Penn State Extension Hosts Jan. 27 Community Forestry Webinar - Forester's Featured Working Tree Solutions

The Penn State Extension will host a January 27 Community Forestry webinar on Forester's Working Tree Solutions For Difficult Planting Sites from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Some planting sites challenge even experienced landscapers with heat, drought, flooding, or poor soils, leaving these areas as eyesores or difficult-to-manage spaces. 

In this one-hour session, Bureau of Forestry Service Forester Steven Laskowski and Penn State Extension’s Scott Sjolander will explore both familiar and lesser-known woody plant solutions for Pennsylvania’s varied environmental contexts. 

Participants will gain practical strategies for selecting and establishing trees that thrive in tough sites, thinking creatively to enhance tree cover across diverse landscapes.

Who is this for?

-- Shade Tree Commissions

-- Municipal staff and council members

-- Public works departments

-- Parks and recreation departments

-- Environmental Advisory Councils

-- Community volunteers

-- Nonprofit organizations

-- School districts

What will you learn?

-- How to define the purpose of your planting and plant material

-- How to conduct an effective site assessment

-- How to identify plant species suited to common—and often frustrating—Pennsylvania planting site challenges

Continuing education credits available.

Click Here to register and for more information.

Visit the Penn State Extension website to learn more about many other educational opportunities.

Related Articles This Week:

-- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Jan. 15 Deadline To Apply For Major Conservation Assistance Program, Including Regenerative Pilot Program  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Feb. 13 Webinar On Making Cover Crops Pay - How Regenified Certification Works  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension: Making Cover Crops Pay: Feb. 20 Webinar On Understanding What Each Cover Crop Contributes To Soil Health  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension In-Person Southeast PA Green Industry Conference March 5 In Montgomery County  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension March 16 Webinar On Elm Zigzag Sawfly Update - Frontiers Of Forest Health  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Ag Conservation News: Funding For Sustainable Farming; Launch Your Ag Conservation Journey At The PA Farm Show

[Posted: December 18, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

East Palestine, Ohio And Rail Safety Advocates Demand Total Commitment To Rail Safety Amid Looming Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern Railroad Merger

On December 18, rail safety advocates in Appalachia – including East Palestine, Ohio, where one of the worst rail accidents occurred on February 3, 2023, are demanding that the anticipated Class I railroad merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern address several key regulations included in the Railway Safety Act of 2025. 

Recently, it was announced that a Class I major merger filing to the Surface Transportation Board between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern will take place on December 19, 2025. 

The East Palestine, Ohio community and rail safety advocates in the region see this as a second threat of disaster without careful consideration. 

Specifically, community members, rail safety advocates and groups are asking for these top five regulations from the Railway Safety Act of 2025 to be a contractual agreement included in the class one merger documents. 

-- Require a minimum of two certified crew members to operate a train. A locomotive engineer and conductor have important and distinct roles, particularly during emergency situations in which the engineer must be able to communicate with dispatchers and emergency responders, while the conductor exits the train to assess the safety incident and assist first responders.

-- Require railroads to use defect detectors along regular intervals and alert employees when the sensors identify something is wrong. These lifesaving technologies provide advanced warnings on overheating wheel bearings and other issues that could lead to derailments. The East Palestine train passed by three hot box detectors that showed an overheated wheel bearing was approaching failure, yet Norfolk Southern’s policy meant that crews couldn’t stop the train until it was too late.

-- Prevent unsafe railcar inspections and mandate that railcars are properly maintained. Railcar inspections are required by federal law, however, most freight railroads force inspections to be done in 60 seconds, often by unqualified or ill-trained crew members. The bill prohibits unsafe time limits on inspections and requires the use of properly-trained inspectors.

-- Expand the types of hazardous materials subject to increased safety regulations. Some high-hazard trains, like the Norfolk Southern train carrying vinyl chloride through East Palestine, are not subject to the strictest safety regulations. Requiring additional safety rules for trains carrying flammable gasses like vinyl chloride would increase safety for 12.5% of the nation’s freight trains.

-- Increases penalties on railroads that violate safety to up to $10 million to ensure that railroads comply with safety and hazardous material laws. The average penalty paid by the largest railroads for violating safety was $4,000 per violation.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern statistically hold the record for the most unsafe rail operations, first and second, respectively. 

