The Tribune-Review reported Wednesday that John Linkes, a volunteer active in the Roaring Run and Kiskiminetas River watersheds in Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties, has received the national River Heroes Award for his conservation efforts from the River Network.

Beginning Monday, the Senate and House return to Harrisburg for 2 weeks of voting session to pick up where they left off on the debate [battle] over the state budget-- this year’s and next year’s.

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  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 were given final approval by the Senate and House and are now on the Governor's desk for action--

A group of 19 members of the House members led by Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Minority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Thursday sent a letter to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission urging approval of DEP’s final regulations that would make conventional and unconventional oil and gas drilling safer in Pennsylvania.

The April 11 Environmental Issues Forum hosted by the Joint legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee will feature presentations by the PA Forest Products Association and the American Forest and Paper Association on sustainable manufacturing in the forest products industry.

StateImpact reported Tuesday the slowdown in the drilling industry will put collection of permit fees about $2.9 million below what is needed to support the Oil and Gas Regulatory Program at DEP in the FY 2016-17 budget year.

Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday announced the selection of 4 projects to receive $1,193,603 in funding to reclaim abandoned coal mines in Elk, Fayette and Schuylkill counties.  The projects awarded grants are--

The nominations are in and now you can vote for the winners of the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Coalition’s Orange Rock Awards to recognize the contribution a group or individual has made to cleaning up the West Branch of the Susquehanna.  Voting will close on April 6.

April showers bring May flowers but, unfortunately, they sometimes also bring things that aren’t as nice, like flooding of homes and businesses and an increased flow of sewage and pollution into local streams.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is accepting applications for community green stormwater infrastructure projects until April 6.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is now accepting applications from landowners for Regional Conservation Partnership Grants through May 10.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Tuesday announced the launch of the Riparian Forest Buffer Advisory Committee to provide advice and expertise as the Commonwealth works toward a goal of planting 95,000 acres of buffers along waterways by 2025.

The March 28 edition of the Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State Extension featuring stories on--

The March 29 Chesapeake Bay Journal News is now available celebrating 25 years of providing information on challenges and solutions for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently hosted a table-top exercise regarding a how both agencies respond to natural disasters or man-made events that affect a public water supply system.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Thursday announced it has received a $20,000 grant from Keep America Beautiful to continue their work with the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. 

Looking for something to do April 2?  There’s still lots of time to volunteer for a Project Clean Stream cleanup being organized by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.  Click Here to find a cleanup near you.

Join Clinton County CleanScapes, Lock Haven University students and Castanea Township staff  in removing litter and tires from the future Rail Trail extension in Castanea Township.

Council Rock High School South in Holland, Bucks County on April 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to wipe and recycle cell phones, personal computers, laptops, printers, cables, video games, televisions and more.

The Department of Environmental Protection announced Wednesday it has issued a solid waste permit for a new municipal waste landfill proposed for Falls Township, Bucks County.

The Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute is now accepting applications for its summer residential program for students ages 13 to 15.  The deadline for applications is June 10.

The Lacawac Sanctuary in Wayne County will be offering summer day camps for students from 5 to 16 to explore nature through hands-on activities, creation of art, thematic games, science experiments, specimens studies and nature observation.

The Environmental Defense Fund Monday applauded Gov. Tom Wolf for vetoing House Bill 1327 (Peifer-R-Pike), the Fiscal Code Bill accompanying the state budget with extraneous provisions that would have unnecessarily jeopardized critical environmental and public health protections.

The PA Environmental Council President and CEO Davitt Woodwell Tuesday submitted comments on DEP’s Climate Change Action Plan calling for an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century and the use of the “deep decarbonization” strategy to reduce emissions from the electric generation sector.

Columbia Gas of PA Thursday joined Exelon/PECO Gas Utilities and UGI Utilities to be founding members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program.

One of the best kept secrets in Harrisburg is the $24.5 million available through the High Performance Building Program for individuals and small businesses interested in the construction or major renovation of buildings to meet green building standards.

Department of Transportation Secretary Leslie S. Richards Monday announced the Trillium CNG team, which includes Larson Design Group of Williamsport, has been selected for the department’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) transit fueling station Public-Private Partnership (P3) project.

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced it is suspending the accreditation of Analytical Services, Inc., an environmental laboratory located in Williston, Vermont, effective immediately.

The  Department of Environmental Protection Monday said it has determined through ambient air monitoring that levels of crystalline silica sand in the area of Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, do not show any potential for immediate health impacts.

The March 31 edition of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring articles on--

The PA Chamber of Business and Industry will hold its annual Environmental Conference and Trade Show on April 13 at the Best Western Eden Resort in Lancaster.

The Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative is now accepting applications for its Mini Grant Program through May 19.

By Tony Spagnoli, PEC Program Manager for Trails & Recreation

The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is now accepting entries to its 2016 Photo Contest.  The deadline for entries is June 30.

Three upcoming sojourns are scheduled to highlight 2016’s River of the Year, the North Branch of the Susquehanna.

The March eConnections newsletter from the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is now available featuring articles on--

The Brodhead Watershed Association will sponsor a Get Outdoors Poconos hike on April 24 at the Swiftwater Forest Preserve in Paradise Township, Monroe County.

Celebrate the upcoming rebranding of The Circuit Trails by taking a ride and lighting up the night!

The March 30 Resource newsletter from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is now available featuring articles on--

The Pennsylvania forestry community recently raised a generous donation amount for PA Children’s Hospitals by conducting a Log A Load For Kids Pheasant Hunt Sporting Event at the Warriors Mark Wing Shooting Lodge near Ginter, Clearfield County.

Following another successful Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day this past weekend, anglers in 18 southeastern counties are warmed up and ready to kick off a new fishing season April 2, which marks the regional opening day of trout season.

This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and meetings and other interesting environmental events.

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 are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more.

No new regulations were published this week.   Pennsylvania Bulletin - April 2, 2016

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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.

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