11/18/24 - 107 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/3zb7jppr
| Share this: | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Environmental Groups, DEP, DCNR See Severe Impacts From Unprecedented Budget Cuts
|
|
The full impact of the dramatic cuts and diversions of environmental funding made in the FY 2009-10 budget adopted last week were highlighted this week by a number of groups. The departments of Agriculture, Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources are also now in the process of evaluating the staff and service reductions the cuts mandate.
Record Cuts At DEP With the Department of Environmental Protection General Fund budget now cut $58 million (26.7 percent) including $21 million in cuts to personnel line items that may result in the potential elimination of over 300 positions, the agency is facing difficult decisions. Gov. Rendell noted at his budget signing press conference last Friday, the cuts to DEP take the agency back 13 years-- to 1996-97 funding levels. In 2007 then DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty said, in defending the Governor's proposed budget for DEP before the Senate Appropriations Committee, "We cut through the meat and into the bone." (3/9/07 Pa Environment Digest) This year, DEP Secretary John Hanger acknowledged there were significant permit review backlogs at the agency and he directed his staff to take steps by January 2011 to eliminate that backlog by making changes to permit review processes, some of which are opposed by environmental groups. (2/27/09 Pa Environment Digest) Many of the cuts in DEP's budget are in the same areas and in the same amounts as those proposed by Senate Republicans in May which Secretary Hanger said then would have serious impacts on the department. (5/15/09 Pa Environment Digest) In May, Secretary Hanger said, "(The Senate Republican budget) removes funds that help keep sewage out of the land and water, that help our river basin commissions monitor potentially dangerous activities throughout the state, and that fight potentially deadly mosquitoes that could carry the West Nile virus and the bothersome black flies that are such a nuisance each summer. "They also cut much-needed funds that help communities protect themselves against floods and that will make it easier for consumers to avoid higher energy costs by installing insulation and windows or by purchasing more energy efficient appliances. “The Senate’s budget proposal, in short, is bad for Pennsylvania’s economy, its citizens, and its future,” he concluded. A variety of groups this week issued their own analysis of environmental budget cuts raising questions about whether DEP can perform its core mission of protecting the environment. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation expressed grave concern over environmental funding cuts in the recently adopted Pennsylvania budget that threaten to further reduce Pennsylvania’s commitment to clean up rivers and streams, and fails to provide much-needed environmental oversight and funding to limit impacts from Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling. “The budget approved last Friday rolls back years of progress in cleaning up Pennsylvania rivers and streams.” said Matthew Ehrhart, Executive Director of CBF's Pennsylvania Office. “It contains the biggest cuts ever made to environmental programs in the history of the Commonwealth.” (see separate article) Cuts and diversions in the budget just adopted by the state have dramatically reduced spending for environmental and natural resource programs in Pennsylvania by $347 million in just one year according to Donald S. Welsh, President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. "The unprecedented 26 percent cut in the Department of Environmental Protection and 18 percent cut in Department of Conservation and Natural Resources budgets raise significant doubts about the capacity of both agencies to fulfill their missions," said Welsh. "Environmental programs for some reason seem to have been singled out for cuts that go way beyond the average 9 percent suffered by other agencies." (see separate article) “While steps were taken to make this horrible proposal a bit better, this budget deal does a disservice to Pennsylvania’s environment,” stated PennEnvironment Director David Masur. “That being said, the outcome would have been much worse--downright disastrous--if it wasn’t for the leadership and commitment of the House Democrats to protect the Commonwealth’s environment.” (see separate article) The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau pointed to the huge reduction in tax credits available for the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act of Pennsylvania (REAP) program, which has been slashed by 50 percent to $5 million in FY 2010 and targeted for additional cuts in FY 2010-11. “Pennsylvania’s reversal in support for the new REAP program is frustrating to farmers who have matched past REAP grants with millions of their own dollars for environmental improvement projects. At a time when more and more environmental expectations are being placed on agriculture, we see it as an inconsistency in public policy, especially as farmers are struggling with other costs,” said PFB President Carl T. Shaffer. (see separate article) DCNR Cuts Will Reduce Services Overall, the DCNR General Fund budget was reduced by $21 million or 18.5 percent. The cuts to the personnel line items equal a potential reduction of 160 positions in the agency. Again, these cuts are almost the same as those proposed by Senate Republicans in May and which led Acting DCNR Secretary John Quigley to say 35 State Parks and 1,000 miles of State Forest roads may have to close. (5/15/09 Pa Environment Digest) "Families that cannot afford to take a vacation because of the tough economic times could always count on enjoying a little rest and relaxation at a nearby state park or forest," said Acting Secretary Quigley. "However, if the Senate's budget proposal is enacted, there would be even fewer of those opportunities as we would have to close a number of state parks. That means less traffic and fewer dollars being spent in the rural communities with businesses and jobs that count on these parks and forests. "The Senate's proposal would be absolutely devastating to these rural areas and to our efforts to preserve our natural resources for present and future generations. In contrast, the Governor's budget proposal reflects the difficult economy we now face and would still allow us to provide a quality outdoor experience for our citizens and visitors," said Acting Secretary Quigley, also noting that closing 35 state parks would turn away more than 3 million visitors and wipe out at least $57 million in visitor spending on products and services in nearby communities. Officially, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said this week they are now evaluating the impact of the cuts, in particular on State Park operations, but there is no doubt, an agency spokesperson said, there will be "noticeable service reductions." The DCNR spokesperson also said after other cutbacks in recent years, the agency has been "running pretty lean and mean." State Forest Land Drilling Capitolwire.com reported Friday the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources does not have a contract to use high-tech seismic imaging to analyze State Forest land for natural gas leasing as Gov. Rendell said during several press conferences during discussions about leasing state lands for natural gas drilling. The idea was to maximize the value of the lands leased to reduce the acreage involved. A spokesperson for DCNR now says they are using the same process they did in 2008 to lease 74,000 acres for drilling which avoided areas with significant environmental or recreational value and locate them near existing pipelines and roads. The decision on which lands to lease must be made by Spring to have the leases in place in time to generate the $60 million from leasing the budget settlement anticipates by June 30. Senate Responds Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, responded to a number of issues related to the cuts in environmental funding which are covered in more detailed in the stories in this Digest covering comments made by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. Overall, Sen. White said, "By no means do I wish to minimize the real impact the state’s budget will have on programs and employees across the board. However, I do not think it is accurate to assert that environmental and conservation programs have been disproportionately targeted by the General Assembly. The final budget is certainly open to critique, but I encourage all to evaluate the budget and spending priorities fairly and in their proper context." |
|
|
10/19/2009 |
|
| Go To Next Article |
