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PEC -- Restore $100 Million in Cuts/Diversions from Environmental Programs

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council this week urged the Senate, House and Rendell Administration to listen to voters who passed the Growing Greener bond issue last year and restore more than $100 million in funding proposed to be diverted or cut from key environmental programs in the 2006-07 budget.

“An overwhelming 61 percent of voters supported the bond issue last May sending a very direct and clear message that they support additional funding for watershed and habitat improvement, reducing nutrient runoff from farms, sewer and water system upgrades and farmland preservation,” said Brian J. Hill, Interim President and CEO of the Council. “Base funding for the very programs that the voters supported now face a reduction in next year’s budget because of diversions of $30 million out of the Environmental Stewardship Fund and $63 million out of the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund.”

“The choice to reduce environmental funding this year not only collides with the very clear message from voters, but also with Pennsylvania’s obligations to clean up the 10,762 miles of streams that do not meet water quality standards, including 4,036 miles polluted by acid mine drainage,” said Hill.

The proposed 2006-07 budget diverts or cuts funding for half a dozen key environmental programs—

· $30 million is diverted away from supporting the original Growing Greener Program-watershed restoration, mine reclamation, farmland preservation and sewer/water grants— to Hazardous Sites Cleanup, an environmental program that ran out of funding in June of 2005;

· $63 million is diverted from the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund, which supports open space preservation, recreation and State Park maintenance projects, to help balance the budget; and

· Funding for county conservation districts, environmental education, water quality monitoring, reducing nutrients from farms were all cut significantly or zeroed out.

The proposed cuts would also hurt the efforts of local watershed groups to restore and protect water quality and cleanup abandoned mine drainage.

Since 1999 over 400 local watershed groups and communities reclaimed over 5,000 acres of abandoned mines, planted 1,000 miles of stream buffers, created or restored over 3,000 acres of wetlands and much more.

For every $1 invested by the state, watershed groups matched it with $1.25 of their own more than doubling the state’s investment.

This record of accomplishment by watershed groups was recently confirmed in a study by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania which said “watershed groups- empower local residents, develop local leaders, provide examples of successful community organizations, compliment other state and local environmental programs, get results, play an essential role in promoting the environment, and act as environmental advocates.”

Hill also noted the Commonwealth will receive over $946 million in new tax revenues during the 2006-07 budget year not earmarked for any purpose.

The Council is urging the Senate, House and Rendell Administration to—

· Restore $30 million in funding for basic environmental programs in the Environmental Stewardship Fund and prevent diversions from this Fund in the future;

· Take steps in law to prevent the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund from being used to balance the budget and ensure funding continues at the same historic levels; and

· Develop a dedicated funding source for the Hazardous Sites Cleanup and Nutrient Management Programs that are due to run out of funding and for restoring habitats for game and non-game species.

“We took two steps forward to address environmental funding issues with the passage of the Growing Greener II bond issue last year, let’s not take a step back from our commitment to cleaning up the environment this year by reducing environmental funding in the budget,” urged Hill.

“The Pennsylvania Environmental Council stands ready to assist members of the Senate and House and the Governor in addressing these funding challenges by providing additional information from our professional staff, bringing stakeholders together and working with you on specific legislative proposals,” said Hill.

The Council urged concerned citizens to contact their House and Senate member and call Gov. Rendell’s 1-800-932-0784 hotline or send the Governor an email or by finding your House or Senate member by going to: http://www.legis.state.pa.us (see box in upper right).

For more information and a sample letter you can send, visit the “Stop the Diversions” webpage at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council website.

Links: Rendell Proposes $100 Million Environmental Funding Shifts, Reductions

Groups Concerned About State Environmental Funding, Federal Cuts Hurt States

Appropriations Committees Hear of Environmental Funding “Challenges”

Session Schedule

The Senate returns to session the week of March 27 and the House returns April 3.

On the Hill

· On the Senate, House Agenda

· Senate/House Bills Moving/Introduced

Other News

· May is Watershed Awareness Month, Celebrate “The Power of Positive Action”

· Attendance Nearly Doubles for the Second PA No-Till Alliance Conference