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Greening Up Harrisburg! And More Updates From The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA
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Harry Campbell, Pennsylvania Executive of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, sent out an update Friday on actions and activities his office is taking to help in the effort to cleanup Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams.  Here’s his update--

It was a very busy summer! Be sure to visit our website routinely and join our action alert network to keep up to date on our efforts. 

Just last week we hosted a stakeholders meeting at the state Capitol for the General Assembly and partners to discuss current and proposed legislation to improve water quality locally and in the Bay.

Finding truly cost-effective ways to meet Pennsylvania's Chesapeake Bay cleanup milestones, and Clean Water Blueprint goals to improve water quality was the focus of the gathering.

A very engaged bipartisan group of legislators, partners from agricultural, municipal, environmental interested, state agencies, and others joined us for the day, with informative conversations about pollution sources to local streams, rivers, and the Bay.

Specifically, the conversation focused on ways that Pennsylvania, through various on-farm best management practices, can better deal with the overabundance of nitrogen and phosphorus produced through excess manure and over application.

While both nutrients, in proper amounts, are part of a balanced ecosystem, in excess they can cause  large problems in the Bay, the Susquehanna River, and local streams.

Support for the stakeholders meeting was made possible through the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, a nonprofit grant maker focused on improving water quality.

Continuing our partnerships with farmers, organizations, and local governments, CBF members and volunteers came out in full-force to plant trees along streams to reduce pollution impacts, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife.

If you are interested in helping out with plantings this fall and in the future, contact Kate Austin, our grassroots field specialist.

And finally, we have embarked on something brand new: "Green it Up Harrisburg,"the first environmental leadership training offered through CBF's Pennsylvania office and our partners in the Harrisburg City Beautiful 2.0 movement.

Twenty-seven future environmental leaders are participating in the training, which runs October 8 through November 26.

The goal is to provide participants with the tools and contacts to enable them to become strong community leaders, volunteers, and advocates—and to improve the city of Harrisburg by "greening it up"—literally.

To learn more about our projects, initiatives, legislative updates, or to volunteer and join our action network, be sure to visit our website.

Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Fact Sheets

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation PA Office has issued a series of fact sheets outlining the water quality problems and solutions being implemented in the Pennsylvania portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed--

-- A Primer On Pollutants Of Concern-- outlines the contributions Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed makes to nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution to the Bay.

-- Nearly 20,000 Miles Of PA Streams Are Polluted-- details the fact there are thousands of stream miles and hundreds of acres of lakes all across Pennsylvania that are considered “impaired” under the federal Clean Water Act that either have or will require what is known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).

-- Cost Effective Solutions Are Known, Documented For The Chesapeake Bay-- notes cost effective pollution solutions have already made significant progress in reducing pollution going to the Bay, particularly in Pennsylvania.

-- Lancaster County Plain Sect Farms As Clean Water Stewards-- provides a snapshot of the Buffer Bonus initiative from CBF to encourage the installation of stream buffers by Amish and Plain Sect farmers in Lancaster County.

-- Amish and Old Order Mennonite Farms Protect Streams And The Bay-- provides an overview of a CBF initiative to work with Plain Sect farmers in Lancaster and Chester counties to install best management practices under federal Farm Bill Programs like the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

In addition, Dr. Beth McGee, Senior Water Quality Scientist at CBF, gave a PowerPoint presentation October 16 on the status of the Chesapeake Bay Cleanup in Pennsylvania and the challenges that remain.

NewsClips:

CBF-PA Plain Sect Initiative Hits Its Goal, More Work Needed

October 21 Chesapeake Bay Journal


10/28/2013

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