Saturday NewsClips

Coal Mine Cleanup Funds In Jeopardy
York County Group Spotlights Watersheds
4th Western PA Town’s Drilling Rules Under PUC Review
Rendell Supports Delaware Drilling Moratorium
Grant Helps Butler Transit Build Natural Gas Refueling Station
EPA Awards Northampton County Brownfields Grant
Great Allegheny Passage Trail Set For Spring Completion
Artists Preparing For Hawk Mountain Air Show Sept. 22-23
Breeding Program May Save Pine Snake
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Sept. 17 PA Environment Digest Now Available

The Sept. 17 PA Environment Digest is now available.  Click Here to print entire Digest.

Spotlight- Marcellus Shale Development Contributes To Maintaining State Forests

Hagerman Run is a high-quality, wild brook trout stream cascading through a ravine between Narrow Mountain and Sugarcamp Mountain in the Loyalsock State Forest in Lycoming County.

Over many years the stream has carved away its banks and the channel shifted toward the adjacent Hagerman Run Road.

Hagerman Run Road is the primary access to this area of state forest. Two years ago Seneca Resources Corporation began work at leased tracts on the adjacent ridges. The roadway required upgrades to support the development traffic so Seneca worked with the Loyalsock Forest District to correct the problem installing a cement base and a limestone running surface.

Powered by floodwaters last fall and runoff from heavy spring rains, Hagerman Run continued to erode its banks threatening to undercut the roadway. Another significant rain event might result in a complete failure of the road.

Seneca Resources obtained an emergency permit from the Department of Environmental Protection for streambank stabilization. A Versa-lok block wall roughly 175 feet long and up to 10 feet in height has now returned Hagerman Run to its historic channel and eliminated subsequent erosion and sedimentation of the stream.

All the work was accomplished at Seneca’s expense. Cooperation between the industry, DEP, the Fish and Boat Commission and DCNR finished the stabilization project quickly before imminent collapse of the road could occur.

In addition, although there were less aesthetic and less expensive materials that would have prevented bank erosion, the new wall provides a more attractive and long-lasting solution to the problem. The road repairs serve both the energy industry and recreational users of the Loyalsock State Forest.

“If DCNR were to have done the repair in the future, it would have taken funding away from other projects such as bridges and facilities,” said Rich Glinski, District Forester for Loyalsock State Forest. “A project of this extent would have required contracting as our maintenance staff does not have the required equipment.”

The total cost of the project is not in, but will approach $250,000.

Doug Kepler, Vice President for Environmental Engineering at Seneca Resources said “I believe that this project demonstrates the mutual cooperation and respect Seneca and the various regulatory and resource agencies have for each other and the responsible development of our natural gas resources in a manner that can enhance rather than just protect the integrity of our Commonwealth’s resources.”

(Written by Ed Dix, a Forest Program Specialist with DCNR's Bureau of Forestry.  Reprinted from the September 12 DCNR Resource online newsletter.)

DEP Now Accepting Applications For Growing Greener Plus Grants

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for Growing Greener watershed protection and restoration and surface mining reclamation grants.  The deadline for application is October 26.  (formal notice)

For the upcoming grant round, the DEP will invest in projects that will ultimately protect or restore, or both, this Commonwealth's watersheds from impairment due to nonpoint source pollution.

Examples of special priority areas include: projects located in ''priority'' watersheds that reduce the source of impairment; ''priority'' type activities that lead to water quality restoration or protection; and projects that support the installation of agricultural Best Management Practices to achieve compliance with existing agricultural water quality requirements.

Examples of eligible projects include those that will reduce nonpoint source pollution in watersheds where streams are impaired, projects that will help reduce Total Maximum Daily Load pollutants and integrating stormwater management into watershed management and water conservation strategies.

Through the same application process, applicants can also apply for funding through the Department's Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act Grant Programs and Section 319 Nonpoint Source Grant Program.

SMCRA grants are available to various entities including municipalities, municipal authorities and incorporated nonprofit organizations for projects meeting SMCRA Set Aside or Bond Forfeiture grant requirements.

Section 319 grants focus on funding similar projects to Growing Greener but with special emphasis within targeted watersheds.

