O.
Box 8459, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8459, 717-705-2693, khethering@pa.gov. Click Here to
register for the webcast of this meeting.
-- Presentation on draft 2016 Integrated Water Quality Report
-- Overview of the 2015 Climate Change Action Plan Update.
-- Report By Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell
-- DEPs Monthly Report To Council
-- Click Here for available handouts
October 18-- NEW. NRCS PA State Technical Committee meeting. USDA State Office, 359
East Park Drive, Harrisburg. 1:00 p.m.
October 18-- Energy Coordinating Agency Breakfast Briefings On The First Fuel: Energy
Efficiency. Energy Coordinating Agencys LEED certified Training Center at 106 W. Clearfield
Street, Philadelphia. 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
October 18-- Stream Restoration, Inc. Datashed Online Stream Restoration Data Warehouse
Training. Westmoreland County Conservation District Offices, Greensburg. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m.
October 18-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Economic Development Workshop. Tusten
Theatre, 210 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, NY. 6-8 p.m.
October 19-- Stroud Water Research Center/Axalta Seminar On Delaware River Health. Union
League of Philadelphia. 5:30 p.m.
October 20-- NEW. Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting.
Room. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Daniel Snowden, DEP, at
717-783-8846 or send email to: dsnowden@pa.gov. Also available by conference call:
1-650-479-3208, Access Code: 643 964 729, Password: Geo*Ecology50 .
October 20-- PennTAP Webinar: Save Money Through Energy Management Systems. Noon to
1:00.
October 20-- Northeast PA Environmental Partners Awards Dinner. Woodlands Inn & Resort,
Wilkes-Barre.
October 20-- Public Utility Commission Be Utility Wise, Learn Whether You Qualify For
Heating Assistance Event. Mohegan Sun, 1280 Highway 315, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702. 8 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m.
October 20, 21 & 28-- Philadelphia Sustainable Business Network Green Stormwater
Infrastructure Partners 3-Day Green Stormwater Infrastructure Course. Temple Universitys
Center City Campus in Philadelphia.
October 21-- Pennsylvania Wilds Fall Biking Seminar. Allegheny Grille, Foxburg, Clarion
County.
October 22-- NEW. PA Resources Council, PA American Water Drug Take-Back Events In
Allegheny County-- Green Tree, Mt. Lebanon and Robinson. 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
October 22-- Natural Lands Trust ChesLen Chase For Open Space. Chester County.
October 22-- NEW. Gifford Pinchot Grey Towers Cemetery Tour. 122 Old Owego Turnpike,
Milford, Pike County. 10:00.
October 24-- Environmental Issues Forum of the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution
Control and Conservation Committee feature a presentation on Pennsylvanias Wildlife Action
Plan by the Fish and Boat and Game Commissions. Room 8E-A East Wing of the Capitol
Building in Harrisburg. Noon.
October 25-- NEW. PA Environmental Council, DEP Northwest PA Watershed Workshop.
Bossard Nature Center at Woodcock Lake in Saegertown, Crawford County. 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
October 25-- WHYY: The Politics Of Pennsylvanias Energy Future Panel Discussion. WHYY
Studios, 150 North 6th Street, Philadelphia. 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
October 26-- DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Nancy Herb, Bureau of Air
Quality, 717-783-9269 or send email to: nherb@pa.gov.
October 26-- CANCELED. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. No future
meetings are scheduled at this time. DEP Contact: Lee McDonnell, 717-787-5017 or send email
to: lmcdonnell@pa.gov. (formal notice)
October 26-- DEP hearing on Archbald gas-fired power plant in Lackawanna County. Valley
View High School, 1 Columbus Drive in Archbald. 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact
DEPs Northeast Regional Office by calling 570-826-2511. Click Here for more. (formal notice
PA Bulletin page 6043)
October 26-- NEW. Department of Labor & Industry Uniform Construction Code Review And
Advisory Council meeting. 651 Boas St., Room 1710, 17th Floor, Harrisburg. 10:00. (formal
notice)
October 26-- NEW. DEP & DCNR Host Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Richard Alley On Effects Of
Climate Change On Pennsylvania. Auditorium of the Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 12:30
p.m.
October 26-28-- Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference. Lancaster Convention Center,
Lancaster.
October 27-- DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. Susquehanna Room A, DEP
Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 9:00. DEP Contact: Tom Juengst,
Bureau of Clean Water, 717-783-7577 or send email to: tjuengt@pa.gov. (formal notice)
Heating Assistance Event. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, 450 Schoolhouse Rd.,
Johnstown, PA 15904. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
October 29-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Autumn Lecture Series - Artist Dierdre Murphy.
Visitor Center, Berks County. 5:30.
October 29-- NEW. Gifford Pinchot Grey Towers Halloween Dramatic Reading - A Night With
Poe. 122 Old Owego Turnpike, Milford, Pike County. 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Heating Assistance Event. DoubleTree by Hilton, 701 Penn Street, Reading, PA 19601. 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
November 1-- DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building 10:00. DEP Contact: Mark Brojakowski, Bureau of Air Quality, 717-772-3429 or send
email to: mbrojakows@pa.gov.
November 2-- DEP Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee meeting. Location To Be
Announced. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kurt Klapkowski, Oil and Gas Program, by calling
717-783-9438 or send email to: kklapkowsk@pa.gov.
November 2-- DEP hearing on the renewal of the NPDES permit for the Scranton Sewer
Authority wastewater treatment plant at Cedar Ave. & Breck Street. Council Chambers, Scranton
City Hall, 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton. 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. (formal notice, PA Bulletin,
page 6182) Click Here for more information.
November 2-- PRPS, DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant Workshop.
Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell. 9:00 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
November 2-- PAAWWA, PWEA & PMAA Joint PA Water Utility Asset Management
Summit. The Penn Stater, State College.
November 3- DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Location To Be Announced.
10:00. DEP Contact: Kurt Klapkowski, Oil and Gas Program, by calling 717-783-9438 or send
email to: kklapkowsk@pa.gov.
November 3-- NEW. Susquehanna River Basin Commission holds a hearing on proposed water
withdrawal requests. Room 8E-B East Wing, Capitol Building, Harrisburg. 2:00. Click Here for
more information. (formal notice)
November 3-- PRPS, DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant Workshop. Giant
Food Store Community Room, Camp Hill, Cumberland County. 9:00 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
November 3-- Stream Restoration, Inc. Datashed Online Stream Restoration Data Warehouse
Training. Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Ashley, Luzerne County.
5:30 p.m to ?
November 4-- PA Environmental Council. Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition Summit.
Regional Learning Alliance, Cranberry Township, Butler County.
Training. Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Ashley, Luzerne County.
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..
November 8-- Election Day! (As If You Could Forget!)
November 9-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Water Resource Management
Considerations for Public Water Supply Managers. SRBC Conference Center located at 4423 N.
Front St., Harrisburg. 8:15 a.m to 3:00 p.m.
November 9-- PRPS, DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant Workshop. Luzerne
County Community College, Nanticoke. 9:00 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
November 10-- PRPS, DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant Workshop. Penn
State Hotel & Convention Center, State College, Centre County. 9:00 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
November 10-- PA Resources Council Annual Awards Dinner. Villanova University

