Sen. Tom Killion (R-Delaware) and the PA Growing Greener Coalition Wednesday announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation-- Senate Bill 1374-- to create a Growing Greener III Program and provide $315 million in annual investments to protect the state’s water, land and other natural resources.

The proposal would dramatically expand the number of programs included in the present Growing Greener Program to fund 27 different initiatives, but does not propose a source of revenue necessary to add $315 million to the existing $57 million Growing Greener funding.

“Our goal is to establish a Growing Greener III framework that the Governor and Legislature can embrace to renew this critical program and ensure its continued vitality long into the future,” said Sen. Killion. “This legislation represents the first step in the process – identifying the need and establishing the commitment to support these critical environmental and quality of life projects.” 

Sen. Killion was joined by legislation co-sponsors Sens. Richard Alloway (R-Adams), David Argall (R-Schuylkill), John Blake (D-Lackawanna), Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh), Thomas McGarrigle (R-Delaware), Chuck McIhinney (R-Bucks), John Gordner (R-Columbia), Bob Mensch (R-Montgomery), Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin), Randy Vulakovich (R-Allegheny), John Yudichak (D-Carbon), John Gordner (R-Columbia) and Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester).

“We are grateful to Senator Killion and the bipartisan group of co-sponsors for championing a bipartisan Growing Greener III program and for recognizing the critical need to invest in keeping our water clean, protecting our open space and preserving our family farms,” said Andrew Heath, executive director of the PA Growing Greener Coalition. “Investments in Growing Greener support our local economies and ensure that future generations continue to have access to clean water, green open space, locally grown food, and public parks, trails and other recreational opportunities.”

The PA Growing Greener Coalition last week unveiled its blueprint for a Growing Greener III program.

“More than 26,000 miles of Pennsylvania’s waterways are currently classified as impaired,” said John Dawes, executive director of the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds. “We need to invest in a Growing Greener III program to help repair and restore our rivers, lakes and streams, which not only supply our drinking water, but are also popular sources of recreation and tourism for Pennsylvania residents and visitors alike.”

Established in 1999, the state’s Growing Greener program has funded hundreds of local parks and trail projects, conserved more than 50,000 acres of threatened open space, and restored hundreds of miles of streams and waterways.

The program has also protected more than 78,000 acres of farmland, restored more than 1,600 acres of abandoned mine land, and helped reduce flooding and water pollution through 400 watershed protection projects and more than 100 drinking and wastewater treatment improvements.

“Pennsylvania’s Growing Greener program has helped local communities all across the Commonwealth to protect important open spaces,” said Oliver Bass, vice president for Natural Lands Trust. “However, there is still work that needs to be done. Preserving land is proven to makes communities healthier, provides significant economic benefits, and is one of the most effective ways to keep water clean.”

Pennsylvania’s Constitution mandates that the Commonwealth conserve and maintain its natural resources.

Article 1, section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution reads: “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all of the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

Since its inception, the state’s Growing Greener program has enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support. A 2015 Penn State poll found that 90.7 percent of Pennsylvanians surveyed would support increasing state funds to conserve and protect open space, clean water, natural areas, wildlife habitats, parks, historic sites, forests, and farms.

“Pennsylvanians value their parks and open spaces,” said Marci Mowery, president of the PA Parks and Forest Foundation. “Our public forest lands not only provide recreational opportunities like fishing, hunting, bird watching, and camping, but also provide forestry products, clean air, and clean water.”

Numerous studies have shown that Pennsylvania’s parks, farms, waterways, and open space generate significant economic and health benefits locally and statewide, and are critical to the strength of two of Pennsylvania’s leading industries – tourism and agriculture.

“Growing Greener funding is critical to preserving our family farms and ensuring access to locally grown, nutritious food,” said Jeff Swinehart, deputy director of Lancaster Farmland Trust. “Our farms contribute $75 billion in total economic impact annually and one in seven jobs is related to agriculture. We must invest in their preservation.”

The Growing Greener III Plan proposed last week by the PA Growing Greener Coalition has so far been endorsed by more than 100 conservation, preservation and recreation organizations, as well as several businesses and local governments, representing hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians.

Click Here for a complete list of supporting groups.  The bill was referred to the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee and can be contacted by sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov.   Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to: yudichak@pasenate.com.

The PA Growing Greener Coalition is the largest coalition of conservation, recreation, and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth.

Reaction

Donna Morelli, PA State Director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, issued this statement after Sen. Tom Killion (R-Delaware) and the PA Growing Greener Coalition introduced Growing Greener III bipartisan legislation Wednesday to provide $315 million in annual investments to protect Pennsylvania’s water, land and other natural resources--

“We need to invest in our local lands, streams and creeks-- now. At a time when Pennsylvania is struggling to meet Chesapeake Bay milestones, our focus needs to be on our local water quality. Our state’s environmental efforts, governmental and nonprofit, have been severely depleted of funds in the past 20 years. If we take care of the Susquehanna, we will have met our Chesapeake Bay goals. Growing Greener III is movement in the right direction.

“The Alliance is focused restoring the rivers and streams of the Chesapeake watershed in Pennsylvania.  We partner with cash-strapped local governments and small nonprofits that are undertaking restoration projects for clean water. This Growing Green III is an investment that will help communities improve local water quality through the funding of projects that will by reduce storm water flooding and polluted agricultural runoff, restore and protect forests and streamside buffers, and conserve natural resources for future generations.”

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events on the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Alliance, Like the Alliance on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, add them to your Circle on Google+ and visit the Alliance’s YouTube Channel.

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CBF-PA Urges Legislators To Identify Funding For Growing Greener III To Make It Meaningful

10/3/2016