PennFuture: Cost Of Lifting Of State Forest Gas Leasing Moratorium Unknown

The 2014-2015 budget proposed Tuesday by Gov. Tom Corbett factors in $75 million in drilling revenue to be accrued via the lifting of a moratorium on further leasing of state park and forest lands for gas development.

"This will place more and more of the budget burden on the backs of public lands," said Cindy Dunn, president and chief executive officer of PennFuture. "In announcing that he seeks to lift a three-year-old moratorium to expand leasing of public lands for gas development, the governor reveals the short-sighted nature of his stewardship of our natural resources by trading more long-term harm to our state parks and forests in return for short-term economic gain."

"We are increasingly concerned that absent a healthy economy and responsible drilling tax on natural gas development, Gov. Corbett is making the general fund reliant on the rapid exploitation of resources that he should, instead, be conserving for this and future generations," continued Dunn.

Also of concern is the diversion of $117.5 million from the state's Oil and Gas Lease Fund (OGLF) as operational budget monies for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the largest replacement of general funds with oil and gas lease funds in the DCNR budget to date. The OGLF was originally designated for conservation, recreation and flood control programs in state parks and forests.

"The paradox of funding the state's flagship conservation agency with funds from non-renewable resources is inescapable," said Dunn.

The Governor’s Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said additional leasing would be near existing drilling sites and gas companies would not be allowed to construct new well pads.

Secretary Zogby also said Gov. Corbett would be issuing a new Executive Order to replace the Executive Order Gov. Rendell issued in 2010 a few days before the gubernatorial election imposing a moratorium on leasing State Forest land.  The Rendell Administration leased 137,000 acres of State Forest land for Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling.

County Conservation Districts Thank Governor For His Investment

The PA Association of County Conservation Districts Tuesday thanked Gov. Corbett for his investment of $3.3 million from the General Fund to support county conservation districts.

“On behalf of the state’s conservation districts, we sincerely thank Governor Corbett and his administration for recognizing the contribution we make in supporting local agriculture, the economy and infrastructure improvement projects for our residents,”  said Brandi Hunter-Davenport, PACD Director of Education. “We knew this was going to be a tough budget year and appreciate the administration’s stance, seeing the expertise and value we bring to enhancing quality of life measures throughout the commonwealth.”

Conservation districts implement several programs on behalf of the state. One of the most notable is the Erosion and Sediment Control (Chapter 102 or NPDES [National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System] Permit) Program.

“In 2012, conservation districts conducted more than 11,000 Chapter 102 plan reviews, including the initial review and follow up, their workload accounting for more than 57,000 technical assistance events on behalf of the state Department of Environmental Protection,” noted Hunter-Davenport.

“In addition to this outreach, districts also conduct permitting for PENNDOT projects at no charge to their department. These two aspects combined resulted in a loss of an estimated $3.3 million to the districts’ bottom lines. Now, with the line items included in the state budget at $3.3 million, we will be able to continue tackling these permit workloads, resulting in more efficiency for current infrastructure projects as well as those to be undertaken with the influx of work coming as a result of the comprehensive transportation bill and PENNDOT’s Public-Private Transportation Partnership (P3) legislation,” added Hunter-Davenport.

Every day, conservation districts are on the front lines of conservation efforts throughout the commonwealth. They implement projects and environmental programs to preserve their individual pockets of Pennsylvania. Collectively, these locally-led efforts support the wise use of the state’s natural resources.

For more information, visit the PACD website.

Growing Greener Coalition Expresses Cautious Optimism Over Corbett Budget Proposal

The PA Growing Greener Coalition, the largest coalition of conservation, recreation and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth, Tuesday issued the following statement from Executive Director Andrew Heath in response to Gov. Corbett’s 2014-15 budget proposal:

“The Pennsylvania Growing Greener Coalition is grateful that the Governor recognizes the importance of maintaining the programs that protect and restore our drinking water, preserve our farms and open spaces, and provide recreational opportunities.

"We appreciate that the Governor’s proposed budget appears to leave intact funding for critical programs such as Growing Greener, Keystone ’93 and Historic and Agriculture Preservation.  