Creating a transcontinental monopoly will dilute safety culture if the elements of the Rail Safety Act are excluded, the groups said. 

Union Pacific currently holds the highest derailment rate among all Class I railroads, with federal data showing their accident rate is roughly 30% higher than the next worst competitor, according to the groups. 

While Norfolk Southern has been under a microscope since East Palestine, Union Pacific has quietly maintained a statistically worse safety record, including a widespread pattern of intimidating workers who try to report defects, the groups said.

East Palestine, Ohio community members and rail safety advocates demand continued movement and protection of existing commitments and that the legal obligations established do not disappear into the complex corporate structure of a new parent company. 

The groups demand the federal Surface Transportation Board explicitly codify the following Norfolk Southern commitments as binding conditions of the merger:

-- The Consent Decree: The $25 million medical monitoring fund and 10-year water testing program.

-- The Settlement: Ensuring the $600 million class-action payout mechanism is not disrupted or delayed by administrative mergers.

-- Infrastructure: Guaranteeing the completion of the $25 million City Park renovation and water treatment plant upgrades.

When asked about the Railway Safety Act, Village Manager of East Palestine, Antonio Diaz-Guy, stated, "While I am not in a position to endorse the Railway Safety Act in its entirety, East Palestine supports efforts to enhance rail safety across the industry, including any proactive measures taken by railroads such as Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, and others. 

“As we continue to recover from the incident, my priority as Village Manager is to transform this challenge into an opportunity by rebuilding our local economy with rail safety as a cornerstone of our industrial development. 

“We welcome researchers, manufacturers, businesses, consultants, operators, and innovators dedicated to advancing proactive safety solutions—whether through cutting-edge technology, creative problem-solving, or market-driven initiatives. 

“East Palestine is ready to serve as a hub for those committed to shaping a safer future for rail transportation. 

“If we can get the country's best minds together, thinking about preventative action, I am confident that we can reduce the frequency and impact of incidents, like that which happened in East Palestine." 

“Handing the keys of the East Palestine, Ohio recovery to Union Pacific—a railroad with the number one statistically unsafe track record and no direct ties to the community—is an unacceptable risk unless strict federal oversight conditions are applied,” said Jess Conard, Founder of Rail Watch, community rail safety program and East Palestine, Ohio native.

“When rail safety fails, people get sick, and sometimes for years,” said Misti Allison, East Palestine, Ohio resident.“From a public health standpoint, this merger must lock in the strongest safety protections or it puts more communities at risk of another East Palestine.”

“Communities affected by the East Palestine derailment cannot be left wondering whether hard-won commitments will survive a corporate merger,” said Hilary Flint, Director of Communications and Community Engagement, Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community (BCMAC). 

“As a Beaver County resident impacted by that disaster, I am demanding that the consent decree, settlement payouts, and infrastructure upgrades be formally codified as binding conditions of any merger. These are not optional gestures. They are legal and moral obligations that must follow the railroad, no matter what name is on the door.” 

NewsClip:

-- The Hill Guest Essay: Without Railway Reform, Your Town Could Be The Next East Palestine - By Jess Conard, Rail Watch

[Posted: December 18, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

Groups File Arguments In Federal Court Case Challenging FERC's Decision On Cuffs Run Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Facility On The Susquehanna River In York County

On December 18, a coalition of conservation, recreation, and environmental organizations filed its opening brief with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in an appeal of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s decision to grant a preliminary permit for a pumped storage facility at Cuffs Run in York County.

 The Lancaster Conservancy, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County, and Susquehanna National Heritage Area argue that FERC violated its statutory authority by granting York Energy Storage a preliminary permit and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner. 

Because of these violations, this coalition asks the Court to throw out FERC’s order and the preliminary permit issued to York Energy Storage.

“FERC’s policy of granting almost all preliminary permits unless the project faces a ‘permanent legal barrier’ is contrary to Federal law, FERC’s own regulations, and basic principles of administrative law,” said Jesse Dillon, the Lancaster Conservancy’s special legal counsel. “A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision found that courts no longer have to defer to FERC’s interpretations of law. So, we asked the Court to properly interpret Federal law and reverse FERC’s decision to grant York Energy a preliminary permit.”

