There are 26 new stories in this week’s PA Environment Digest -- actually a lot more-- that show leadership from farmers, high school students, Girl Scouts, county officials, watershed groups, anglers, neighborhood farmers, volunteer Naturalists, river towns and foresters.

StateImpact Pennsylvania, WITF and the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation invite you to a free virtual documentary screening and panel discussion on the 50th Anniversary of the state’s Environmental Rights Amendment on May 18 at 7:00 p.m.

The Beiler farm in rural Martic Township sits along a road trafficked by more mules than cars.

The Neighborhood Gardens Trust recently announced they have permanently preserved the Emerald Street Community Farm in Philadelphia.  Protecting the land for this East Kensington communal growing space took five years and efforts of many, from the grassroots to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Master Naturalists celebrated Arbor Day in their most recent Field Notes newsletter by quoting J. Sterling Morton, an American journalist in the 19th century who is noted for founding Arbor Day-- "Other holidays repose on the past, Arbor Day proposes for the future."

Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA student leader Lauren Braught guided fellow Girl Scouts of all ages through an historic tree-planting on a day full of celebrations, April 24.

On April 26, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau called on the Senate and House to adopt and fund legislation to expand opportunities for farmers to partner with conservation district staff in their communities on locally focused projects that protect natural resources and improve water quality.

Last week, the Department of Environmental Protection announced 16 counties have agreed to begin the development of countywide Clean Water Action Plans to improve water quality in the Pennsylvania part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

On April 27, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell joined project partners and stakeholders for a dedication ceremony of the South Fayette Conservation Group’s Gladden acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment plant.

Susquehanna Greenway River Towns across the region were alive with volunteers last week in celebration of Earth Day and the inaugural 2021 Susquehanna Greenway River Towns Cleanup.

The Carmichaels High School Envirothon Team in Greene County partnered with the Izaak Walton League to plant trees at State Game Lands 223 on April 24– two days after Earth Day. 

Students from Norwin High School took first place in this year’s Westmoreland County Envirothon, which for the first time in 35 years, was held virtually.

The Honesdale High School Team from Wayne Highlands School District called The Earthlings is the overall winners of the 2021 Pike/Wayne Envirothon and will represent Wayne County at the statewide Pennsylvania Envirothon.

There’s been lots of political rhetoric lately-- again--  about the need to make agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection more “accountable” by making them more “transparent” and about how DEP “sneaks” through regulations. 

From March 16, 2020 to April 27, 2021 Department of Environmental Protection employees have been teleworking and using COVID-19 mitigation measures to continue to fulfill its mission.  DEP staff have--

New York Times Best Selling Author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Scott Weidensaul will be the guest speaker at the third annual Pennsylvania Wildlife Gala held at the Wyndham Garden, State College on Friday, May 21.

By: Ryan Reed, Natural Resource Program Specialist, Bureau of Forestry

Registration now open for the 2021 PA Firefly Festival to be held June 25 and 26 in Tionesta, Forest County.  The Festival includes nature exhibits, presentations, firefly experts, music and firefly tours.

[ Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else ] In a few short weeks, the Senate, House and Gov. Wolf will face a July 1 deadline to put together a final state budget, including how to spend the extra $7.4 billion (or so) the state gets in federal stimulus aid, but partisan bickering over a proposed regulation to address climate change has now escalated into a full blown Hatfields and McCoys feud and may spill over into other issues.

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--

On April 27, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out Senate Bill 119 (Pittman-R-Indiana) taking away DEP’s statutory authority to adopt regulations to reduce carbon pollution from any source, including power plants consistent with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by party-line vote-- Republicans supporting.

On April 27, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out Senate Bill 119 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) taking away DEP’s statutory authority to adopt regulations to reduce carbon pollution from any source, including power plants consistent with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. 

On April 27, the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee approved and reported out a veritable smorgasbord of bad ideas to allow the General Assembly to kill regulations by doing nothing, repeal regulations because they have too many words, shield law breakers from enforcement actions, end public participation in rulemaking and more.

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on May 4 to consider House Bill 1144 (Causer-R-Cameron) which would not only roll back environmental protection standards for conventional oil and gas wells, but would also make road dumping of drilling wastewater legal again.

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees will hold a joint hearing May 12 on Senate Bill 284 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) which imposes new bonding requirements on solar electric generation, biomass, coal waste and other renewable energy projects of any type included in the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards, plus other products and services.

On April 26, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service-PA announced Lancaster Clean Water Partners’ (Partners) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) proposal was selected to receive $7.4 million to implement best management practices on agricultural lands, resulting in restored and healthy streams.

On April 27, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services-PA awarded $4 million for the Turkey Hill Dairy Clean Water Partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and ten other partners.

On April 27, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $350,000 to replace 13 older diesel school buses in Pennsylvania.