“However, the Coalition has grave concerns about the elimination of funding for the Heritage Areas Program, which has successfully conserved and enhanced the state’s natural resources and promoted tourism development for nearly 25 years.

“The Legislature rightly rescued this important program last year, and we are surprised and disappointed that it is slated for the chopping block again this year.

“The Coalition looks forward to working with the Corbett Administration and members of the House and Senate to restore funding for the Heritage Areas Program, which creates jobs and brings business to the region, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenues.”  

For more information, visit the PA Growing Greener Coalition website.

More State Forest Gas Leasing Proposed In Corbett's Budget

Gov. Corbett's proposed FY 2014-15 budget includes a proposal to lease additional natural gas rights in State Forests to generate $75 million more in revenue to DCNR’s Oil and Gas Lease Fund.  The Governor’s Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said additional leasing would be near existing drilling sites and gas companies would not be allowed to construct new well pads.

Secretary Zogby said Gov. Corbett would be issuing a new Executive Order to replace the Executive Order Gov. Rendell issued in 2010 a few days before the gubernatorial election imposing a moratorium on leasing State Forest land.  The Rendell Administration leased 137,000 acres of State Forest land for Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling.

NewsClip: Corbett Budget Proposal Expands Gas Leasing In State Forests

Corbett Budget: $45M For State Parks, Forests, More Gas Leasing, DEP Staff Cut

Gov. Tom Corbett Tuesday presented his 2014-15 budget to the General Assembly, telling lawmakers that the $29.4 billion spending plan continues to drive the values of strategic investment and prudent fiscal management to address the Commonwealth’s core funding needs.

His 2014-15 budget proposal includes the Enhance Penn’s Woods initiative announced Saturday, a 2-year, more than $200 million effort to repair and upgrade State Parks and State Forests through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

The program includes $45 million in additional monies from interest on the Growing Greener II bond funds and existing funding from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund and the Dirt and Gravel Road Program.

The budget proposal also relies on additional leasing of natural gas rights in State Forests to generate $75 million more in revenue to DCNR’s Oil and Gas Lease Fund.  The Governor’s Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said additional leasing would be near existing drilling sites and gas companies would not be allowed to construct new well pads.

Secretary Zogby said Gov. Corbett would be issuing a new Executive Order to replace the Executive Order Gov. Rendell issued in 2010 a few days before the gubernatorial election imposing a moratorium on leasing State Forest land.  The Rendell Administration leased 137,000 acres of State Forest land for Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling.

No reduction in DCNR’s complement was proposed

The Governor’s budget proposes to reduce the complement of the Department of Environmental by another 66 positions to 2,663.  Over the last 12 years, DEP’s complement has been reduced by 548 positions since FY 2002-03 or 17 percent.

The Governor proposed a $3.1 million increase in the Watershed Protection and Restoration funding allocation from the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund as well as a $1 million reduction from the same Fund for abandoned mine reclamation.

Other highlights of the proposed budget include--

Department of Environmental Protection: $10 million increase, 7.8 percent, in General Fund support, from $129.8 million to $139.9 million.

-- $24 million increase in Dirt and Gravel Road funding from Transportation Funding Plan

-- $2.5 million Conservation Districts, no change

-- $3.1 million increase in Growing Greener funding for Watershed Protection & Restoration

-- $1 million reduction in Growing Greener funding for Abandoned Mine Reclamation

-- $200,000 cut in Sewage Facilities Planning Grants, zeroed out

-- $500,00 cut in Delaware River Basin Commission, 53.6 percent

-- $500,000 cut to Household Hazardous Waste Program, 50 percent

-- $43.8 million in Environmental Stewardship Funds going to pay Growing Greener II bond debt service.

Context: DEP General Fund budget in FY 2002-03 was $245.6 million, now reduced to $139.9 million, and its full-time salaried staff complement was 3,211, now reduced to 2,663 over the last 13 years. Total funding from all sources in FY 2002-03 was $728.3 million, in FY 2014-15 $689.3 million.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: $2.9 million decrease, 9.9 percent, in General Fund support from $30 million to $27 million.  $117.4 million in funding for general agency operation is again being made up from the Oil and Gas Fund.

