PA Environment Digest Blog

Monday, March 16, 2026

Earth Day 2026: PA Resources Council Invites Participation In Gene Capaldi Lens On Litter Photo Contest To Put The Spotlight On The Litter Problem

Wondering how you can help celebrate Earth Day April 22nd with the theme of “Our Power, Our Planet”?

Since 1984 the Pennsylvania Resources Council has held an annual Lens on Litter Photo Contest, not to glorify litter, but to call attention to the litter problem in communities across the Commonwealth.

Thousands of photos have been submitted over the years depicting Litterbugs at work.

Pennsylvanians are again asked to submit photos of unusual or unsightly examples of litter in their neighborhoods for a chance to win up to $500!

Before & After

Contestants are also asked to coordinate a clean-up of the area and submit Before & After photos in a new category sponsored by Keep PA Beautiful.

From March 1st through May 31st, Pick Up Pennsylvania’s spring event in support of The Great American Cleanup, cleanups are eligible for free work gloves, safety vests, and trash bags as supplies last.

Donated landfill space for trash collected during the cleanup is also available for free or reduced cost between April 1st through April 30th.

Registered events will receive details on participating landfills.

In order to qualify for the Before & After category, clean-ups must be registered with Pick Up Pennsylvania.

Instructions simplifying the Before & After registration process can be found online.

Western PA Conservancy Awards $25,000 To Support 5 Western PA Canoe, Kayak Access Projects: Now Accepting Applications For Next Round Of Grants

On March 16, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced the award of $25,000 in grants to support five local canoe and kayak access projects in Cameron, Elk Indiana, Jefferson and Somerset counties.

The grants were awarded under the Canoe Access Development Fund, which supports projects to improve canoe and kayak access to Western Pennsylvania’s waterways.

The grants were awarded to--

-- Benscreek Canoe Club for the Border Dam Boating Ramp on StoneyCreek in Somerset County ($5,000);

-- Cameron County Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the Cameron Canoe/ Kayak Launch on Driftwood Branch Sinnemahoning in Cameron County ($4,400);

-- Heath Township Sportsmen’s Club for Heath Township Canoe Launch on the Clarion River in Jefferson County ($5,000);

-- Ken Sink Trout Unlimited for the Little Mahoning Creek Canoe and Kayak Public Access Site on Little Mahoning Creek in Indiana County ($5,000); and

-- Ridgway Borough for the Ridgway Mills Campground Access on the Clarion River in Elk County ($5,000).

Program

The Conservancy’s CADF provides technical assistance and grants of up to $5,000 for the construction and enhancement of canoe and kayak access locations.

Founded in 2008 and funded by longtime Conservancy members and outdoor enthusiasts Roy Weil and Mary Shaw, CADF provides grants to watershed organizations and other community groups to make the region’s rivers and streams more accessible for outdoor recreation by developing and improving access sites for canoeists, kayakers and anglers.

Grant funding could be used to help to stabilize access areas to rivers or streams, add nearby parking areas, purchase riverside land for an access site or to make other improvements.

The Conservancy has funded 105 canoe access site projects along 40 different waterways in 24 counties in the region.

An interactive map on the Conservancy’s website allows users to explore the region’s Conservancy-funded access sites.

Westmoreland Project

The Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County received a CADF grant in 2025 to improve a canoe launch on Indian Creek near Mill Run in Springfield Township, Fayette County.

“The canoe takeout point was in rough shape,” says Colin Sheridan, MAWC security and caretaker supervisor. “Cars were able to drive to the shoreline, causing erosion and slippery, muddy conditions and increasing sedimentation in the reservoir.”

Using the grant money, MAWC laid layers of geotextile cloth, gravel and stone.

“We added support to the shoreline for ease of entering and exiting the river, and large stones to prevent vehicles from driving to the water’s edge, ensuring these upgrades will last far into the future,” said Sheridan.

Kelly Horrell, watershed conservation program administrator at the Conservancy, says the fund provides technical assistance for all aspects of project development, including helping a group decide on a site location and assisting with the permit process.

“We can assist with a site design to show where a ramp or trail to the stream could be situated, or help determine ideal surface materials,” Kelly notes, adding that the access sites restore and stabilize the streambank, reducing erosion and sedimentation into the streams.

