On June 28, Harry Campbell, executive director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Pennsylvania, issued this statement about the $34 billion General Fund budget for 2019-20, negotiated by the legislature and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf. 

Mr. Campbell said:

“With this budget, our elected leaders have once again failed to show the will, leadership, and commitment it takes to restore and protect Pennsylvania’s waters.

“Roughly 40 percent of our rivers and streams are harmed by pollution and the Commonwealth is updating its Clean Water Blueprint to fix them. Unfortunately, this budget does next to nothing to provide additional money to support efforts by farmers, municipalities, and state agencies to reduce that pollution.

“Legislators and the Governor have gone so far as to strip millions of dollars from the Environmental Stewardship Fund, making the job even more difficult.

“Through this fund and Growing Greener, CBF provided some money to family farms to help them plant streamside buffers, and created cost-share so they can afford to install fencing, improve soil health, and more.    

“The many boots on the ground working hard for cleaner water - county conservation districts, Natural Resources Conservation Service staff, farmers, sportsmen and women, community and conservation groups, and others deserve all the financial and technical support possible.

“With this budget, Pennsylvania will continue to lose ground in reducing pollution. The Commonwealth already lags far behind in meeting its clean water commitments, and precious soil and other pollutants will continue to foul our rivers and streams.

“We stand ready to work with legislators and Governor Wolf in support of future funding sources, like the Keystone Tree Fund and others, that will address this budget’s shortcomings when it comes to clean water.”

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage.  Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).  Click Here to support their work.

Related Articles This Week:

Growing Greener Coalition: Cuts Made To Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Funding Could Have Planted 32,000 Acres of Stream Buffers

Column: Desire For Riches Often Comes At The Cost Of Natural Resources

Major Environmental Priorities Not Addressed In FY 2019-20 State Budget, Shell Game Continues

Senate Republicans Pass Pretend Solution To Reducing Nutrient Pollution In Chesapeake Bay Watershed Guaranteeing Taxpayers Fund Higher Cost Practices

DCNR Good Natured Pennsylvanians - Austin Unruh & Multi-Functional Stream Buffers

Related Articles:

CBF: Pennsylvania Has Failed To Uphold Its Promise To Reduce Pollution Going To The Chesapeake Bay

Bay Journal: 40 Percent Of All Pennsylvania Rivers, Streams Violate Water Quality Standards

[Posted: June 28, 2019]

7/1/2019