On June 12, DCNR’s Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council wrote to leadership in the Senate and House and Gov. Wolf urging them not to take money from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation and Environmental Stewardship funds to pay operating expenses for DCNR.
In February, Gov. Wolf proposed the transfer of over $75.7 million from environmental special funds to pay DCNR and DEP operating expenses. Republican members of the General Assembly have also promoted the same concept proposing over $317 million in environmental project funding cuts in 2017.
The CNRAC letter expressed the Council’s “great concern” over the use of community project funds to pay operating expenses saying--
“The loss of the Keystone Fund, DCNR’s primary source of funding for conservation and recreation grants, would greatly harm DCNR’s ability to achieve its mission.
“Because Keystone funds must be matched by local sources, transferring these funds will disrupt many significant, high-value, multi-year conservation and recreation projects that often have substantial local participation and investment.
“Keystone funds empower local people and the private sector to support local recreation and conservation initiatives, that, in-turn, benefit the local economy.
“According to Keystonefund.org, every dollar in state grants typically leverages at least $1 in other investments and usually the multiplier is much larger.
“The Keystone Fund alone has leveraged more than $1 billion in public/private partnerships to complete more than 4,500 projects.
“The loss of the Environmental Stewardship Fund, commonly known as Growing Greener, would also be extraordinarily damaging to DCNR and its ability to fulfill its mission.
“These funds have been used to conserve over 200,000 acres of open space, restore clean water and reduce flooding in many rivers and streams, revitalize communities, and have helped the department address a backlog of infrastructure and deferred maintenance projects in our state parks and forests.
“We recognize the need to fund Department operations. However, raiding special funds to support agency operations is not the answer. We are asking that these dedicated conservation funding sources remain intact.”
The Council is a diverse 18-member advisory group to DCNR made up of an equal number of appointees named by the Senate, House and the Governor.
For more information on Council activities, visit DCNR’s Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council webpage.
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