The Department is authorized to allocate these grants to a variety of eligible applications including: counties, municipal authorities and municipalities; county conservation districts; watershed organizations recognized by the Department who promote local watershed conservation efforts, councils of governments and other authorized organizations involved in the restoration and protection of the environment in this Commonwealth.

More information will be posted on DEP’s Growing Greener webpage in the near future.

For more information, send emails to: GrowingGreener@state.pa.us or contact the DEP Grants Center at 717-705-5400. Written requests should be addressed to the Department Grants Center, 15th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market Street, P. O. Box 8776, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8776.

Friday NewsClips

PA Could Be Raising Twice As Much Revenue From Drilling
PUC Collects An Additional $4 Million In Drilling Fees
Editorial: State Still Short-Changed On Drilling Fees
Court Hears Newspaper Request To Intervene In Drilling Case
Cracker Plant Backers Plan Meeting On Jobs, Economic Effects
Radioactive Device For Fracking Is Lost
NY Poll Shows Growing Support For Fracking
Op-Ed: A Refinery Rescue Reconsidered
Tiny Town Recovers Faster From Flood
Editorial: Learn From Tropical Storm Lee
Amish Notified Of Mining Plans In Indiana County
NRC investing Cleanup Of Armstrong Waste Site
Hill District Green Innovation Project Moves Ahead
PECO extends Freeze Of Overheating Smart Meters
Editorial: Bringing Allegheny Air Code Up-To-Date
Williams Township Repeals Conservation Ordinances
Pittsburgh To Host Biking/Walking Conference
Owl Rescued In Erie Serves As Ambassador
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

Help Wanted: Pike County Conservation District Executive Director

The Pike County County Conservation District is seeking candidates to fill its Executive Director position.  Applications are due October 8.

This challenging full-time position is responsible for managing all natural resource conservation programs and activities of the District. The candidate will be an innovative service-oriented individual with high ethical standards and excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills.

The candidate must have knowledge of current natural resource conservation issues, practices and programs and will be responsible for cultivating partnerships and obtaining funding to support District operations.

The candidate will work closely with an appointed Board of Directors and manage a staff committed to serving the people and resources of Pike County.

Qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management or related field and at least five years of demonstrated experience in this field including supervisory, public administration or business management experience. Salary commensurate with experience. Pike County offers a comprehensive benefit package and is an EOE.

Interested candidates must submit letter of interest, salary requirements and resume to: Selection Committee Chair, Pike County Conservation District, 556 Route 402, Hawley, PA 18428 by October 8.

Thursday NewsClips

Congress Could Move To Restore Coal Reclamation Funds
Delaware River Panel Still Mum On Gas Drilling
Fractivists Urge DRBC To Regulate Gas Pipelines
PUC Asked To Review Towns’ Drilling Ordinances
PUC Advises NE Municipalities On Drilling Ordinances
Court Hears Arguments To Intervene In Marcellus Case
Penn State Extension Marcellus Shale Summit Oct. 10-12
Turnpike Billboards Slam Gas Drilling Critics
Texas Firm expands Marcellus Presence
Fracking Opponents To Seek Moratorium In MD
Chesapeake Energy Selling Assets In Texas
Wyoming Wind Farm Generates New Income
PPL Power Line Construction Alters Landscape
Experts: Expect More Flooding As Temps Rise
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest NewsClips

Coldwater Heritage Partnership Now Accepting Applications For 2013 Grants

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership Wednesday announced the opening of the 2013 Coldwater Conservation Grants Program. The program provides two grant opportunities, which help to protect and conserve the health of Pennsylvania’s coldwater ecosystems.
Applications are due December 14.

The two grant opportunities are:

-- Planning Grant- designed to help develop a conservation plan that identifies the values and threats that impact the health of our coldwater ecosystems that have naturally reproducing trout.  The collected information can be used as a catalyst for more comprehensive planning or for development of watershed improvements projects. Planning grants average around $6,000.
-- Implementation Grant- designed to provide funding to projects recommended in a completed conservation plan or report. Potential projects must enhance, conserve or protect the coldwater stream for which the coldwater conservation plan was originally completed.  Implementation grants average around $10,000.

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership urges watershed groups, conservation districts, municipalities and local chapters of Trout Unlimited to apply.

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership provides technical assistance and funding support for the evaluation, conservation and protection of Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams. Grants will be awarded to organizations to outline strategies and complete implementation projects that best conserve and protect our coldwater fisheries.  

