There are 19 new stories in this week’s PA Environment Digest that show the leadership of legislators, universities, businesses, the head of a state agency, citizen groups, volunteers, students, county commissioners, citizen scientists, a state agency during the pandemic, an agency advisory committee and the people supporting a Peregrine Falcon named W/V who lived 18 productive years on the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg.

By Thomas Clark, Susquehanna River Basin Commission

Alysha Trexler is a biologist and project manager with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy who has been very influential to riparian buffer work in Pennsylvania.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Environmental Rights Amendment with 50 stories featuring individuals, projects, ideas, places, and partnerships that represent five decades of restored lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

On March 19, Public Utility Commission Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille was honored last evening by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus with the Crystal Bird Fauset Leadership Award recognizing her long career of distinguished leadership in state government.

From March 16, 2020 to March 16, 2021 Department of Environmental Protection employees have been teleworking and using COVID-19 mitigation measures to continue to fulfill its mission.  DEP staff have--

Senators Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) and Art Haywood (D-Montgomery) recently announced plans to introduce legislation to increase the solar share under the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards from 0.5 to 5.5 percent by 2026.

By Penn State News

The March issue of PA Township News includes a major cover story on Solar Farming: The Next Big Thing by Jill Ercolino, Managing Editor.

On March 18, Sen. Bob Mensch (R-Montgomery) reintroduced legislation-- Senate Bill 435-- encouraging the development of clean transportation infrastructure to support electric, natural gas and hydrogen vehicles.

On March 18, the Clean Air Council, Mountain Watershed Association, and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network petitioned the PA Supreme Court to take up an appeal of a Commonwealth Court decision denying attorneys fees in the groups’ successful challenge to a Mariner East Pipeline Permit.

On March 17, Sen. Katie Muth (D-Chester) and Rep. Sara Innamorato (D-Allegheny) along with 33 members of the House and Senate, publicly requested Gov. Wolf direct adequate funding to thoroughly study the full and complete health impacts of fracking, including radioactivity exposure evaluations and a source exposure analysis, to best identify the specific cause of public health harm for all Pennsylvanians near industrial oil and gas fracking.

On March 18, Robert Hughes from the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation told the  U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources-- “We don’t deserve to have to wait any longer for clean streams, green spaces, vibrant and diversified regional economies, and communities in which our children can safely recreate, live, work, and play.”

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to hold a virtual public hearing on April 8 starting at 6:00 p.m. to receive comments concerning DEP’s 2013-2018 Report on the Effects of Subsidence Resulting from Underground Bituminous Coal Mining in Pennsylvania (Act 54 Report).

On March 16, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the release of Pennsylvania’s new Land and Water Trail Network Strategic Plan extending through 2024.

The DCNR Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting March 24 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon to hear a presentation on the new Land and Water Trail Network Plan.

On March 17, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding encouraged business travelers to join more than 1.2 million people at 26,000-plus companies across the U.S. and Canada who have learned how to recognize Spotted Lanternflies and keep from giving the destructive pest a ride to a new home.

On March 19, the Fish and Boat Commission cautioned boaters, anglers, and other users to be aware of the presence of invasive Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) that were recently detected in Raystown Lake, Huntingdon County.

The pair of Peregrine Falcons nesting on the 15th floor of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg have laid their first two eggs of the season and more might be coming.  Click Here to watch live.

[ Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else ] The House and Senate were both in session last week and lots of issues were swirling around the Capitol Rotunda. 

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

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--

At the March 9 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on DCNR’s budget request with Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, made these remarks about DCNR switching to electric vehicles--

At the March 11 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on DEP’s budget request with DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell, Sen. Cris Dush (R-Jefferson) made these remarks about the issue of climate change--

On March 22, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a second information meeting on “embracing Pennsylvania’s energy potential - hydrogen power and carbon capture - Part 2”

The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee is scheduled to meet March 23 to consider Senate Bill 251 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) which sets standards for the application of fertilizer to turf, provides for the certification of professional fertilizer applicators and for labeling and an education program.

By Karl Blankenship, Chesapeake Bay Journal

By Timothy B. Wheeler, Chesapeake Bay Journal

On March 17, Gov. Tom Wolf announced the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved his request to extend the deadline for survivors of Tropical Storm Isaias to apply for low-interest loans from SBA until April 19, 2021.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking proposals to fund up to $75 million in new, unique projects under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program’s Alternative Funding Arrangements that take innovative and non-traditional approaches to conservation solutions at the local, regional and landscape scales.

