Center staff was be joined by state and local elected officials from Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan and Susquehanna counties, members of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, local businesses and residents, many of whom have been affected and offered testimony regarding issues surrounding stream cleaning in the wake of recent flooding across Pennsylvania.
"We need to look into the regulatory issues to address some of these problems," Sen. Yaw said. "As the presenters testified, a method to maintain stream channels that are sensitive to local conditions is essential. And we need to let regulators know that landowners and citizens are not the enemy but rather partners."
As a result of this listening session, Sen. Yaw's office will be working directly with Secretary Michael Krancer of the state Department of Environmental Protection, as well as other state and local agencies, to address the current regulatory and permitting process. In addition, he and his staff will be working directly with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and its membership to tackle this issue head on.
“The Center for Rural Pennsylvania continually works to gather input from rural residents on how state government can partner with them to address local challenges and opportunities,” said Barry Denk, Executive Director for the Center. “The listening session in Sullivan County, called by our Chairman Senator Yaw, clearly shows this commitment to serving Pennsylvania's rural citizens and their communities.”
Testimony from the hearing and a video are available online. Comments can be submitted through Sen. Yaw's website.
