May 3-9 County Conservation Districts Week Overshadowed By Lawmaker Efforts To Freeze, Shutdown Conservation District Funds

Normally, Conservation District Week-- May 3 to 9-- is a time to recognize the many accomplishments of county conservation districts, but this year’s celebration is a little different.

Instead of in-person visits with Senate and House members, district directors and volunteers held conference calls and virtual meetings to communicate with legislators.

Each county has a conservation district office except Philadelphia. These volunteer directors and staff live and work in your community. 

They address local conservation problems. These are your neighbors who are working to prevent pollution, help farmers design and install conservation practices and prevent erosion and sedimentation from construction sites. 

That deserves to be celebrated!

“Conservation District Week is an opportunity to showcase conservation district projects,” said Brenda J. Shambaugh, Executive Director of the PA Association of Conservation Districts. “District staff work every day to improve the lives of our Commonwealth’s citizens.”

Conservation districts thanked Gov. Tom Wolf and members of the House and Senate for supporting the districts through the state budget.

Senate Resolution 320 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) and House Resolution 802 (Causer-R- Cameron) were introduced to formally recognize Conservation District Week, but never acted on, like other resolutions have been.

Threatened Shutdown

Instead of congratulating conservation districts on their work, the House and Senate are considering legislation that would freeze and shutdown funding for districts as well as funding for local farm conservation and environmental projects that together would prevent districts from doing their work.

On April 21, House Republicans passed House Bill 1822 (M.Keller-R-Perry) that included the freeze/shutdown language.

All Democrats opposed the bill.  Four Republicans also opposed the bill-- Reps. Marcia Hahan (R-Northampton), Christopher Quinn (R-Delaware), Todd Stephens (R-Montgomery) and Wendi Thomas (R-Buck).

The bill is now in the Senate for action. Read more here.

Conservation districts came out strongly opposed to the measure, as did groups like the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, PA State Grange, 11 major fishing and hunting groups, PA Land Trust Association, PA Recreation & Park Society, PA Parks & Forests Foundation, the PA Environmental Council,  PA Municipal Authorities Association and many others.

Seems like a funny way to "celebrate" county Conservation District Week by cutting off their funding!

[Editor’s Note: $172 Million Just Sitting There: The Senate and House are still sitting on a $172 million surplus in their own operating accounts, but they don’t seem ready to repurpose the money to help taxpayers and real people during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Read more here.

[Sacrifice is good… for other people in their view, apparently.

[Click Here to read more about "legislative privilege" and hiding how the General Assembly spends taxpayer money.]

Related Article - Budget:

Analysis: Where Did The $2.93 Billion In Environmental Funding The General Assembly Diverted Or Cut Go?

Analysis: 2020 Is A Make Or Break Year For Environmental Funding
Related Articles:

-- House Republicans Pass Bill To Freeze Funding For County Conservation Districts, Local Parks, Farm Conservation, Watershed Restoration Projects; Will Hurt Local Economies 

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners: Proposed Environmental Funding Freeze Would Be ‘Devastating’ To Lancaster’s Economy, Clean Water Efforts

-- PA Conservation District Assn.: House Republican Effort To Freeze Funding For County Conservation Districts Will Shut Them Down, Hurt Local Economies

-- PA State Grange Farm Organization Opposes Proposed Freeze On Conservation District, Local Farm, Restoration Project Funding

-- 11 PA Fishing, Hunting Groups Urge Lawmakers To Oppose Freeze On Local Farm Conservation, Environmental Restoration Project Funding

-- PA Land Trust Assn. Says House Republican Effort To Prohibit State Expenditures On Conservation Districts, Local Conservation Projects 'Insanity' 

-- PA Recreation & Park Society Opposes Republican Efforts To Freeze Funding For Local Park, Recreation, Conservation Projects

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Urges Lawmakers To Oppose Freeze On Recreation, Conservation Funding Addressing Imminent Health Threats, Help Economy Recover 

-- PA Environmental Council: Almost All Funds Targeted By Republican Freeze Support Local Environmental, Conservation Efforts 

---- PA Municipal Authorities Assn, 19 Waste Authorities Oppose Proposed Freeze On Recycling Funding

-- Op-Ed: State Government Is Ignoring Pennsylvania’s Constitutional Right To A Clean Environment For Generations Yet To Come - Ron Evans, PA Environmental Defense Foundation

-- Op-Ed: My Fellow Conservatives Are Out Of Touch On The Environment - Fmr. Gov. Tom Ridge

[Posted: May 2, 2020] PA Environment Digest