During his mid-year budget briefing Wednesday, Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said the state is still projecting to end the FY 2014-15 budget year in balance with perhaps a slight $1 million surplus.

Gov.-Elect Tom Wolf and Josh Shapiro, co-chair of his Budget Deficit and Fiscal Stabilization Task Force, told reporters Wednesday we do not know the real size of the state’s budget deficit-- whether it’s $2 billion or likely more-- and that is Wolf’s first order of business before decisions are made on how to address it.

In a conference call with media on Thursday, Gov.-elect Tom Wolf and Transition Steering Committee Chair John Fry said they are in the final stages of vetting agency transition committee members and should be in a position to name them in seven to 10 days.

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--

Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana), the newly elected House Republican Majority Leader, sent a letter on November 24 to Gina McCarthy, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, explaining his opposition to the agency’s plan to enact President Barack Obama’s proposed emission regulations for power plants. 

Officials from environmental agencies across the Delaware River Estuary region celebrated a unique partnership Friday with the signing of an agreement renewing their commitment to cleaner water in the tidal Delaware River and Bay.

The Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association is promoting rain gardens as an attractive and affordable way for homeowners to reduce polluted runoff thanks to a grant from the PA League of Women Voters Water Resources Education Network.

The Penn State Center for Nutrient Solutions presented the fourth seminar of the series titled “What is a Healthy Stream or Wetland Worth? Translating Ecosystem Services to Ecosystem Values, Part 1" on December 5.

Attend the Brodhead Watershed Association and the Pocono Heritage Land Trust’s monthly “Where in the Watershed” Walks to little known places throughout the Brodhead Creek Watershed.

In celebration of National Drinking Water Week, Penn State Extension’s Master Well Owner Network, the Department of Environmental Protection and the PA Ground Water Association along with numerous other sponsors are organizing the 2015 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College, PA on May 6, 2015.

The December 1 Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from the Penn State Extension featuring articles on--

The December issue of Chesapeake Currents is now available from the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program featuring articles on--

During 2014, the PA Resources Council and its partners collected and recycled nearly 250,000 pounds of electronic waste in eastern Pennsylvania.

The December issue of the e-PRC newsletter is now available from the PA Resources Council featuring articles on--

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania recently released the results of a two year study looking at the community impacts of the Marcellus Shale drilling boom in Bradford, Greene, Lycoming and Washington counties from 2005 to mid-2013.

A consortium of thought-leading organizations will present the “Energy for Power of 32” conference on December 11 from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in downtown Pittsburgh.

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced it has fined Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. of Pittsburgh $120,000 for a January storage tank explosion and production fluid spill at the Reynolds well pad in Jessup Township, Susquehanna County.

A rally and press conference was held at Drexel University’s Creese Student Center on Chestnut St. Friday to protest an oil and industry promotional conference hosted there by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Council for Growth. 

The Harrisburg Patriot News and other media this week reported the drop in crude oil prices will result in heating oil and propane prices going down 15 percent and 27 percent respectively, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, as compared to a 5 percent drop for natural gas and a 2 percent drop for electricity.

The PA Land Trust Association is now accepting applications for the 2015 Government Conservation Leadership Award.  The deadline for nominations is February 9.

Award winning photographs from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation’s Through the Seasons 2014 Photo Contest will be on display for one week at C.F. Martin & Co. (Martin Guitar), 510 Sycamore St., Nazareth, Northampton County.

Enjoy December in the Wissahickon, when Friends of the Wissahickon Trail Ambassadors are offering free hikes in the Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia.  Click Here for a calendar of upcoming events.

The PA Land Trust Association will host the 13th Annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference on May 7-9 at the Wyndham in Gettysburg.  Click Here for more information.

Dr. Mathias Zahniser, son of Tionesta native and federal Wilderness Act author Howard Zahniser, spoke at the opening of the special photo exhibit at the Crary Art Gallery in Warren in August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Act.  Click Here to watch a video his his remarks.

The December issue of the Water, Land, Life newsletter is now available from the Western PA Conservancy featuring articles on--

The Winter edition of Conserve magazine from the Western PA Conservancy is now available featuring articles on--

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of an opportunity to bid on mine reclamation projects in Butler County, Elk County and Indiana County.

The Jacobs Creek Watershed Association in Westmoreland County is seeking candidates for its Executive Director position.  The deadline for applications has been extended to December 15.  Click Here for a job description and all the details.

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.  It also gives you a heads-up on House and Senate Committee meetings, conferences and other interesting events.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.

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 Fish and Boat Commission published notice of changes to the Class A Wild Trout Stream regulations.

CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest.

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.