Conference Center, Philadelphia.
November 10-- Energy Coordinating Agency Breakfast Briefings On The First Fuel: Energy
Efficiency. Energy Coordinating Agencys LEED certified Training Center at 106 W. Clearfield
Street, Philadelphia. 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
November 11-12-- 11th Annual Susquehanna River Symposium. Bucknell University,
Lewisburg, Union County.
November 14-- DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room
105 Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 9:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Hissner, DEP Bureau of
Safe Drinking Water, 717-772-2189 or dhissner@pa.gov. (formal notice)
November 15-- DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board joint meeting with DEP Citizens
Advisory Council. Delaware Conference Room, 16th Floor, Rachel Carson Building. 8:30.
DEP Contact: Carl Jones, Director, DEPs Office of Environmental Justice, 484-250-5818 or
send email to: caejone@pa.gov.
November 15- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA
17101, 717-772-3277, edinger@pa.gov.
November 15-- Updated Agenda. Joint Meeting Of DEP Citizens Advisory Council and DEPs
Environmental Justice Advisory Board Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact:
Katie Hetherington Cunfer, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O. Box 8459, Harrisburg, PA
17105-8459, 717-705-2693, khethering@pa.gov.
November 15-- Public Utility Commission Be Utility Wise, Learn Whether You Qualify For
Heating Assistance Event. Red Lion Inn, 4751 Lindle Rd., Harrisburg PA 17111. 8:30 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.
November 16-- House & Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committees hold
a joint hearing to review emergency preparedness and response measures for natural gas and
petroleum pipeline infrastructure. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 9:00.
November 16-- DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. 14th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Michael Maddigan, Land
Recycling Program, 717-783-1566 or email: mmaddigan@pa.gov.
November 16-- DEP hearing on the proposed transfer of volatile organic compound emission
credits to the Perdue AgriBusiness soybean processing facility in Conoy Township, Lancaster
County. Bainbridge Fire Hall, 34 South 2nd Street, Bainbridge. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. DEP Contact:
Brenda Esterline 717-705-4704. Click Here for more information. (formal notice, page 6352)
November 16-- League Of Women Voters 2016 Shale & Public Health Conference. University
of Pittsburgh University Club, 123 University Place, Pittsburgh. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
November 16-- PRPS, DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant Workshop. Park Inn
Radisson Hotel, Clarion. 9:00 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
November 17-- DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. 14th Floor Conference
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 a.m.. DEP Contact: Joseph Melnic, Bureau of Radiation
Protection, 717-783-9730 or send email to: jmelnic@pa.gov. (formal notice)
November 17-- PRPS, DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant Workshop. Upper St.
Clair Community Center, Upper St. Clair, Allegheny County. 9:00 a.m to 12:30 p.m.
November 17-- Energy Coordinating Agency Sustainable Energy Conference For A
Self-Sufficient Energy Future. Temple University Student Faculty Center, 3340 North Broad
Street, Philadelphia.
Training. Patton Township Building, State College, Centre County. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Training. St. Francis University, Loretto, Cambria County. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
December 1-- Westminster College/Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition Student Symposium On
The Environment. Westminster College, New Wilmington, Lawrence County.
December 6-- DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Charles Swokel, Bureau of Environmental Cleanup and
Brownfields, 717-772-5806 or send email to: cswokel@pa.gov.
December 8-- DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:15. DEP Contact: Nancy Herb, Bureau of Air Quality, 717-783-9269 or send
email to: nherb@pa.gov.
December 8-- NEW. Susquehanna River Basin Commission meeting. Loews Annapolis Hotel,
126 West Street, Annapolis, MD. 9:00.
December 13-- DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial
Park Rd., Ebensburg. 10:00. DEP Contact: Allison Gaida, Bureau of Mine Safety,
724-404-3147, agaida@pa.gov.
December 14-- DEP State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems Operators
meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Cheri
Sansoni, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water, Operator Certification, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17101, 717-772-5158, csansoni@pa.gov.

