Here are 30 new stories in the PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

On August 12, at Penn State’s annual Ag Progress Days, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding recognized six individuals and two county conservation district boards with 2020 and 2021 Conservation Excellence Awards.

May 18, 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the Environmental Rights Amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution.

SEEDS of Northeastern Pennsylvania (SEEDS) awarded a $1,000 Sustainability Scholarship and a Certificate to Jacob Mohring, a 2021 graduate of Stroudsburg High School, for the best sustainability essay addressing the issue of resiliency of Pennsylvania’s small businesses.

Links to all the articles and NewsClips in this week’s PA Environment Digest by topic in one place--

On August 9, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its Sixth Assessment Report, which summarizes the current state of Earth’s warming climate while looking ahead to future scenarios with and without effective climate action. 

The Department of Environmental Protection has announced the formation of a new PA Energy Storage Consortium to discuss policy and market topics to help lead the advancement of energy storage for a modern, resilient, low-carbon grid for Pennsylvania.

On August 10, the Erie 2030 District, a group comprising 17 Erie County property partners spanning public and private organizations representing 120 buildings and over 4.9 million square feet, released its 2020 progress report detailing efforts by partners who have committed to a 50 percent reduction in energy use in their buildings by the year 2030. 

By Rep. Greg Vitali

By Will Parson, Chesapeake Bay Program

By Mary Beth Mueller

The Villanova University Center For Resilient Water Systems and the PA Environmental Council will host an October 12 Muncipal Workshop on Adapting Stormwater Management Practices In A Changing Climate from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Penn State Extension is now accepting registrations for the September 23 Dive Deeper Water Education Summit to be held at the Central Hotel & Conference Center in Harrisburg.

Registrations are now being accepted for the virtual 2021 Watershed Congress to be held September 20-24.

PA Sustainable Agriculture and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation are hosting a Forage and Forest Tour - Third-Year Silvopasture on August 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Fiddle Creek Dairy in Quarryville, Lancaster County.

Making riparian buffers work for your community is the topic of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension in its monthly land-use series.

Penn State Extension is hosting a six-part Community Forestry Workshop Series On Effective Management of Public Trees.

PA Sustainable Agriculture is hosting a Listening Session on Siting and Design for Farm-based Solar Energy Facilities August 20 from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

On August 9, Commonwealth Court issued a Memorandum Opinion dismissing a petition by the PA Environmental Defense Foundation challenging the State Forest Plan adopted by DCNR allowing the sale of natural gas resources is not consistent with its trustee responsibilities under the state constitution’s Environmental Rights Amendment.

August 10 marked the one-year anniversary of Sunoco’s [Energy Transfer Partners] spill of approximately 8,000 gallons of industrial waste, impacting the Lake in Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County, two tributaries, and a wetland.

On August 10, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has executed a consent order and agreement (COA) with ETC Northeast Field Services, LLC (ETC) for violations that occurred in 2019 and 2020 during construction of the owner/operator’s B15 Well Connect Pipeline construction project located in Economy Borough and New Sewickley Township, Beaver County.

DCED’s PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting on August 19 to hear an update on Penn State’s study of road dumping of conventional drilling wastewater and to continue its review of draft DEP regulations setting environmental standards for conventional drilling.

By: Gregory Lenahan, Deputy Digital Director, and Odessa Meredith, Press Assistant

On August 13, the Game Commission announced it is lifting the recommendation to cease feeding birds with decreasing reports of sick and dead wild birds.

On August 12, the Game Commission announced its Elk Cam installed at State Game Lands 311 in Elk County is now live to show video and sound of elk activity as the bugling season heats up.  The top time to see elk on camera is late in the afternoon.

Fall bird migration is underway and millions of birds are beginning to reach Philadelphia as they head south for the winter, newly hatched young embarking on their first migration.

Important headline articles from this week’s PA Environment Digest--

New opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week.

On August 11, Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) and Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) and Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) introduced Senate Bill 832 to establish a Clean Streams Fund for Pennsylvania to address non-point source water pollution.

On August 10, legislators from Berks and Schuylkill County, agency representatives, and members of the public gathered in the Schuylkill Haven Recreational Center to review the progress of longstanding efforts to clean up the Schuylkill River and its nearby creeks and streams. 

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, chaired by Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), will hold a virtual public hearing on August 24, beginning at 10:00 a.m., to examine the impacts of invasive species, such as the spotted lanternfly, gypsy moth, emerald ash borer, hydrilla, and reed canarygrass, to Pennsylvania’s economy, agriculture, and natural resources.

Articles and NewsClips about federal actions impacting Pennsylvania--

Following the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on August 10, advocates from coal communities across the country celebrated the legislation’s historic investments in creating jobs by cleaning up abandoned coal mines.

By Divya Desai, The Energy Co-op, Philadelphia

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

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

Highlights of the environmental and energy notices in the latest PA Bulletin--

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 proud sponsor of the 2021 Virtual PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference to be held October 27-28.  Click Here to register.

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.