On Wednesday, Sen. John Rafferty (R-Montgomery) introduced Senate Bill 560 which would authorize municipalities to adopt regulations requiring riparian buffers and the Department of Environmental Protection to enforce a 100 foot stream buffer requirement.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Pennsylvania Executive Director Harry Campbell today applauded the introduction of SB 560 saying, “Pennsylvania has over 19,000 miles of rivers and streams that are considered impaired due to pollution. Forest buffers are one of the most cost effective practices to reduce pollution and protect water quality.
“While Pennsylvania has set goals to increase the acreage of forest buffers within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, it is not on track to meet those goals. This legislation would provide an important new tool to accelerate protection and restoration of all our local rivers and streams.
“CBF would like to thank Senators Rafferty, Teplitz, Alloway, Hughes, Costa, Leach and Schwank and the other cosponsors for moving this legislation forward.”
Riparian buffers are the most effective best practices for protecting waterways, communities, and natural resources.
“We reviewed over 230 scientific studies and concluded that streamside forest buffers must be at least 100 feet wide on both side of the stream to adequately protect its physical, chemical, and biological integrity. So, this proposed legislation is consistent with the latest science,” said Bernard W. Sweeney, Ph.D. Director Stroud Water Research Center, based in Avondale, PA.
A sponsor summary is available online.
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