-- $6 million increase in Dirt and Gravel Roads funding from Transportation Funding Plan

-- $2.2 million cut from Heritage Parks, zeroed out

Context: DCNR General Fund budget in FY 2002-03 was $108.8 million, now reduced to $27 million. DCNR's total budget in FY 2002-03 from all sources was $322.9 million, in FY 2014-15 $326.1 million.  Agency complement is now 1,382, in FY 2002-03 it was 1,391.  There was no decrease in DCNR complement proposed for FY 2014-15.

Department of Agriculture: $2 million decrease in General Government Operations and other cuts resulting in a 0.1 percent increase in General Fund support to $123.8 million.

-- $869,000 Conservation Districts, no change

-- $2.7 million Nutrient Management Fund, no change

-- $787,000 cut in Agricultural Research, zeroed out

-- $350,000 cut in Hardwoods Research & Promotion, zeroed out.

Context: Agriculture’s General Fund budget in FY 2002-03 was $76.1 million million, in FY 2014-15 budget is $123.8  million.  Total funding from all sources in FY 2002-03 was $213.8 million and in FY 2014-15 is $313.3 million. There was no decrease in Agriculture’s complement proposed for FY 2014-15.

Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund: Total allocation from the Fund will be reduced to $113.9 million from $186.5 million last year.

-- County Grants - $11.8 million, $11.7 million last year

-- Commonwealth Financing Authority - $15.7 million, $44.4 million last year

-- Commonwealth Financing Authority H2O Program - $9.8 million, $27.7 million last year

-- Community & Economic Development - Zeroed out, $7.4 million last year

-- Environmental Protection - Zeroed out, $19.9 million last year

-- PennVEST - $9.8 million, $27.7 million last year

-- Highway Bridge Improvement - $19.7 million, $19.5 million last year

-- Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund - $42.8 million, $27.8 million last year

-- Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund - $3.9 million, zero last year

Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund: Total allocation from the Fund to DCNR will be reduced to $51.3 million, from $112.2 million last year.

State System Of Higher Education

-- PA Center for Environmental Education - zeroed out for 4rd year a $368,000 cut

-- McKeever Environmental Center - zeroed out for 5th year a $213,000 cut

Environmental Hearing Board: 3.2 percent increase to $2.2 million from $2.1 million

Click Here for links to all the Governor’s budget documents.

Tuesday NewsClips

Watch Gov. Corbett’s Budget Address Live At 11:30

Corbett’s $29.4 Billion Budget Bets On Keno

Clearing The Fog On PA Court’s Marcellus Shale Decision

EPA OKs Fracking Wastewater Well In Elk County

Thousands Await Delay In Flood Insurance Premium Increases

NE PA Audubon Society Family Camp Scholarship

Emerald Ash Borers Resilient In Cold Weather
Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

2014 Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation Award Winners Announced

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation Monday recognized the outstanding service, programs and exemplary work being done in state parks and forests with the announcement of its 2014 award winners.

“The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation enacted the awards program to celebrate the accomplishments of volunteers and staff in making the visitor experience to state parks and forests memorable,” says Marci Mowery, President of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. “These dedicated staff and volunteers are the lifeblood of our award-winning park and forest system and we please to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments.”

This year’s winners will be honored at the 8th annual banquet on May 6 at the West Shore Country Club in Camp Hill. Sponsorships for awards are still available.

This year’s award winners include--

— Cliff Jones Keystone Legacy Award: Caren Glotfelty: This top honor recognizes an outstanding contribution to the protection and/or enhancement to the park and forest system in Pennsylvania. Glotfelty has been an active and vibrant player in the conservation movement throughout her long career. Her distinguished career in environmental stewardship has included promoting smart growth, clean air and water, green building initiatives, and sustainable development in Pennsylvania in a variety of roles. She was a major strategist in the production of the Brookings Institution study, Back to Prosperity. Caren spent the early years of her career working in Pennsylvania and Maryland state government on land use and water quality policy and planning issues, becoming the first Deputy Secretary for Water Management in Pennsylvania.