On April 27 the Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition is preparing to fund a new set of partners and their innovative mine land reclamation and economic development projects.  Applications are due May 21.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 1 PA Bulletin of an opportunity to bid on an abandoned mine reclamation project in Clearfield County.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 1 PA Bulletin it has received a proposal under the Environmental Good Samaritan Act to plug an abandoned oil and gas well in South Fayette Township, Allegheny County from Keystone 76 Development, LLC. (PA Bulletin page 2416)

A sunny March weekend provided the perfect opportunity for the newest intern at Stream Restoration Incorporated to “get his feet wet” in the figurative sense and nearly the literal sense!

The Brodhead Watershed Association's Greening Mountainhome Project is using 24/7 data loggers set up by volunteers Matt Dilger and Michael Johnson to keep track of water quality in the Mill Creek Watershed in Monroe County

Get ready for the fifth Lancaster Water Week on June 4-12 by the Lancaster Conservancy and many partners.

The Capital Resource Conservation and Development Council will host Pasture Walks on May 20 in Adams County and July 13 in Franklin County to showcase spring cover crop grazing.

The PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture is inviting presentation proposals for its 2022 Sustainable Agriculture Conference to be held in a virtual format in late January - early February and in-person on February 10-12 in Lancaster.

The Southwestern PA Commission Water Resource Center will hold three stormwater, flooding and natural hazard planning webinars in May.  Here’s the schedule--

The Delaware River Basin Commission will hold an online hearing on water withdrawal requests May 12 and its quarterly business meeting on June 9.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold an online public hearing May 6 on water withdrawal requests and proposed regulations [previously announced] and its quarterly business meeting on June 17.

On April 28, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it executed a consent order and agreement (COA) with Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, LLC and County Hauling, LLC for Waste Transportation Safety Act (Act 90 of 2002, Chapter 62) violations that primarily occurred in 2019.

Approximately 38,300 pounds of hazardous material and nearly a mile and a half of fluorescent tubes were collected during the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event held at the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority this weekend. 

A total of 103 disciplinary actions, including $44,750 in administrative penalties, have been taken against 48 underground facility owners, excavators and project owners in the latest enforcement actions by the Public Utility Commission’s Damage Prevention Committee (DPC). 

As weather forecasters caution about the threat of spring thunderstorms and extremely high wind gusts across much of the Commonwealth, the Public Utility Commission reminds households of the steps they can take to prepare for, and recover safely from, storm-related power outages.

The Penn State Technical Assistance Program North Central PA Energy Efficiency Roundtable will hold an online meeting May 25 from 11:00 a.m. to Noon.

The Public Utility Commission and the PA Sustainable Energy Board held their annual meeting on April 29.

The Center for Agricultural and Shale Law at Penn State Law and other partners will host an online Solar Law Symposium on Utility-Scale Solar Development for Lawyers, Landowners and Others on June 15 and 17.

Join Sustainable Pittsburgh and its partners May 6-7 for the 11th Annual (Virtual) Sustainability Conference - Building and Planning For A Healthy And Equitable Future.

This year will mark the sesquicentennial anniversary of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical & Petroleum Engineers which will be recognized in a special ceremony in Wilkes-Barre on May 16. 

The South Mountain Partnership will hold its Spring Partnership Meeting virtually on May 14 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

The Mount Airy trail network in Paradise Township, Monroe County offers family-friendly trails with wetlands, creeks, views, native plants and wildlife. A good place to start for children of all ages is Woodland Trail along Forest Hills Run.

The April 30 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

On April 26, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the start of aerial spraying of state woodlands to combat gypsy moth populations poised for spring outbreaks in some sections of Pennsylvania.

Save The Dates! The Crawford County-based Foundation for Sustainable Forests recently announced a schedule of important programs and activities.

Historic Gettysburg – Adams County (HGAC) has been preserving historic barns for more than 15 years and knows that surveying these structures – and telling their stories – is important.

On April 27, State Parks Director John Hallas announced the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is seeking proposals to operate a downhill ski and four-season recreation center at Denton Hill State Park in Potter County.

Diane Kripas of DCNR provided an overview of the latest Statewide Comprehensive Recreation Plan during the April 28th Lunch & Learn Program from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation.  The program is now available on demand.

The National Deer Association, in conjunction with the Game Commission and the Wildlife Futures Program, will be hosting a series of virtual informational programs on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and CWD management from May 5 to 18.

The Native Fish Coalition of Pennsylvania is urging the Fish and Boat Commission to end the stocking of nonnative trout species and is asking anglers to support an online petition to the Commission on this issue.

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation is seeking qualified candidates to fill two bilingual intern positions and a Public Engagement Coordinator position.

The PA Sea Grant Program is seeking qualified candidates for two intern positions for undergraduate students this summer based at Penn State Behrend College in Erie.

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 94 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.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the PA Organization for Watersheds & Rivers, PA Outdoor Writers Association, PA Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.