December 15-- PennTAP Webinar: E3 Overview: Economy-Energy-Environment. Noon to
1:00.
December 20-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA
17101, 717-772-3277, edinger@pa.gov.
December 21-- DEP State Board for Certification Of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting.
11th Floor Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kristen
Szwajkowski, Bureau of Point Non-Point Source Management, 717-772-2186 or send email to:
kszwajkows@pa.gov.
January 11-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant Writing Webinar. 10:00.
January 19-- NEW. Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Training Program In
Berks County. Berks County Ag Center, 1238 County Welfare Road in Leesport. 6:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m.
February 16-- PennTAP Webinar: Pollution Prevention: Lean Manufacturing With A Focus On
Food Manufacturing. Noon to 1:00.
March 23-24-- Westmoreland County Conservation District 2017 Engineers Workshop. Fred
Rogers Center, a LEED Gold Certified building at St. Vincent College, Latrobe.
April 5-7-- PA Assn. of Environmental Professionals 32nd Annual Conference. State College.
Visit DEPs Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
Sign Up For DEPs eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.
DEP Regulations In Process
Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
July 2016 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, page 3731
DEP Technical Guidance In Process

Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (July 2016) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review
Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
DEP Facebook Page
DEP Twitter Feed
DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events
DCNR Calendar of Events
Note: The Environmental Education Workshop Calendar is no longer available from the PA
Center for Environmental Education because funding for the Center was eliminated in the FY
2011-12 state budget. The PCEE website was also shutdown, but some content was moved to
the PA Association of Environmental Educators' website.
Senate Committee Schedule
House Committee Schedule
You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online.
Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle

Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.
October 17-- DEP Coastal Zone Grants
October 21-- PEMA Fire Company/Emergency Services Grants
October 21-- Gov. Wolf William Penn Fellowship For Advanced Degree Graduates
October 24-- PA Assn For Sustainable Agriculture PASAbilities Awards Series
October 28-- 2017 Pennsylvania River Of The Year
October 28-- Nominations For DCNR Trails Advisory Committee
October 31-- PPL Empowering Educators STEM Grant Program
October 31-- PA Resources Council Lens On Litter Photo Contest

