PA Environment Digest

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Final State Budget Restores Some Environmental Funding Cuts, Not Big Ones

Happy Birthday America! Celebrate Freedom July 4th

About 2:00 a.m. Sunday, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Rendell signed the new 2006-07 state budget. The final version restored some of the environmental funding cuts Gov. Rendell proposed to county consideration districts, Chesapeake Bay Education, Nutrient Management Programs, agricultural research and other smaller programs, but $82 million was still diverted to other programs and to help balance the General Fund.

Here some of the detail—

· $52.7 million diverted from DCNR’s Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund to the General Fund for 2006-07 fiscal year only (Governor’s recommendation). The amount of grants given out by DCNR for 2006-07 would not be affected, although these funds are lost for environmental purposes;

· $30 million diverted from the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund to fund the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund (DEP). Up to this amount was authorized in the legislation implementing the Growing Greener II bond issue;

· $6.1 million for the Barnes & Tucker agricultural consumptive water use project for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (DEP);

· $4 million reduction in the repayment amount to the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund that finances cleanups of underground storage tanks;

· $3 million for the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program;

· $2 million cut in DCNR’s State Parks and Forest facility from the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund;

· $2.1 million increase in DCNR State Park Operations;

· $190,000 increase in general funding for county conservation districts; and

· $18,000 increase for Pennsylvania Center for Environmental Education.

Also passed and on the Governor’s desk is Senate Bill 1224 (Wenger-R-Lancaster) creating the Conservation District Fund that will make it easier for conservation district to manage the state grants and program support they receive.

A tax change included in Senate Bill 300 would change inheritance tax provisions for land held under conservation easements created by the Agricultural Area Security Act so that the value was 50 percent of the value it otherwise would have under tax law.

The state budget is in House Bill 2499 and the related tax bills implementing budget agreements are in House Bill 859 (Tax Code), Senate Bill 300 (Tax Code), House Bill 1992 (Fiscal Code) and House Bill 185 (Education).

Session Schedule

The Senate and House return to session on September 25.

On the Hill

· On the Senate, House Agenda

· Senate/House Bills Moving/Introduced

· Final State Budget Restores Some Environmental Funding Cuts, Not Big Ones

· House Committee Approves Mine Families First Legislation

Other News

· Weather Doesn’t Dampen Spirit of Team Susquehanna

· Groups Urged to Join Letter of Support for Federal Mine Reclamation Funding

· Join the 2006 Great Secchi Dip-In, Check Your Lake’s Water Quality

· DEP Certifies First Proposals for Generating, Trading Nutrient Credits