On July 29, the Water Center at Penn hosted an online discussion between the Ohio River Basin Alliance and Southwestern Pennsylvania stakeholders to talk about the many challenges faced in the Ohio River Watershed, including abandoned mine drainage, legacy pollutants and contaminants, invasive species, habitat destruction, and climate change.

The Ohio River Basin Consortium For Research and Education and the Ohio River Basin Alliance will be accepting presentation and student poster proposals for the virtual Ohio River Basin Summit and Symposium until August 15.

By B.J. Small, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA

The PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture has issued a new report on Water Farming: Managing Agricultural Lands For Clean & Safe Water.

This month’s woman of the year [Alliance For The Chesapeake Bay] blog features a tremendously fierce and passionate leader from [Lancaster County,] Pennsylvania, Marylou Barton.

From March 16 to August 4, Department of Environmental Protection employees have been teleworking and using COVID-19 mitigation measures to continue to fulfill its mission.  DEP staff have--

On August 7, the Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition announced its investment in five projects in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Alabama as part of its inaugural mini-grant program.

By Matthew Carroll, Penn State News

The organizers of the 2020 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference have decided to bring the Conference to you online October 28-29.

Keep PA Beautiful is now accepting registrations for local 2020 Pick Up Pennsylvania litter cleanup and beautiful events.  This year’s program runs from September 1 through November 30.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has posted an overcrowding alert for certain State Parks and Forests on its website as an “extraordinary” number of people is causing these areas to turn visitors away.

On August 2, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced a number of operational changes are being made at the Seven Tubs Recreation Area of Pinchot State Forest in Luzerne County to address safety related to the popularity of the site on weekends and when the weather is favorable.

Gettysburg National Military Park. The Appalachian Trail. Allegheny National Forest. The Flight 93 National Memorial. More than 1,200 state and local parks.

This year marks a milestone for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Forestry -- as this summer, the bureau celebrates its 125th anniversary.

David Ross is a member of the Friends of the State Line Serpentine Barrens who works tirelessly to preserve one of Pennsylvania’s rarest ecosystems [a 60-square-mile, 38,400 acre area located in parts of Lancaster, Chester and Delaware counties.]

The PA Land Trust Association recently recognized the Brandywine Conservancy’s John Theilacker, AICP Certified Planner, with an award for his 22 years of conservation advocacy and land use planning work throughout the Commonwealth.

On August 7, the Department of Environmental Protection reported three more counties had mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus-- Chester, Lehigh and Union counties.

By Amy Duke, Penn State News

By Myra McAdory, Alliance For The Chesapeake Bay

On August 5, the Game Commission announced Pennsylvania’s piping plovers just finished a fourth consecutive successful nesting season at Presque Isle State Park in Erie.

[ In Politics, Everything Is Connected To Everything Else ] It’s already the second week in August and the Senate and House are beginning to talk about how they plan to deal with the two issues they need to get done this fall-- election law fixes so the November election goes smoothly and finishing the state budget.

Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

On July 29, Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) and Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks), the Majority and Minority Chairs of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation requesting dedicated federal funding for plugging abandoned and orphaned conventional oil and gas wells across the Commonwealth be included in the next federal stimulus bill.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service-PA is inviting potential conservation partners to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The deadline for applications is November 4.

Farmers and ranchers whose operations have been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic can apply for assistance through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal

The Crawford County Conservation District has produced a new video describing a wetland and wetland systems and why they are so important to protecting water quality, preventing flooding and to promoting ecosystem biodiversity.

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold an August 25 Informal Conference On Glacial Sand & Gravel Permit Application Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County at 1:00 p.m..

The State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers has rescheduled certification exams previously scheduled for August 10 to September 28.  (formal notice)

The Delaware River Basin Commission Climate Change Advisory Committee met for the first time on August 4 to help inform DRBC’s future water resource planning efforts considering climate change and support development of a comprehensive study on climate impacts to the Basin’s water supply and water quality.

The PA Resources Council will host its next Household Chemical Collection Event in Allegheny County on August 15 to provide Pennsylvania residents with an opportunity to safely and cost effectively dispose of common chemicals such as cleaners, paints, stains and varnishes, batteries, motor oil and pesticides.

The PA Resources Council is now accepting entries to the annual Gene Capaldi Lens on Litter Photo Contest.  The deadline for entries is October 31.

In 2017, the PA Environmental Council convened a dialogue on opportunities and challenges inherent in decarbonization of our state’s electric generation sector. That event spurred a number of issue-focused examinations of different policies and technologies including carbon pricing, grid modernization, carbon capture, and more.

The PA Environmental Council’s In Case You Missed It In July is now available featuring articles on--

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy said space is still available and applications are open until August 15 for forest landowners and aspiring landowners from across the mid-Atlantic region to apply to attend a virtual Women and Their Woods educational retreat in fall 2020.

The Foundation for Sustainable Forests is seeking to raise enough funding to protect 1,700 acres this year through the August 10 Erie Gives and August 10-11 Crawford Gives community campaigns.

On August 3, the Brandywine Conservancy, in partnership with the Chester County Planning Commission, announced the completion of the Brandywine Creek Water Trail feasibility study.

The Brodhead Watershed Association is hosting a virtual tour of Skytop's Indian Ladder Falls in Monroe County.

The August 5 Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

The August 7 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

The Pennsylvania Sea Grant Program announced the award of $1.4 million in funding for aquatic and watershed-related research in Pennsylvania.

By Joe Dolinsky, Penn State News

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County  invites visitors to watch and monitor the annual passage of raptor migrants as they move south during the Autumn Hawk Watch, held daily August 15 through December 15, at the Sanctuary’s famous North Lookout.

Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation, the educational arm of PA Federation of Sportsmen and Conservationists awarded three $500 grants to regional wildlife rehabilitation centers across Pennsylvania. 

The Lancaster Conservancy is holding an August 10 Clean Water Careers online event as part of Lancaster Water Week, hosted by Lancaster Clean Water Partners, from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

The PA Association of Conservation Districts is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Agriculture Conservation Technician based in Clarion.

Trout Unlimited is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Mid-Atlantic Organizer to lead campaigns to protect important Goldwater habitats.

Click Here: Week’s Worth Of PA Environment & Energy NewsClips

Click Here for a list of public participation opportunities and a calendar of events.

Click Here for grants, awards, recognition programs and contest deadlines.

Here are highlights of actions taken by agencies on environmental regulations, technical guidance and permits.

CLICK HERE to View or Print the 72  page 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: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.

The PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor of the virtual 2020 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference to be held on October 28-29. Stay tuned for details!

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