The Local Government Conference this week issued what they called a Statement of Principles for the consideration of the Senate, House and Rendell Administration as they discuss proposals for additional environmental spending.

The Conference is made up of the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, Pennsylvania School Boards Association, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Commissioners, Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association

“Consensus is building for a major investment in our communities. The House of Representatives has recently passed legislation that would authorize a bond referendum to be placed before the voters on the Spring primary ballot. We applaud this effort and call on the Senate to do the same.

“While the Legislature and the Governor continue to negotiate the details, we urge both parties to include all of the following important principles in the final package:

1. Continue the strong historical support for all communities that provide recycling programs for more than 10 million Pennsylvanians.

2. Provide immediate financial support to address industrial site reuse assessment needs, where there already is an existing backlog.

3. Increase investment for community revitalization activities for all communities.

4. Increase funding to all local governments for land-use planning.

5. Provide new grants to local governments to fund historic preservation tax credits.

6. Allocate additional funds needed to support infrastructure improvements in state parks and forests as administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

7. Allocate additional funds needed to support infrastructure improvements at facilities administered by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission.

8. Increase funding to expedite the remediation and reclamation of abandoned mine lands.

9. Increase funding for advanced energy projects such as the Energy Harvest program that is helping farmers and small entrepreneurs across the Commonwealth establish small-scale renewable energy projects.

10. Guarantee funding for the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund at a level consistent with demand.

11. Fund existing environmental investments at their current levels, and fund new projects with newly available funds.

12. Demand demonstrates that funding for these purposes can be spent immediately, which argues for a shorter rather than longer time line.

13. Provide that the effective date for any possible funding mechanisms begins at the start of the next calendar year to allow municipalities to revise their budgets accordingly.

14. Require that any land purchases by the Commonwealth under this program be subject to the State's payment-in-lieu-of-taxes program.

15. Support permanent reauthorization of Act 101 tipping fees for municipal recycling, planning and administrative purposes.

16. Support additional water and sewer infrastructure funding, beginning with the reinstatement of infrastructure funding under Sections 6109 and 6110 of Act 68 of 1999.

17. Support funding to augment existing agricultural conservation easement purchase programs.”

3/18/2005