Besides offering grants, CHP works to: foster greater public understanding of watershed characteristics and how they affect coldwater ecosystems; identify special areas of concern, such as areas with exceptional water quality and high potential for impacts; and provide technical assistance and financial opportunities to organizations dedicated to protecting our coldwater ecosystems.

The CHP is a cooperative effort of Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Fish and Boat Commission and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

For more information and copies of guidelines and the application form, visit the Coldwater Conservation Grants webpage or call PATU Coldwater Resource Specialist Samantha Kutskel at 814-359-5233.

Celebrate The Amazing Monarch Migration Sept. 15 At Hawk Mountain

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, Berks County, will hold a full-day Monarch Migration Celebration on September 15, including a rare opportunity to tag your own monarch and take part in a butterfly release.

The Tag-Your-Own-Monarch program costs $40 for a group of three ($20 for Hawk Mountain Members), and includes one butterfly, all instruction on tagging and handling, and the chance for each person in the group to handle the butterfly before release.

Participants may opt for an 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. program, and will receive a free trail pass for each person in his or her group. Space is limited, so interested participants must call 610-756-6961 to register. Half of all proceeds will be donated to monarch tagging programs.

Other activities will be included free with trail admission, and will take place in and around the Visitor Center. Here, visitors may learn more from monarch biologist John Drummond from Lafayette College, which sponsors this event.

Drummond will be set up outside between the Visitor Center and trail entrance, and will have a full display of caterpillars, chrysalis and butterflies to help people learn to identify butterfly stages, and also to share information on migratory journeys and tagging.

At the lookouts, counters and interns will point out passing monarchs and other larger raptor migrants, and children will be encouraged to participate as a Monarch Monitoring Biologist, and tally and report the butterflies they see that day. Indoors will be a variety of take-home activities for children, a host of information about the monarch butterfly, threats to the species, its migration and lifecycle, and the importance of native plants to the species, particularly milkweed.

At 1 p.m., children at the Visitor Center may participate in a symbolic migration during Send a Monarch to Mexico, a 30-minute program where each child learns about the monarch migration path, colors a paper butterfly, and includes a greeting for children in the butterflies’ wintering ground. Hawk Mountain educators will collect completed projects and mail to a participating school in Mexico.

Monarch Migration Day is an annual event designed to educate and increase awareness about the incredible 3,000-mile migration of the tiny Monarch butterfly from the northern United States to Mexico, and to encourage people of all ages to learn more about the phenomena of migration.

Regular Hawk Mountain programs on Monarch Migration Day will include a binocular basics review at 9 and 11 a.m. near the South Lookout, a live hawk or owl program at 10 a.m., Noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the Outdoor Amphitheater, a lesson in raptor trapping and tagging at 11 am near South Lookout and a full day of nature interpretation at the North and the South Lookouts.

Open year-round, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the world's first refuge for birds of prey and an international center for raptor conservation. Trail fees and membership dues support the Sanctuary’s conservation mission and on autumn weekends cost $7 for adults and seniors and $3 children six to 12. Admission is free for one year with the purchase of a Mountain Membership, beginning at $35.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is located just three miles south of New Ringgold on Route 895, and is 7 miles north of the I-78/Route 61 Cabela’s intersection.

For more information, call 610-756-6961 or visit the Hawk Mountain website.

NewsClip:
Monarch Butterflies Set Record At Hawk Mountain

Wednesday NewsClips

PA, Other Coal States Could Lose Millions In Reclamation Funds
PUC: Pittsburgh’s Ban On Drilling Conflicts With Law
PUC Rejects Pittsburgh’s Drilling Ban
Natural Gas Being Used More To Generate Electricity
Road Repairs, Fire Training Top List Of Impact Fee In Fayette
Carbon-Neutral Natural Gas?  Maybe
Water Suppliers Join Partnership In Lower Susquehanna
DEP Coastal Zone Grant Workshop Today In Erie
Dauphin County Receives $6 Million In Flood Aid
Op-Ed: Protecting The Environment Efficiently
Proposal To Tax Outdoor Advertising Revived
Monarch Butterflies Set Record At Hawk Mountain
Cafe To Open Along York’s Rail Trail
Biden: I Wish We Didn’t Have To Be At Flight 93 Memorial
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest NewsClips