The coalition also argues that FERC wrongly ignored comments about how issuing the preliminary permit would harm residents, businesses, and local organizations and did not meaningfully consider public comments or assess the public interest, as required.

“For more than three decades, the owner of York Energy Storage has returned again and again with applications that cast a long shadow over this region,” said Fritz Schroeder, president and CEO of Lancaster Conservancy. “Five attempts since the 1990s have left communities and property owners in a state of uncertainty, held captive by a process never meant to be used this way. The preliminary permit system that FERC administers is designed to encourage responsible exploration. For the sake of the land, the people who call it home, and the integrity of the process itself, this preliminary permit should be overturned.”

“It is inexcusable for FERC to rubber stamp a preliminary permit and dismiss the impacts of that permit on the Susquehanna River region,” said Ted Evgeniadis, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper. “Over 1,000 comments from stakeholders, including farmers and homesteaders who feed our communities, went unheard. We are encouraged by the wide-ranging support we are receiving from partners, elected officials, neighbors, and the broader community to halt this project and ensure that Cuffs Run is protected, forever.”

Background

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, located in Philadelphia, is a federal court that reviews actions of federal agencies like FERC that impact residents in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

The partners hired appellate counsel from Clement & Murphy, PLLC, to appeal FERC’s decision to the Third Circuit. 

This firm specializes in US Supreme Court, appellate, and strategic litigation, and their lawyers have argued over 150 cases before the Supreme Court and countless more in federal and state appellate and trial courts throughout the country.

The next steps in the appeal process include two more rounds of briefs, oral argument before a panel of three judges, and preparation of a decision by the Court. A decision is not expected until late 2026 or early 2027. 

If successful, the appeal could help bring about a permanent end to the Cuffs Run project or any future pumped storage projects at this location.

“The Cuffs Run facility would carve a permanent scar on the Susquehanna River landscape, and we’re fighting to stop it,” said Paul Smail, vice president for litigation and general counsel for Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “This brief is a significant step in our ongoing battle. We’ll continue to stand strong with our partners to protect the Susquehanna River and people who call this special place home.”

On Nov. 21, 2024, FERC granted York Energy Storage a preliminary permit to study the construction of a pumped storage facility at Cuffs Run along the Susquehanna River. 

The preliminary permit gives York Energy Storage at least four years (and as many as eight years) to complete required studies about the project and decide whether to proceed with a full hydroelectric license application. 

During this lengthy study period, the region will experience continued uncertainty, hindering the ability of numerous landowners in and around the project area to plan for the future of their farms and wooded areas as well as impeding the continued expansion of preservation, conservation, and recreation efforts in the region while the possibility of this project looms.

The project would involve construction of a 1.8-mile dam and power turbine pumped storage facility at Cuffs Run ravine and creek, a tributary to the Susquehanna River. 

The proposed facility, which would use 1960s-era technology and consume about 30% more electricity to pump water than it would actually generate, would displace over 40 residents and destroy preserved farms as well as forested lands that are critical to ensuring the ecological health of the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape and waterways.

"Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County stands firmly with our partners in opposition to this project,” said Sean P. Kenny, executive director of Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County. “Landowners have entrusted FNLT with the permanent protection of hundreds of acres within and surrounding the footprint of the proposal. Repeatedly targeting these productive agricultural lands, forests, and waterways ignores the long-term conservation commitments made by the people who call this landscape home, and those who enjoy the scenic beauty of this section of York County and the Susquehanna River."

The landscape of the lower Susquehanna River gorge has been recognized by both state and federal governments as worthy of protection and investment. 

The state of Pennsylvania prioritized this area for protection as a Conservation Landscape in 2010, and the federal government designated the region a National Heritage Area in 2019.

"This project threatens local communities and conservation opportunities within a nationally recognized landscape," said Mark Platts, Susquehanna National Heritage Area’s president and CEO. “We want the Court to protect Cuffs Run by making sure the community's voice is heard."

In the last 10 years, over $100 million has been invested by county, state, and federal governments as well as nonprofit partners and local municipalities along the river. 