-- President’s Award: Ralph Harrison: This award recognizes outstanding citizens or businesses that have made an impact in protecting open space, conservation, outdoor recreation, or volunteerism. Harrison is a retired state forester and still going strong as a volunteer, and recently wrote Quehanna: The Blemished Jewel Restored, a book about the Pennsylvania Wilds.

— Joe Ibberson Government Award: Bushkill Township, Northampton County: This award is given to a person or department at any level of government to recognize their work in the stewardship of Pennsylvania’s state park and forest system. Bushkill Township is being honored for its work with the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center to protect important natural areas and water resources in the area, benefitting the ecological resources in the park and the education center.

— Park of the Year: Prince Gallitzin State Park: This award recognizes a park for exemplary or innovative work in any or all of the following:  customer service; education; programming or recreation; stewardship of the natural, cultural, or historic assets; and/or accommodation of special needs of visitors. The park produces generous environmental education programming for the public and local schools and publishes an e-newsletter three times a year. Its annual Apple Cider Festival draws up to 17,000 people each year.

— Forest of the Year: Gallitzin State Forest: This award recognizes a forest district for innovative and exemplary work in both forest management and recreation for a wide range of activities. In recent years, the staff of the Gallitzin has created new healthful, low-density recreation, while maintaining forest ecosystem integrity.  In addition to improving habitat and forest conditions, staff have focused on improving public access, assistance, and safety, while effectively using volunteers to enhance recreational programming, planning and development activities.

Three awards given for recognition of achievements made by friends groups.

— Improvements Award: Kathy and Gary Diegan: The Diegans worked to improve the landscape at the spillway of Pymatuning State Park, contributing a combined average of 20 hours a week April – October during the past four years.  A botanist and multiple-handicap classroom teacher, Kathy also assists visitors with special needs who frequent the Spillway.

— Volunteerism Award: Friends of Gifford Pinchot State Park: This group raised funds and worked on a number of improvements throughout the park in 2013, including benches and picnic table replacements, turtle basking platforms and “porcupine crib” fish habitat structures, trail maintenance and installing two playgrounds toward a three-phase playground replacement goal.

— Education Award: Promised Land Nature Center Volunteers: Started 30 years ago, Promised Land’s Nature Arts & Crafts program is one of the Park’s most popular programs. Last year program volunteers donated over 3,100 hours of volunteer time presenting 5 – 7 themed crafts for an average of 135 participants per week.

— Young Volunteer Award: Eleanor Davis: This award is designed to show appreciation of a significant contribution to a park or forest by a person under the age of 25. As a PPFF intern, Davis spearheaded a video development project, wrote grants for state park projects, and helped organize an adaptive recreation day for wounded service members. She has also interned with the National Parks Conservation Association and the George Washington University Office of Sustainability.

For more information, visit the PA Parks and Forests Foundation website.

New Penn State Center For Nutrient Solutions

A multi-pronged, systems approach to solving water pollution caused by nutrients in the environment is the focus of a new center housed in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

With a $2.2 million Science to Achieve Results grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, researchers will launch the Center for Integrated Multi-scale Nutrient Pollution Solutions. The center is one of four new National Centers for Innovative and Sustainable Water Research announced by EPA on January 30.

The Penn State-led center -- known by its short title, the Center for Nutrient Solutions -- will encompass seven teams that will combine existing research efforts with new studies and programs to tackle the vexing problem of nutrient pollution and its effects on watersheds, particularly the Chesapeake Bay basin.

The three-year project will look at nutrient flows from agricultural, rural, urban, municipal and atmospheric sources, noted principal investigator James Shortle, distinguished professor of agricultural and environmental economics, who also directs the Penn State Environment and Natural Resources Institute.

Nonpoint source nutrient losses -- primarily nitrogen and phosphorus -- from agriculture and other land uses cause significant water pollution in many regions of the country, including the Susquehanna-Chesapeake watershed, which is home to more than 17 million people. Population growth and resource development are placing increased demands on the region's water resources and aquatic ecosystems.

