Scranton Times Editorial: Use $500 Million In American Rescue Fund Cash To Fully Fund Growing Greener

Pennsylvanians always have appreciated the extraordinary natural abundance of Penn’s Woods.

The Pennsylvania state constitution is one of the few to include an environmental rights amendment that designates the state government as a steward of those resources and guarantees Pennsylvanians’ right to clean air and water.

When presented with the opportunity to vote directly for environmental quality, Pennsylvanians have done so. 

In 2005, for example, voters statewide overwhelmingly approved $625 million in borrowing, through a state bond issue, to establish the Growing Greener program.

That program has been a tremendous success across an array of environmental endeavors, which reflect how the money was distributed: $230 million to the Department of Environmental Protection to clean rivers and streams, abandoned mines and contaminated industrial sites; $217.5 million to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to preserve natural areas and state parks and for local recreational needs; $80 million to the Department of Agriculture to protect working farms; $50 million to the Department of Community and Economic Development for mixed-use redevelopment projects; $27.5 million to the Fish and Boat Commission for fish hatcheries and dam repairs; and $20 million to the Game Commission for wildlife habitat-related work.

It is heartening, then, that the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee voted 10-1 Wednesday to allocate $500 million from the state’s $7 billion American Rescue Plan allocation — the federal government pandemic relief package — to reinvigorate Growing Greener [Senate Bill 525 (Gordner-R-Columbia, Comitta-D-Chester)] .

Money would be used to help meet the state’s goals for reducing agricultural runoff into the Susquehanna River that pollutes Chesapeake Bay, land preservation, state park and forest improvements, local parks and riverfronts, flood prevention and accelerated cleanups of abandoned mine land.

As reflected by the broadly bipartisan committee vote, environmental quality and access to the commonwealth’s natural abundance transcend even the deep polarization that so often characterizes Harrisburg. 

The full Senate and House should agree to bolster Growing Greener.

 

(Reprinted from the Scranton Times.)

Related Articles:

-- Senate Committee Reports Out Bipartisan Bill Allocating $500 Million In American Rescue Fund Monies For Local Environmental Improvement, Recreation Projects 

-- 90 percent Of Voters Want MORE Funding For Critical Environmental, Conservation Programs & Local Projects

-- New Poll: 86% Say Parks, Trails, Outdoors Are Essential To Their Physical, Mental Health During Pandemic; State Parks Saw 26.6% Increase In Visitors

[Posted: October 1, 2021]  PA Environment Digest