Next Grant Round Open

The Conservancy is now accepting applications for the next round of grants. The deadline to apply is April 24.

Projects in these counties would be eligible-- Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Visit the WPC Canoe Access Development Fund webpage for a downloadable application and all the details.

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events at the Western PA Conservancy website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, join them on Instagram, visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel or add them to your network on Linkedin. Click Here to support their work.

[Posted: March 16, 2026] PA Environment Digest

Monday PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 3.16.26

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion]

Senate Voting Schedule

March 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

April 20, 21, 22

May 4, 5, 6

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

March. 23, 24, 25

April 13, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29

May 4, 5, 6

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY Noon: Testimony Added. House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2223 (Fiedler-D- Philadelphia) advanced transmission technologies, House Bill 2264 (Davidson) virtual power plants . Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon to 2:30 p.m. Testimony for HB 2223. Testimony for HB 2264. Click Here to watch online.

TODAY Noon: Virtual. Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Water Law Basics For Farmers. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 16-20-- Penn State Extension: Conservation Pros: Join In Ag Literacy Week

March 17-- DEP, Delaware River Basin Commission Offering 3-Part In-Person Water Loss Management Workshops For Water System Operators. Bucks County Community College. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

March 18-- CANCELED. Rescheduled for April 30. DEP Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Todd M. Wallace twallace@pa.gov. (formal notice)

March 18-- In-Person. Penn State Extension Saplings Saving Streams Workshop - York County. Alecraft Brewery, New Freedom. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

March 18-- In-Person. Penn State Extension Holds Workshop In Northampton County On How To Design, Install, Maintain Micro-Forests.

March 19-- Agenda Posted. DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Laura Henry lahenry@pa.gov. [Coproduct Regulation Update - Oil & Gas Wastewater]

March 19-- PUC Hosts PA Sustainable Energy Board meeting. Hearing Room 1 of the Commonwealth Keystone Building, Harrisburg. 11:00 a.m.

March 19-- In-Person. DEP Public Meeting On Shell Petrochemical Plant Air Quality Plan Approval Application. Penn State Beaver Auditorium, 100 University Drive in Monaca, Beaver County. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. [Hearing April 7] Read more here.

March 19-- In-Person. Protect PT To Hold Workshops In Monessen, Westmoreland County On How To Protect Your Community From Environmental Threats Caused By Shale Gas Development. Monessen High School, 1245 State Rd, Monessen from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

March 23-- House Energy Committee informational meeting on the PA Energy Development Authority. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 24-- House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2076 (Venkat-D-Allegheny) establishing a regulatory framework for geothermal energy for residential, commercial and industrial uses. Room B-31 Main Capital. 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

April 16-- DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting. Penn State, State College. 10:00. Contact: Adam Walters 717-214-6548 or adwalters@pa.gov.

-- March 16 - Weekly PA Environment Digest Is Now Available [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 7 to 13: Spring Break Out Of E&S Violations; New Shale Casing/Cementing Failures; 840,000 Gallon Freshwater Release; 21 Abandoned Conventional Well Violations [PaEN]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Taylor Allderdice High School Students In Pittsburgh Are Raising $5,000 To Fund A Well Done Foundation Project To Plug A Conventional Oil & Gas Well To Reduce Methane Emissions

-- LOTS GOING ON: PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 14 [PaEN]

-- LOTS GOING ON: DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 14 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets April 9 Hearing On Proposed Hazardous Sites Cleanup Response At The Mahoning Street Milton Radioactive Materials Site In Northumberland County [PaEN]

-- DEP Reaches $11.4 Million Settlement With Four Companies For Bishop Tube Site Cleanup In Chester County; Public Comments Due May 14 [PaEN]

-- WHYY - Zoe Read: DEP Reaches $11.4 Million Deal To Cleanup Toxic Bishop Tube Site In Chester County

-- DEP Accepting Comments On Proposed Consent Agreement On Landis Creek Hazardous Site In Montgomery County; Comments Due May 14 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Purchase/Cleanup Agreement For The Waynesboro TCE Hazardous Site In Franklin County; Comments Due May 14

-- DEP To Hold April 8 Informal Public Conference On Adding 4,380 Acres To Consol Coal Enlow Fork Coal Mine In Greene County [PaEN]