04/15/24 - 66 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/msuwtctm
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Philadelphia Council Calls For Renewal Of Growing Greener Program
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The Renew Growing Greener Coalition this week applauded Philadelphia City Council for supporting a resolution calling for the renewal of Growing Greener, the state’s primary source of funding to help local communities preserve open space and farmland, protect water quality, provide parks and recreation, and clean up abandoned mines. “The Growing Greener fund will run dry unless the state Legislature and Governor Corbett take action to renew it,” said Andrew Heath, executive director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition. “We applaud City Council for recognizing the need to renew Growing Greener funding in order to ensure families have access to clean drinking water, fresh air and green open spaces.”
Growing Greener is a bipartisan program established in 1999 under Gov. Tom Ridge and later expanded by Govs. Schweiker and Rendell.
Since its establishment, Growing Greener has created a tremendous legacy of success, preserving more than 25,000 acres of Pennsylvania’s family farmland, conserving more than 21,000 acres of threatened open space, adding 26,000 acres to state parks and forests, and restoring over 16,000 acres of abandoned mine lands.
“Growing Greener has accomplished a great deal in Philadelphia, such as large scale projects of continuing the Schuylkill River Bike Trail and participating in smaller community oriented projects similar to the Centennial Lake clean-up,” said Philadelphia City Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr., sponsor of the resolution. “These funds have been used for more than 100 environmental initiatives throughout our city, including watershed protection, cost-saving energy projects, and community park and recreation renovations.”
In addition, Jones noted that preserved open space generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits for Philadelphia. The city’s park system alone increases residential property values in the city by $689 million.
“Growing Greener is a smart investment in our communities and local economies,” said Donna Pitz, regional coordinator for the Growing Greener Coalition. “The Coalition is counting on continued leadership from state legislators throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania to renew Growing Greener funding and protect our environment for future generations.”
In 2002, a dedicated source of revenue for Growing Greener was identified in an increase in the state’s “tipping fee,” the fee charged for dumping trash in Pennsylvania’s landfills. Those funds were supplemented by a $625 million bond approved by voters in 2005, called Growing Greener II. Unless action is taken, those funds will be largely exhausted as of June 30th, with most of the Growing Greener I tipping fees going to the debt service on the Growing Greener II bonds.
“Renewing Growing Greener is an important step in improving the quality of life and boosting the competitiveness of cities throughout out the state, said Michael DiBerardinis, deputy mayor for environmental and community resources. “As a former Secretary of DCNR, I saw firsthand the grant program’s positive impact and its extraordinary social, economic and environmental benefits.”
Maitreyi Roy, vice president for programming at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, said renewing the Growing Greener fund is vital to Pennsylvania’s cities, towns and neighborhoods.
“From stream bank restorations, to mine cleanups, to tree planting contracts, to design work for landscape architects, engineers and surveyors, Growing Greener has improved communities by investing in and creating jobs,” Roy said.
In Philadelphia, Growing Greener funds have supported projects ranging from brownfield redevelopment at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, trail improvements at Wissahickon and Fairmount Parks, and green improvements along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Philadelphia joins 46 other Pennsylvania municipalities and counties in passing a resolution urging the Governor and legislature to renew Growing Greener funding. Counties passing resolutions include: Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Washington, Westmoreland and Wyoming.
The Renew Growing Greener Coalition is the Commonwealth’s largest coalition of conservation, recreation and environmental organizations representing over 250 organizations and government entities.
For more information, visit the Renew Growing Greener Coalition website.
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3/28/2011 |
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