"Previous research has led to the implementation of best management practices that have helped to reduce nutrient runoff into streams and rivers," said Shortle. "But BMP selection and location are important factors determining effectiveness. We need more science to be sure we select the right practices that can be implemented in the right places in a cost-effective manner.

Shortle pointed out, however, that best management practices by themselves may not do enough in light of larger, systemic challenges. "One of our major goals is to determine how far enterprise-level best management practices can go in solving problems and when we instead must begin to strategically address system-wide mass-balance issues."

Shortle explained that much farm-related nutrient pollution in Pennsylvania results from the importation of nutrients -- largely in the form of Midwestern corn and other livestock feed ingredients -- that leads to an imbalance in the environment. An estimated 30 percent of these nutrients pass through undigested in manure and end up in bodies of water via runoff or atmospheric deposition.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorous in the Chesapeake Bay, much of which comes from the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, are blamed for algal blooms and related "dead zones" where many aquatic species can't survive due to a lack of oxygen. State and federal governments for decades have pursued policy options and voluntary measures aimed at restoring water quality in the bay -- the nation's largest freshwater estuary -- with mixed success.

The new Center for Nutrient Solutions will focus on four Chesapeake Bay tributary watersheds: Conewago Creek, Mahantango Creek and Spring Creek in Pennsylvania and the Manokin River in Maryland. Efforts in the Conewago Creek watershed will build on an existing Penn State Extension initiative -- featured in a recently released video -- that already has achieved measurable results.

"Our team will use a 'shared discovery' approach that will engage researchers with community partners to identify the drivers that control nutrient inputs and outputs within a study area and apply the best watershed science to develop a realistic and scalable set of interventions," Shortle said. "The objective is to provide advanced decision-support tools that will help farmers, government planners, land and water managers, water quality agencies, and others to achieve societal, economic and ecological benefits from nutrient pollution reductions."

Shortle maintains that decisions about agricultural nutrients must be made in the context of their relative contribution compared to the overall food production and consumption system, stormwater runoff from other land uses, wastewater treatment and atmospheric deposition. And he acknowledges that any solutions will require trade-offs.

"We will challenge each other to find ways for agricultural industries, urban economies and ecosystem services to coexist sustainably," he said.

In addition to researchers from Penn State, scientists from the University of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will participate in the project.

Penn State’s Landscape Architecture Program: Water Blues, Green Solutions Video

Penn State’s landscape architecture undergraduate program is the best in the country, providing students with hands-on experiences both in and out of the classroom.

Stuart Echols, associate professor of landscape architecture, encourages his students to explore new innovations in green infrastructure.

“The reason I think it is important for our students to have the background in green infrastructure is that they are the ones that are going to need to be leading the way,” Echols said in the video.

His dedication, coupled with that of the rest of the department, translates not only into curriculum for landscape architecture students, but also extracurricular engagement. According to Echols, undergraduates are participating in design competitions on their own — not for class credit.

Wilson Lee is one such student. Lee and his peers participate in an annual competition through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to design a space on campus that integrates stormwater systems. This particular group of Penn State students is implementing a design for Pollock Commons.

“We created runnels and bioretention swales and also porous pavement in order to capture stormwater for reuse,” said Lee. “It’s a project that is based around the education and public awareness of stormwater systems and at the same time utilizing it in a way that benefits Penn State as a community.”

Filmmakers relied on Echols’ expertise during the production of Penn State Public Media’s latest documentary, “Water Blues, Green Solutions.”

“Professor Echols and his colleague’s Penn State’s landscape architecture program are doing innovative research and gathering information on who’s doing the best work in green infrastructure across the country,” said Cheraine Stanford, producer of “Water Blues, Green Solutions.” “This wealth of knowledge gave us a new perspective about the importance of having green infrastructure that is not only functional but also beautiful so that people love it, are invested in it and take care of it.”

Learn more about the documentary and Penn State’s involvement in green infrastructure by visiting the Water Blues website.

Watch “Water Blues, Green Solutions” online.  It will also air at 8 p.m. on February 13, on WPSU-TV.