With an eye toward the future of the Beaver River, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council has released a draft Beaver River Conservation and Management Plan for the entire river corridor.

The Beaver River is beloved by many and has been a central force in the history of communities along its banks. Those who live, work, and play on the river know it better than anyone. For this reason, public input has been and continues to be extremely important to the creation of a final Rivers Conservation Plan.

Assessments of the area's sensitive natural resources, land use, and infrastructure patterns, historical flooding, and public policies form the basis of the plan. From this information, a range of projects and policies are outlined for regional stakeholders.

Some recommended actions include: cleaning up illegal dumpsites along the river, promoting development within existing infrastructure service areas, and creating safe river access locations.

The plan, created as part of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Rivers Conservation Program, addresses local and regional conditions and concerns about the river while embracing a variety of conservation initiatives.

A public comment period is open for individuals to respond to the draft plan. Comments may be mailed to the Pennsylvania Environmental Council at its Pittsburgh Office at 22 Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

The public is also invited to provide comments in person at a public meeting on April 1. The meeting will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Beaver County Human Services Building on 8th Ave., in Beaver Falls.

Comments from public meetings and an Advisory Committee were used to develop this list of projects for the study area.

The final version of the plan will be based on comments received before May 1.

The draft plan was produced by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council with the assistance of a diverse Advisory Committee including representatives from municipal governments, elected officials, economic development organizations, and recreational interests.

Electronic copies of the draft plan can be found in municipal offices and on the website of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. Electronic copies of the plan are available by calling 412-481-9400.

3/14/2008