These investments have supported a thriving and growing outdoor recreation and tourism economy, which would be threatened should yet another energy facility be added on this stretch of the river, which is already home to three other hydroelectric dams and one other pumped storage facility.

The facility would also forever impact a scenic section of the Mason-Dixon Trail, a designated National Recreation Trail in York County; the viewshed from the popular multimodal Enola Low Grade Trail in Lancaster County; and the lower section of the Susquehanna River Water Trail, which is part of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

Learn more by visiting the Lancaster Conservancy’s Protect Cuffs Run webpage.

Click Here for a copy of the announcement.

Related Articles This Week:

-- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Jan. 15 Deadline To Apply For Major Conservation Assistance Program, Including Regenerative Pilot Program  [PaEN] 

-- Fish & Boat Commission Grant Funding Available To Improve Watersheds In York, Lancaster Counties  [PaEN]

-- Westminster College Honors Student Research And Creative Works At 18th Student Symposium On The Environment  [PaEN]

-- Unionville H.S. Rowing Club Finds New Home With Chester Water Authority On The Octoraro Reservoir; Student Service Projects Help Protect Reservoir  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: PA River Of The Year Finalist Chillisquaque Creek Offers Microcosm Of Issues And Opportunities For Bigger Susquehanna River System

-- The Allegheny Front: EPA Hears Competing Views On New Proposed Rollbacks For Federal Wetlands, Water Protections

-- WHYY: Road Sale Remains In PA, NJ, DE Waterways Months After Winter Storms, According To New Stroud Water Research Center Data

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: 2026 Middle Susquehanna Naturalist Calendar Now Available For Order

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Maryland Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto Of Bills To Study Costs Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions In MD; Economic, Energy, Environmental Impacts Of A.I. Data Centers, Setting Up State Energy Office 

