The House this week adopted House Resolution 17 (Harper-R-Montgomery) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to review the Growing Greener II and DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships programs.

The resolution directs the Committee to, at a minimum--

-- determine the costs and benefits of the Growing Greener II Program, including a compilation of miles of stream buffers restored, acres of wetlands restored, abandoned mine land reclaimed, oil and gas wells plugged, acres of open space preserved, infrastructure improvement made, catalog State Park and Forest improvements and the number and type of energy and brownfield projects funded;

-- review the projects completed under the Growing Greener County Environmental Initiative Program;

-- review and evaluate projects completed by the Game and Fish and Boat Commission; and

-- make a study of various proposals for continued funding for environmental initiatives to address watershed improvements, preserve farmland and open space, reclaim abandoned mines, improve infrastructure, State Parks and Forests and for the Community Conservation Partnerships Program.

The Committee is to report its findings to the General Assembly within one year.

6/26/2009