CBF-PA: Pennsylvanians-- Call Your House, Senate Member To Support Keystone Tree Fund Bills

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA is urging Pennsylvanians to show their support for restoring waterways across the state by calling your House and Senate member and telling them to support House Bill 374 (Everett-R-Lycoming) and Senate Bill 108 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) establishing the Keystone Tree Fund.

Trees filter and absorb polluted runoff, keep streams cool and clean, provide wildlife habitat, and stabilize streambanks, among many other benefits. No other practice does so much for so little.

The bills authorize a voluntary $3 checkoff on drivers and vehicle license applications to support a new Keystone Tree Fund to provide funding to DCNR’s TreeVitalize Program (40 percent) and for Riparian Forest Buffer Grants (60 percent).

The new Fund is intended to supplement the existing capacity of these programs (sponsor summary).

House Bill 374 is now on the House Calendar for action.  The House returns to voting session on March 11.

Senate Bill 108 is in the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.  The Senate returns to voting session on March 18.

Click Here to make your voice heard and send a message to your House and Senate member.

More information on the initiative to plant 10 million trees in Pennsylvania is available at the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership webpage.

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage.  Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).  Click Here to support their work.