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Renew Growing Greener: 9 More Organizations, Local Governments Join Coalition
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The Renew Growing Greener Coalition Friday announced eight more organizations and municipalities have joined in supporting the effort to restore state funding for Growing Greener, including Allegheny County.
Yellow Breeches Watershed Association (Grantham) and Watershed Alliance of Adams County (Gettysburg) have signed the Coalition’s Statement of Support, which calls for the establishment of a dedicated and sustainable source of revenue to support the renewal of Growing Greener.
"County elected leaders across the Commonwealth rightly recognize the critical impact Growing Greener has on the quality of life in their communities," said Andrew Heath, executive director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition. "Now it is time for our legislators to heed the public and restore funding for this award winning program so that future generations have access to clean drinking water, fresh air, locally produced food and green open spaces."
"Growing Greener has made a tremendous difference throughout Allegheny County," said County Executive Dan Onorato. "Now more than ever, we need our legislators to fight for this program and fight to protect the rivers, parks, trails and open spaces that are part of the very fabric of Pennsylvania and its economy. "
"This program has delivered real health and economic benefits for Allegheny County residents by enhancing their quality of life, raising property values and ultimately making the County a more attractive place to grow businesses," noted County Council Member Michael Finnerty, who was the Primary Sponsor of the Resolution.
They join 230 other organizations and groups that have also announced their support for renewing Growing Greener.
In addition, the following municipalities adopted resolutions in support of Growing Greener:
Plumstead Township and Dublin Borough, Bucks County; Hamiltonban Township, Adams County; Broad Top Township, Bedford County; and Columbia Borough and Manor Township, Lancaster County
With these, 102 municipalities including 23 counties, representing more than 5 million Pennsylvanians, have passed resolutions calling on the Governor and legislature to restore and increase funding for Growing Greener.
Growing Greener is a bipartisan program established in 1999 under Gov. Tom Ridge and later expanded by Governors Schweiker and Rendell. Since its establishment, Growing Greener has created a legacy of success, preserving more than 33,700 acres of Pennsylvania’s family farmland, conserving more than 42,300 acres of threatened open space, adding 26,000 acres to state parks and forests, and restoring over 16,000 acres of abandoned mine lands.
Moreover, Growing Greener has contributed and leveraged billions of dollars to the Pennsylvania economy by helping to boost tourism, create jobs and generate revenue.
Yet despite the program’s accomplishments, funding for Growing Greener projects and grants fell from an average of approximately $150 million per year for the last six years to $27.3 million in the current state budget, over an 80 percent reduction.
The Renew Growing Greener Coalition is the Commonwealth’s largest coalition of conservation, recreation and environmental organizations representing nearly 350 organizations and government entities.
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10/10/2011 |
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