Looking at individual budget requests for environmental agencies shows mixed budget results, but funds are still being diverted from watershed cleanup and abandoned mine reclamation projects to pay $29.2 million in debt service for Growing Greener II bonds.

Watershed and mine reclamation groups are also concerned that federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation monies they fought so hard for in the U.S. Congress at the end of 2006 will not be shared with local watershed groups to do mine reclamation work. (See Post-Gazttee 2/10/08)

Here’s a quick summary of several key state environmental agencies—

Department of Environmental Protection -----------------------

The proposed Rebuild PA initiative for dam and flood prevention projects would bring $2.7 million in new funds to DEP and an increase of nine in the agency’s complement.

Overall there was a slight increase in DEP’s budget to $694.5 million for 2008-09, it was $692.4 in 2007-08 and $728.2 million in 2002-03.

Increases in the budget--

$3,800,000 Environmental Stewardship Watershed Grants*

$3,000,000 Flood Control Projects

$1,000,000 Recycling Fund Expenditures

*this is slightly higher because funds were not proposed to be diverted to finance the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program like they were other years, but $29.2 million is being diverted from the Environmental Stewardship Fund to pay debt service on Growing Greener II bonds.

Decreases in the budget include—

$500,000 County Conservation Districts

$874,000 Nutrient Management Fund

$500,000 Susquehanna River Basin Commission

$400,000 Delaware River Basin Commission

$750,000 Black Fly Spraying (without a loss of service DEP said)

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources -----------------

The overall budget of DCNR increased to $417.4 million for 2008-09 from $405 million in 2007-08 and was $322.9 million in 2002-03.

Increases include—

$2,800,000 Community Conservation Grants Program

$2,400,000 Rebuilding PA floodplain mapping initiative

$2,017,000 State Forest Operations

$2,066,000 Keystone, Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund

$1,723,000 Grants for Local Recreation

$ 689,000 Grants for Land Trusts

Department of Agriculture ---------------------------

The overall budget decreased to $263.2 million in 2008-09 from $284.3 million in 2007-08 and it was $274.3 million in 2002-03.

Decreases include—

$500,000 County Conservation Districts

$500,000 Nutrient Management Fund

Fish & Boat Commission ----------------------------

The overall budget increased to $64.5 million in 2008-09 from $62.6 million in 2007-08.

Game Commission ----------------------

The overall budget increased to $89.2 million in 2008-09 from $87.8 million in 2007-08.

Links: Governor’s Budget Documents and Summaries

Governor Previews Budget Initiatives – Presentation Slides

House Democratic Budget Summary

House Republican Budget Summary

Budget Spreadsheet 08-09

2/8/2008