The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Wednesday reported out the nominations of Chris Abruzzo to be Secretary for Environmental Protection and Ellen Ferretti as Secretary for Conservation and Natural Resources by a nearly unanimous, bipartisan vote for consideration by the Senate Rules Committee and then the full Senate.

Gov. Corbett visited Frances Slocum State Park in Luzerne County Friday to rename the interpretive building the “Patrick J. Solano Environmental Education Center” in recognition of Solano’s exemplary life of leadership and service to Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.

Gov. Corbett Thursday announced DCNR has awarded $38 million in grants to provide new recreational opportunities, expanded protection of natural resources and locally-driven community projects as a result of more than $38 million in new grants to be distributed across the state.

The PA Growing Greener Coalition Friday applauded the investment of $38 million in grants to support conservation and recreation projects statewide, and highlighted the importance of maintaining and expanding funding for future projects.

Lancaster County Thursday marked a major milestone in its farmland preservation program by preserving the 100,000th acre of farmland, something no other county in the U.S. has achieved.

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  Just go to your Google+ page and search for DHess@CrisciAssociates.com, the email for the Digest Editor David Hess,  and let us join your Circle.

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate-- 

Water data planning and management will be the topic of the guest speaker at the December 9 Environmental Issues Forum hosted by the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee.

On Thursday U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the release of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed CEAP-Cropland Survey showing conservation measures installed on farms have reduced sheet and rill erosion rates by 57 percent and edge-of-field sediment losses by 62 percent since 2006, edge-of-field nitrogen losses in surface runoff were reduced by 38 percent, nitrogen losses in subsurface flows were reduced by 12 percent, and phosphorus losses were reduced by 45 percent compared to 2003-06 loss rates.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Senior Water Quality Scientist Beth McGee issued this statement following the release of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Bay Barometer on Tuesday.

The PA Environmental Council Friday sent a letter to Sen. Elder Vogel (R-Beaver), prime sponsor of Senate Bill 994, expressing its opposition to the bill saying it “establishes a mandatory nutrient reduction strategy that is not environmentally or economically sound.”

The Chesapeake Bay Program has published the December issue of its Chesapeake Currents online newsletter.  Click Here to read a copy and sign up for your own.

Agriculture Secretary George Greig this week invited Pennsylvanians to celebrate agriculture during the 98th Pennsylvania Farm Show, January 4-11 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.

Every year, thousands of people visit the Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, but few of them realize how the water collected by the 24 acres of roofs on buildings housing the Farm Show is being reused inside the complex.

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday announced it will start two new mine reclamation projects: one in Knox Township, Jefferson County; and the other in Perry Township, Clarion County.

The Delaware River Basin Commission Wednesday adopted updated water quality criteria for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Delaware Estuary and Bay and also for pH in interstate tidal and non-tidal reaches of the main stem Delaware River.

The Hard to Recycle collection events organized by the PA Resources Council and its partners in 2013 attracted 2,180 participants and collected 223,339 pounds of electronics and more in the Pittsburgh Region.

Over 9,745 volunteers from 35 counties across Pennsylvania canvassed their communities to remove 459,076 pounds of trash and debris from Pennsylvania’s waterways and coastal regions during the 2013 International Coastal Cleanup event.

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced it has extended the public comment period on the Permit Decision Guarantee Policy as part of its annual review to December 31, according to Hayley Book, DEP Director of Policy.

The Penn State Marcellus Education Team will be holding two webinars this month looking at a recently published paper on economic activity and drilling and pipeline cuttings reuse--

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has released a new report on the potential demand for natural gas service to residential households in three regions of the state which found half or more of households would not connect to natural gas regardless of the upfront costs or payback period.

As winter weather makes its way across the state, the Public Utility Commission Monday released the winter readiness overviews from the state’s natural gas distribution companies and industry experts.

PPL Holtwood Monday announced completion of a new, 125-megawatt powerhouse at its Holtwood hydroelectric facility along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County.

Acting Secretary Ellen Ferretti Tuesday announced the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has received a clean audit from the federal government related to the expenditure of $33.6 million it received for cleanup related to three disasters between 2004 and 2006.

The Foundation for Sustainable Forests has acquired and permanently protected 106 acres of woodland in Girard Township, Erie County.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources officials Monday hailed acquisition of the 486-acre former Rock Hill Scout Camp in Pike County that will boost size of the Delaware State Forest to more than 85,000 acres.

The ClearWater Conservancy and Penn State University Tuesday announced construction is under way on the first phase of the new Musser Gap Greenway, a recreational connection between Rothrock State Forest and the proposed Whitehall Road Regional Park in Centre County, with a projected completion date in the spring of 2014.

The Corbett Administration Wednesday announced the award of a Discovered in PA – Developed in PA grant to help launch the Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism's Get on the Trail! Entrepreneurial Business Plan contest created to offer entrepreneurial assistance and rewards to new and expanding business along the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail.

The December issue of the Water, Land, Life eNewsletter is now available from the Western PA Conservancy.  Click Here to read your copy.

Game Commission officials are urging wildlife enthusiasts to join the tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the United States in the Audubon Society’s 114th Annual Christmas Bird Count, which will take place December 14 through January 5.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of the opportunity to bid on a mine reclamation project in Beaver County, a mine subsidence control project in Clearfield County and a well plugging project in Erie County.

The PA Resources Council is preparing to bid farewell to its longtime Western Regional Director, Dave Mazza, who will retire on December 31. Since 2000, Dave's ingenuity, resourcefulness and passion for protecting the environment have left a lasting legacy in western Pennsylvania and far beyond.

On December 1 the Abandoned Mine Reclamation community lost a long-time friend, supporter, and mentor. Bruce Leavitt, a consulting Hydrogeologist with a long history of working on mine drainage, lost his two and a half year battle with pancreatic cancer.

This section gives you a continuously updated thumbnail sketch of issues to be considered in upcoming advisory committee meetings where the agendas have been released

This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other recognition programs.  NEW means new from last week.

Here's a selection of NewsClips on environmental topics from around the state--

Here are NewsClips on topics related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling---

Here are NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state--

The Environmental Quality Board published notice of its acceptance of a rulemaking petition for study from Ashley Funk and Kids vs. Global Warming relating to setting carbon dioxide emission standards.

Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.  NEW means new from last week.  Go to the online Calendar webpage.

Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to:  DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.