October 31-- CFA Small Water & Sewer Project Funding
November 1-- EPA Grants To Reduce School Bus Emissions
November 2-- PennVEST Water Infrastructure Funding
November 30-- Game Commission Big-Buck Trail Cam Photo Contest
December 16-- DEP Environmental Education Grants
December 16-- Coldwater Heritage Partnership Coldwater Conservation Grants
December 30-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
December 31-- REAP Farm Conservation Tax Credit (or until money runs out)
December 31-- DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates (or until 250 rebates paid)
December 31-- Dept. Of Agriculture Succession/Transition Grants (until money runs out)
January 23-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grants Open
February 8-- PennVEST Water Infrastructure Funding
March 7-- DCNR Beings Accepting Rural Firefighting Grants
April 12-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grants Close
April 19-- SBA Economic Damage Disaster Loans In 5 Southwest Counties
May 3-- PennVEST Water Infrastructure Funding
May 19-- DCNR Rural Firefighting Grants
-- Visit the DEP Grant, Loan and Rebate Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get
financial assistance for environmental projects.
-- Visit the DCNR Apply for Grants webpage for a listing of financial assistance available from
DCNR.

Environmental NewsClips - All Topics
Here are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General
Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more.
The latest environmental NewsClips and news is available at the PA Environment Digest Daily
Blog, Twitter Feed and add us to your Google+ Circle.
Air
Health Study Begins On Erie Coking Coal Sister Plant
Awards & Recognition
Friends Of Tom Ridge Center To Honor S.O.N.S. Of Lake Erie
Beautification
Neighborhood Gardens Trust Targets Preservation Of 28 More Philly Gardens
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
Spotted Lanternfly Spreads Its Reach Farther Into Lehigh County
Chesapeake Bay
Climate
Drexel Students Supporting Climate Change Mount Voter Registration Driver
Op-Ed: Climate Accord More Likely To Succeed With A Price On Carbon
Bloomberg: Carbon Dioxide Emissions Drop To 1991 Levels
Coastal Zone
Bluff Management Topic Of Works For Lake Erie Landowners
Delaware River
Op-Ed: Keep Delaware Waterfront A Priority
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 14 RiverWatch Video Report
Drinking Water
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Files Lawsuit Against Former Management Firm
Education
Energy
Lower Energy Costs Should Give Homeowners A Break On Heating Bills
Elizabeth Twp Faces Legal Challenge Over Gas Power Plant
Report: Rising Natural Gas Production Cause Of Coal Decline
Energy Pops Up As Surprise Topic At 2nd Presidential Debate
Felony Trespass Dropped Against Couple Who Entered Nuclear Plant Property
From Pittsburgh To India, Racing To Reinvent The Electric Grid
Kleinman Center For Energy Policy: The Natural Gas War On Coal
Op-Ed: Heres The Right Recipe To Make PA Energy Independent, J. Winston Porter
Ohio Regulators Approve New Rate Plan For FirstEnergy
McGinty-Toomey Proxy War For National Interests
Farming
Study: Cover Crop Mixtures Increase Agroecosystem Services
Phipps Conservancy Show Celebrates Fall Harvest

Forests
Allegheny Front: Peak Forest Colors Coming To Southwest, Central PA This Week
Dry Summer, Drabber Fall Foliage
Spotted Lanternfly Spreads Its Reach Farther Into Lehigh County
AP: Reading Goes With Fake Christmas Tree To Avoid Charlie Brown Fiasco
Lackawanna River
Lackawanna River Group To Expand Volunteer Base
Lake Erie
Friends Of Tom Ridge Center To Honor S.O.N.S. Of Lake Erie
Editorial: Research The Effects Of Microplastics Pollution Now
Land Conservation
Game Commission Biologist Added To Westmoreland Land Trust Board
Lehigh River
Source Of Lehigh Oil Slick A Construction Site
Littering/Illegal Dumping
Environmentalists Slowly Winning War On Illegal Dumping In Luzerne
Mine Reclamation
Non-Coal Mining
Quarry Plan Back Before Lower Milford Planners
Oil & Gas
Marcellus Shale Industry Sues To Block New PA Drilling Rules
Gas Industry Files Suit Challenging New Drilling Rules In PA
AP: Gas Industry Challenges New Drilling Rules In PA
Swift: Court Decision On Drilling Impacts Environmental Agenda
Editorial: Lawmakers Should Be Comprehensive When Retooling Drilling Law
Newtown Twp Fracking Ordinance Catches Eye Of Environmentalists
Buffalo Twp Approves Natural Gas Compressor Station
Op-Ed: Greater Production Of Natural Gas Must Be Encouraged
Production Costs A Royalty Pain For Natural Gas Leaseholders
Bradford County Video Slams Chesapeake Energy On Royalties
Report: Rising Natural Gas Production Cause Of Coal Decline
Pittsburgh Gasoline Prices Rise On Global Deal
Pipelines
Natural Gas Pipeline Developers Push To Overcome Opposition
Crable: Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Opponents Their Spot For Protests
Lancaster Congressional Candidates Weigh In On Pipeline
Feds To Require Safety Values On More Gas Service Lines

