Here’s a quick update on other environmental bills moving: Infrastructure Security, Watershed-based Zoning, Conservation Eeasements, Open Space, Supporting Watershed Groups and Ecoterrorism.

Infrastructure Security: The House Commerce Committee reported out with no changes House Bill 612 (Rubley-R-Chester) authorizing PennVest to fund projects designed to increase security in drinking water systems. It was referred to House Appropriations.

Watershed-Based Zoning: The Senate Local Government Committee reported out Senate Bill 291 (Cont-R-Bucks) authorizing joint municipal planning in watersheds. The bill allows municipalities which share a common watershed – or a land area that drains water in to a stream, river or other body of water – the option of joining with each other to form a joint watershed resource protection overlay district.

The overlay districts give municipalities the option of engaging in a hybrid form of joint zoning. Each participating municipality must adopt the joint watershed resource protection provisions, and superimpose those ordinances on its underlying zoning. The consent of all participating municipalities is needed in order to make any amendments to either the underlying zoning ordinances or to the new overlay provisions.

Conservation Easements: The House Agriculture Committee reported out with no changes House Bill 619 (Hershey-R-Chester) making changes in the criteria for purchasing agricultural conservation easements and House Bill 629 (Bunt-R-Montgomery) on the purchase of agricultural conservation easements.

Open Space/Funding Watershed Assns: House Local Government Committee reported out House Bill 183 (Ross-R-Chester) authorizing purchase of open space and holding options and House Bill 136 (Fleagle-R-Franklin) along with nearly identical bills House Bill 266 and House Bill 267 authorizing appropriations to watershed associations by local governments without changes.

Ecoterrorism: The House passed House Bill 213 (Godshall-R-Montgomery) adding the offense of ecoterrorism as a crime after making several changes. This action was part of a series of bills moved by the House related to terrorism this week.

NewsClip: House Targets Ecoterrorists

3/18/2005