On March 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants to three organizations in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Kristen Bowman Kavanagh, P.E., deputy executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, provided written testimony to the House Republican Policy Committee reaffirming DRBC’s position the Francis E. Walter Dam’s existing, congressionally authorized purposes of recreation and flood risk management should be protected. 

On March 19, the Delaware RiverKeeper Network released a new report highlighting the economic benefits that could result from cleaner water and dissolved oxygen improvements in the Delaware River Estuary.

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary will host a 3-Part Delaware River Urban Waters Webinar Series on Environmental Justice and Brownfields Community of Practice.

Penn State Extension is hosting another in its series of Water Cooler Talks on March 31 - Managing Stormwater With Trees and Forests-- from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

The Pike County Conservation District will host a free webinar April 6 to introduce the Leaf Pack Network® stream monitoring education program developed by the Stroud Water Research Center.

The Pike County Conservation District will host a free webinar for contractors and road maintenance professionals April 1 on road project stream crossings from 9:00 to 10;30 a.m.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of the opportunity to bid on plugging an abandoned well in Allegheny County in the March 20 PA Bulletin.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful's Pick Up Pennsylvania Community Cleanup Initiative continues in full swing through May 31, offering help to volunteers interested in litter cleanups and beautification projects.

The City of Pittsburgh and the PA Resources Council are partnering on a series of webinars on How to Recycle Right with Pittsburgh's new blue bin recycling program.  Nine webinars are scheduled from March 21 to May 10  in English and a tenth on April 28 in Spanish.

Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling and Westmoreland Conservation District’s West Nile Virus Program will host a scrap tire recycling event on April 10 from 8:30 a.m. to Noon.

The Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling will host three Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events on April 17, June 26 and October 23.

On March 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency congratulated manufacturing plants within the EPA Mid-Atlantic Region that earned ENERGY STAR certification for 2020, including Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. in Reading, a commercial bread and roll baker

On March 19, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has revamped the Green Energy Loan Fund to make it easier for commercial property owners to get low-interest loans for large-scale, high-impact energy efficiency projects.

Jane Lubchenco, an expert on human and environmental interactions who served as the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will deliver the 69th Annual Joseph Priestley Award Celebration Lecture presented by Dickinson College Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Nearly half of all registered voters in Clara Township, Potter County have signed on in support of a measure to consider Home Rule powers for the township to help protect their environment from a proposed drilling waste injection well.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 20 PA Bulletin inviting comments on 64 applications for coverage under General permit WMGR123 for the processing and reuse of liquid oil and gas drilling waste (PA Bulletin, page 1553).

On March 16, Swiss Re Group, one of the world’s largest reinsurance and insurance companies,  announced new measures to support the transition to a net-zero economy, encompassing both asset management and underwriting as well as its own operations.

By Angela M. Rogers, Penn State News

As you cross the Schuylkill River traveling west on route 422 from Reading toward Pottstown, PA, two stunning landmarks rise above the horizon to the south: Gibraltar Hill and Seidel Hill.

Over the past year, Chester County’s protected open spaces have provided a peaceful respite for so many people during challenging times.

On April 13, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy will host an online program-- How You Can Protect Your Land With A Conservation Easement-- from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

On March 15, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced it is now accepting applications for Volunteer Fire Company Wildfire Grants  to help volunteer fire companies fight wildfires.  The deadline for applications is May 13.

On April 8, the Dauphin County-based  Manada Conservancy will host a virtual program on its Native Plant Initiative to improve habitat for pollinators, birds and other animals starting at 7:00 p.m.

When you hear “endangered species,” what comes to mind? Siberian tigers in China or black rhinos in southern Africa might ring a bell.

By Amy Duke, Penn State News

The PA Environmental Council is accepting applications for mini-grants to support the Laurel Highlands and Poconos Forest and Water Conservation Landscape Initiatives.

By Kelly Jędrzejewski, Penn State News

The March 19 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

By Faith Willis, Carmichaels Area High School, Wildlife Leadership Academy Conservation Ambassador

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County invites visitors to look for returning raptors and other migrants during its annual Spring Hawk Watch, held daily April 1 through May 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sanctuary's famous North Lookout.

The Mt. Cuba Center botanical garden in Hockessin, Delaware is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Director of Conservation and Research.

Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Executive Director.

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 89 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.

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