In the face of a second year of severe cuts in environmental funding Pennsylvania will be hard-pressed to meet its environmental obligations. With budget hearings set for next week for DEP and DCNR, this is a crucial time for an honest discussion of a natural gas severance tax and what the proceeds should be used for, according to Matthew Ehrhart, Pennsylvania Office Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Marcellus Shale natural gas wells are being permitted and drilled in floodplains. Two such wells, one operated by Stone Energy along Wyalusing Creek in Rush Township, Susquehanna County, and one operated by XTO along Muncy Creek in Shrewsbury Township, Lycoming County already experienced flooding events.

Did you know you can search nearly 6 years of back issues of the PA Environment Digest on dozens of topics, by county and on any key word you choose. Just click on the search page.

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

An independent program audit by the Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee this week found the Game Commission has a credible system for managing the state's deer population and that deer are a major cause of forest regeneration failure.

The Game Commission presented its annual report this week to the House Game and Fisheries Committee again highlighting the need for additional financial resources to accomplish its mission and reported environmental problems with the first two Marcellus Shale natural gas wells drilled on State Game Lands.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding answered questions about his budget from the Senate Appropriations and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees for nearly two hours this week touching on dozens of topics, including the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay.

The Senate and House Appropriations Committees will hold hearings on the budgets for the departments of Agriculture, Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources next week. The Senate has also changed the time for its DEP hearing.  Here's the schedule--

The Citizens Advisory Council to DEP and the Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council to DCNR this week published white papers outlining critical issues they believe candidates for Governor should address during the upcoming campaign.

Marcellus Shale Coalition President and Executive Director Kathryn Klaber this week issued the following statement regarding the guilty pleas of two individuals who illegally poured 200,000 gallons of brine fluid from a shallow well drilling operation down an abandoned well in McKean County:

The science, current research, practices and programs for Pennsylvania’s animal agricultural operations and best protection of air and water quality are the focus of a weekly webinar program being held on Thursdays, February 18 – April 16.

The Fish and Boat Commission this week announced the release of a fisheries recommendation for management of water released to Delaware River tributaries from New York City water supply reservoirs.

The Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition recently celebrated its 15th birthday in the latest issue of The Catalyst newsletter.

Before and after water quality results for over 200 passive mine drainage treatment systems have now been included in the Datashed water quality database as a result of a unique partnership.

The Pennsylvania Forests Web Seminar Center is pleased to announce a "Wildlife and the Plants They Love to Hate" short webinar series on the first Monday of every month live at noon and again at 7 p.m. beginning on March 1.

Through a generous sponsorship from Keep America Beautiful, next year's GreenSylvania school recycling program will become a statewide competition for all schools throughout the Commonwealth in 2011, according to the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania.

The Department of Environmental Protection published a reminder this week applications for host municipality inspector reimbursements are due March 31.  (formal notice)

Although the Peregrine falcons that have nested atop Harrisburg’s Rachel Carson State Office Building for most of the past decade aren’t known for “tweeting,” fans of the pair will be able to follow their story this year on Twitter.

The Public Utility Commission published formal notice seeking comments on proposed changes to the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Technical Reference Manual.

Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars. Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.  NEW means new from last week.  Go to the online Calendar webpage.