[Posted: December 18, 2025]  PA Environment Digest
 The Lancaster Conservancy, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County, and Susquehanna National Heritage Area argue that FERC violated its statutory authority by granting York Energy Storage a preliminary permit and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner. 
Because of these violations, this coalition asks the Court to throw out FERC’s order and the preliminary permit issued to York Energy Storage.
“FERC’s policy of granting almost all preliminary permits unless the project faces a ‘permanent legal barrier’ is contrary to Federal law, FERC’s own regulations, and basic principles of administrative law,” said Jesse Dillon, the Lancaster Conservancy’s special legal counsel. “A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision found that courts no longer have to defer to FERC’s interpretations of law. So, we asked the Court to properly interpret Federal law and reverse FERC’s decision to grant York Energy a preliminary permit.”
The coalition also argues that FERC wrongly ignored comments about how issuing the preliminary permit would harm residents, businesses, and local organizations and did not meaningfully consider public comments or assess the public interest, as required.
“For more than three decades, the owner of York Energy Storage has returned again and again with applications that cast a long shadow over this region,” said Fritz Schroeder, president and CEO of Lancaster Conservancy. “Five attempts since the 1990s have left communities and property owners in a state of uncertainty, held captive by a process never meant to be used this way. The preliminary permit system that FERC administers is designed to encourage responsible exploration. For the sake of the land, the people who call it home, and the integrity of the process itself, this preliminary permit should be overturned.”
“It is inexcusable for FERC to rubber stamp a preliminary permit and dismiss the impacts of that permit on the Susquehanna River region,” said Ted Evgeniadis, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper. “Over 1,000 comments from stakeholders, including farmers and homesteaders who feed our communities, went unheard. We are encouraged by the wide-ranging support we are receiving from partners, elected officials, neighbors, and the broader community to halt this project and ensure that Cuffs Run is protected, forever.”
Background
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, located in Philadelphia, is a federal court that reviews actions of federal agencies like FERC that impact residents in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 
The partners hired appellate counsel from Clement & Murphy, PLLC, to appeal FERC’s decision to the Third Circuit. 
This firm specializes in US Supreme Court, appellate, and strategic litigation, and their lawyers have argued over 150 cases before the Supreme Court and countless more in federal and state appellate and trial courts throughout the country.
The next steps in the appeal process include two more rounds of briefs, oral argument before a panel of three judges, and preparation of a decision by the Court. A decision is not expected until late 2026 or early 2027. 
If successful, the appeal could help bring about a permanent end to the Cuffs Run project or any future pumped storage projects at this location.
“The Cuffs Run facility would carve a permanent scar on the Susquehanna River landscape, and we’re fighting to stop it,” said Paul Smail, vice president for litigation and general counsel for Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “This brief is a significant step in our ongoing battle. We’ll continue to stand strong with our partners to protect the Susquehanna River and people who call this special place home.”
On Nov. 21, 2024, FERC granted York Energy Storage a preliminary permit to study the construction of a pumped storage facility at Cuffs Run along the Susquehanna River. 
The preliminary permit gives York Energy Storage at least four years (and as many as eight years) to complete required studies about the project and decide whether to proceed with a full hydroelectric license application. 
During this lengthy study period, the region will experience continued uncertainty, hindering the ability of numerous landowners in and around the project area to plan for the future of their farms and wooded areas as well as impeding the continued expansion of preservation, conservation, and recreation efforts in the region while the possibility of this project looms.
The project would involve construction of a 1.8-mile dam and power turbine pumped storage facility at Cuffs Run ravine and creek, a tributary to the Susquehanna River. 
The proposed facility, which would use 1960s-era technology and consume about 30% more electricity to pump water than it would actually generate, would displace over 40 residents and destroy preserved farms as well as forested lands that are critical to ensuring the ecological health of the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape and waterways.
"Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County stands firmly with our partners in opposition to this project,” said Sean P. Kenny, executive director of Farm & Natural Lands Trust of York County. “Landowners have entrusted FNLT with the permanent protection of hundreds of acres within and surrounding the footprint of the proposal. Repeatedly targeting these productive agricultural lands, forests, and waterways ignores the long-term conservation commitments made by the people who call this landscape home, and those who enjoy the scenic beauty of this section of York County and the Susquehanna River."
The landscape of the lower Susquehanna River gorge has been recognized by both state and federal governments as worthy of protection and investment. 
The state of Pennsylvania prioritized this area for protection as a Conservation Landscape in 2010, and the federal government designated the region a National Heritage Area in 2019.
"This project threatens local communities and conservation opportunities within a nationally recognized landscape," said Mark Platts, Susquehanna National Heritage Area’s president and CEO. “We want the Court to protect Cuffs Run by making sure the community's voice is heard."
In the last 10 years, over $100 million has been invested by county, state, and federal governments as well as nonprofit partners and local municipalities along the river. 
These investments have supported a thriving and growing outdoor recreation and tourism economy, which would be threatened should yet another energy facility be added on this stretch of the river, which is already home to three other hydroelectric dams and one other pumped storage facility.
The facility would also forever impact a scenic section of the Mason-Dixon Trail, a designated National Recreation Trail in York County; the viewshed from the popular multimodal Enola Low Grade Trail in Lancaster County; and the lower section of the Susquehanna River Water Trail, which is part of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
Learn more by visiting the Lancaster Conservancy’s Protect Cuffs Run webpage.
Click Here for a copy of the announcement.
Related Articles This Week:
-- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Jan. 15 Deadline To Apply For Major Conservation Assistance Program, Including Regenerative Pilot Program  [PaEN] 
-- Fish & Boat Commission Grant Funding Available To Improve Watersheds In York, Lancaster Counties  [PaEN]
-- Westminster College Honors Student Research And Creative Works At 18th Student Symposium On The Environment  [PaEN]
-- Unionville H.S. Rowing Club Finds New Home With Chester Water Authority On The Octoraro Reservoir; Student Service Projects Help Protect Reservoir  [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: PA River Of The Year Finalist Chillisquaque Creek Offers Microcosm Of Issues And Opportunities For Bigger Susquehanna River System
-- The Allegheny Front: EPA Hears Competing Views On New Proposed Rollbacks For Federal Wetlands, Water Protections
-- WHYY: Road Sale Remains In PA, NJ, DE Waterways Months After Winter Storms, According To New Stroud Water Research Center Data
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: 2026 Middle Susquehanna Naturalist Calendar Now Available For Order
-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Maryland Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto Of Bills To Study Costs Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions In MD; Economic, Energy, Environmental Impacts Of A.I. Data Centers, Setting Up State Energy Office 
[Posted: December 18, 2025]  PA Environment Digest