Advocates Urge Last-Minute Vote To Save PA Pipeline Safety Law
Recreation
Recycling/Waste
Stormwater
Wastewater Facilities
Editorial: PUC Shirks Responsibility In Scranton Sewer System Sale
Editorial: Access To Scranton Wastewater Plant Renewal Permit Questioned
Watershed Protection
PEC Northwest PA Region Watershed Workshop Oct. 25
Lackawanna River Group To Expand Volunteer Base
Source Of Lehigh Oil Slick A Construction Site
Op-Ed: Keep Delaware Waterfront A Priority
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 14 RiverWatch Video Report
Water Resources
Open Allegheny River Locks A Huge Success

Wildlife
Elk Mating Really Gets Pennsylvania Going
Radnor Bear Trapped In Delco, Relocated To Dauphin
Bears Visiting Town Arent An Uncommon Occurrence In NE PA
National Aviarys Baby Sloth Makes TV Debut In Pittsburgh
West Nile/Zika Virus
As Babies With Zika Virus Turn 1, Health Problems Mount
Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program
Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

No new regulations were published this week. Pennsylvania Bulletin - October 15, 2016
Sign Up For DEPs eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.
DEP Regulations In Process
Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
July 2016 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, page 3731
Technical Guidance & Permits

The Executive Board published notice in the October 15 PA Bulletin of a revised organizational
structure for the Department of Environmental Protection (PA Bulletin page 6540)
The Fish and Boat Commission published notices in the October 15 PA Bulletin of additions to
the list of Class A Wild Trout Streams and additions and revisions to the list of Wild Trout
Streams.
DEP also published notice in the October 15 PA Bulletin of changes to the list of companies
certified to perform radon-related activities (PA Bulletin page 6579).
DEP Technical Guidance In Process
Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage

Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (July 2016) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review
Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Visit DEPs Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
DEP Facebook Page
DEP Twitter Feed
DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events
DCNR Calendar of Events

CLICK HERE To Print Entire PA Environment Digest
CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest.
Stories Invited
Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or
programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to: DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.
PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection, and is published as a service of Crisci Associates, a
Harrisburg-based government and public affairs firm whose clients include Fortune 500
companies and nonprofit organizations.
Did you know you can search 10 years of back issues of the PA Environment Digest on dozens
of topics, by county and on any keyword you choose? Just click on the search page.
PA Environment Digest weekly was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental
Educators' 2009 Business Partner of the Year Award.
Supporting Member PA Outdoor Writers Assn./PA Trout Unlimited
PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers

Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout
Unlimited.

Pa Environment Digest Oct. 17, 2016

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PA Environment Digest

An Update On Environmental Issues In Pennsylvania

Environmental Issues In Play During Waning Days Of Senate, House Session

over-the-counter drugs, is part of the solution.

enact those provisions. The regulations went into effect on October 8.

Gov. Wolf: Bipartisan Agreement To Proceed In June

Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Govs Schedule

News From The Capitol

News From Around The State

million tons of coal refuse.

Coal Waste Recycling Industry Asks For Legislative Lifeline

forums with these deadlines in mind.

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

updates from PEC.

install their projects in Spring 2017.

Latin, Greek and Hebrew.

In the 1895, Pinchot accepted appointment as forester in the U.S. Department of

shoulders, paving, signage installation, and bike markings.

Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events

November 10-- PA Resources Council Annual Awards Dinner. Villanova University

PA 17101, 717-772-5158, csansoni@pa.gov.

DEP Technical Guidance In Process

DEP Twitter Feed

DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.

DCNR Calendar of Events

House Committee Schedule

Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle

October 31-- PA Resources Council Lens On Litter Photo Contest

Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle

Phipps Conservancy Show Celebrates Fall Harvest

Feds To Require Safety Values On More Gas Service Lines

Open Allegheny River Locks A Huge Success

Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

Technical Guidance & Permits

Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System

DEP Twitter Feed

DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.

DCNR Calendar of Events

Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle

Supporting Member PA Outdoor Writers Assn./PA Trout Unlimited

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers

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