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Feature- Success Of PA's Growing Greener Touted As Funding Dries Up
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By Sara Kaplaniak, Chesapeake Bay Journal
Even during prosperous times, environmental programs compete with other interests for state funding. During a jittery economic climate, they can be first in line for budget cuts. That is unless such programs demonstrate they can protect nature while saving or generating other shades of green (money, that is).
Pennsylvania's Growing Greener Program fits that bill, say proponents of the program, and they note its track record of leveraging other funding sources to protect and restore the state's open spaces, working landscapes and waterways. They hope this will lead to reauthorization and sustained funding.
"Growing Greener serves as the primary funding source for conservation, recreation and environmental efforts in Pennsylvania," said Andrew Heath, executive director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition, which represents nearly 350 organizations and government entities from around the state. "The program yields real economic benefits, providing Pennsylvania's economy with jobs, tax revenue, tourism dollars and cost savings."
When signed into law in 1999, the $645 million Growing Greener Program represented Pennsylvania's largest single investment made to address critical environmental concerns. Funds were allocated to four agencies for program implementation: the Department of Agriculture to administer farmland preservation; the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for state park renovations and improvements; the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority for water and sewer system upgrades; and the Department of Environmental Protection to clean up rivers, streams and abandoned mines.
In time, Growing Greener proved to be an effective funding source for state and local organizations trying to qualify for and leverage funding sources they may not have been able to otherwise pursue. For example, local watershed groups tapped into Growing Greener after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection learned that most state streams did not meet water quality standards because of farmland runoff, stormwater runoff and abandoned mines. For every $1 the state dedicated to these efforts, local organizations found matching funds to more than double the commonwealth's investment.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Watershed Restoration Manager David Wise has seen Growing Greener dollars go even further in his experience of utilizing the program to match funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which combines state and federal dollars with nongovernmental resources to tackle agricultural-related environmental issues.
"Thanks to Growing Greener, we've given CREP funds a lot of mileage for projects to install roughly 22,000 acres of forested buffers that reduce erosion and enhance habitat along tributaries feeding into the Chesapeake Bay," Wise said. "In this case, each Growing Greener dollar has leveraged roughly three federal dollars, serving as a use of state funds that have created jobs, cleaned up streams and brought more than $100 million in federal funds to Pennsylvania."
Oliver Bass, vice president for communications and engagement at the Natural Lands Trust, has also witnessed how combining Growing Greener with other sources helps to build a sound financial package for conserving and enhancing natural resources.
"We have been able to leverage Growing Greener funds to generate as much as three times more for purchasing land and conservation easements in conjunction with local open space programs," Bass said. "The state matching funds have served as a catalyst for investment by communities and private donors. They've also given conservation a seat at the table as an economically viable option when landowners are considering the future for their property."
A testament to its success, Gov. Mark Schweiker and the General Assembly reauthorized Growing Greener in 2002 thanks to a new dedicated source of revenue through a $4 per ton municipal waste disposal fee.
Gov. Ed Rendell later approved additional funding and expanded the program through a five-year, $625 million bond initiative known as Growing Greener II that included initiatives supporting alternative energy, historic preservation, economic development, brownfields reuse and local priorities through an environmental block grant program.
"Up until now," Wise said, "Growing Greener has served as the biggest pot of state money available to make certain projects possible and when well-used, represents a sweet investment for Pennsylvania."
Unfortunately, Growing Greener's ability to provide grants to projects around the state has recently lost steam because of reduced funding. While the state still dedicates the tipping fee for trash dumped into its landfills to Growing Greener, most of this revenue goes toward paying debt service on the bonds passed in 2005.
With any additional funding committed and soon exhausted, Growing Greener operated with $27.3 million this year rather than an average of approximately $150 million each year. This represented an 82 percent cut for the program.
"These funding diversions and reductions over the past year or so have had a domino effect, causing many counties and townships to pull back on implementing projects in the absence of this important source of matching funds," Bass said.
To date, 230 organizations and groups - and at least 90 Pennsylvania municipalities and 23 counties representing more than 5 million Pennsylvanians - have expressed support for renewing Growing Greener with adequate funding.
"With lots of support, it's not a question of whether to fund Growing Greener, it's how to dedicate adequate and long-term funding to the program," Heath said. "We're working with the Senate and House leadership to find a solution and look forward to strengthening our relationship with the new administration as they take a close look at every nickel and dime that the state spends."
Suggestions for funding Growing Greener in the future include drawing from the state's Oil and Gas Lease Fund and/or securing a portion of the revenue generated by imposing a severance tax or impact fee. Prospects for the latter gained momentum earlier this month when Gov. Tom Corbett indicated he will support an impact fee on natural gas drilling.
The governor's statement reflects recent findings by the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, which recommended that drillers pay impact fees.
Still to be ironed out is whether a portion of an impact fee would be disbursed to Growing Greener. It is also unclear whether an impact fee would be directed toward specific communities or statewide. The governor's and other legislative proposals will be addressed later in the fall.
The Renew Growing Greener Coalition and other proponents hope that the governor and State Legislature will allocate a significant portion of impact fee revenues to renew and restore funding for the program.
"Since water, air and wildlife know no boundaries, the action of drilling affects the natural environment across the commonwealth," Heath said. "Restoring funding for Growing Greener with revenues from these actions would be an appropriate way to offset the conservation, recreation and environmental impacts that will be felt across the entire state."
Sara Kaplaniak lives and writes in Pennsylvania, where she reduces, reuses and recycles along with her husband and two kids. Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Journal.
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10/3/2011 |
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