Hilary Hirtle

Funding Improves Water Quality in Wyoming County

June 23, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

Two grants from the Environmental Stewardship Fund are enabling the Wyoming County Conservation District to implement projects to improve water quality throughout Wyoming County.

The first grant, in the amount of $31,555, will be used to fund the Nutrient/Sediment Pollution Reduction Initiative. This initiative aims to implement agricultural best management practices at 4 different locations throughout Wyoming County, helping to stabilize impaired areas contributing that are contributing to poor stream quality conditions and affecting the health of the local water quality.

The second grant, in the amount of $80,731, will be used to fund the project, Controlling Nutrients within an HQ Watershed. This project plans to construct a roofed concreate manure storage facility for an agricultural operation located near Bowmans Creek.

Bowmans Creek, an approximately 26-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River, is designated as a High-Quality Coldwater Fishery and Migratory Fishery. The funding for this project will be beneficial in maintaining the Creek’s high-quality conditions, contributing to the region’s tourism economy and as a center for fishing and other outdoor recreational pursuits.

Support SB 525

June 22, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

June 22, 2021

[hand-delivered]

Dear Senator:

The nineteen partner organizations of the Growing Greener Coalition and hundreds of allied organizations congratulate Senators Gordner and Mensch on the introduction of Senate Bill 525 and urge you to join in supporting this bipartisan legislation. The bill provides a long-needed boost to Growing Greener (Environmental Stewardship Fund) investments using $500 million of American Rescue Plan dollars (7% of the state’s share).

Growing Greener is an excellent match for the American Rescue Plan:

Growing Greener makes lasting capital investments. These are not operational expenditures that have to be supported with state general funds after the federal money is gone.
Many other states—red (Florida, Indiana, etc.) and blue (Michigan, California, etc.)—are using ARP monies for these types of projects, so Pennsylvania will have plenty of company in applying ARP to Growing Greener.
Tens of millions of dollars in Growing Greener projects are shovel-ready now. Many more can be ready in short order if money is made available.

For many years, the General Assembly has been unable to significantly boost state investments to provide Pennsylvanians swimmable and fishable streams; unquestionably safe drinking water; well-maintained parks and trails for families and individuals; abundant public spaces for hunting and nature-watching; and preserved farmland to stabilize local farm economies. Factoring in inflation, we have been moving backwards. This year presents an opportunity to break this pattern.

From nature-based solutions that reduce flooding impacts and stream degradation (e.g., riparian forest buffers on farms and wetland restoration), to passive treatment systems for abandoned mine drainage, to rehabilitation of the parks and trails that underpin a large part of the Commonwealth’s tourism and outdoor recreation economies, SB 525 will support:

Myriad small business and good-paying jobs for all this infrastructure project work to be performed now[1]; and
The jobs and economic prosperity of the future as people choose to stay or relocate into a Pennsylvania attentive to their quality-of-life concerns.[2]

Improvements to our shared environment can drive our economy and communities to new levels of prosperity. Please support SB 525.

On behalf of the Growing Greener Coalition partners,

Andrew Loza
Chair, Growing Greener Coalition
Executive Director, WeConservePA

Chesapeake Bay Foundation – Conservation Voters of PA – Ducks Unlimited – Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds – Lancaster Farmland Trust – Natural Lands – PennFuture – Pennsylvania Environmental Council – Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation – Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society – Rails-to-Trails Conservancy – Sierra Club PA Chapter – The Conservation Fund – The Nature Conservancy PA/DE Chapter – The Trust for Public Land – Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership – Trout Unlimited – WeConservePA – Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

[1] Projects involve surveyors, appraisers, legal services, engineers, planners, drafters, environmental remediators, hydrologists, geologists, agricultural consultants, horticulturalists, architects, landscape architects, landscapers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, heavy equipment operators, painters, roofing contractors, fencing installers, paving contractors, material delivery, sign makers, archaeologists, and arborists. Supplies and equipment are needed from nurseries, lumber yards, quarries, building material suppliers, hardware stores, equipment manufacturers, and equipment rental businesses.

[2] See the numerous studies in the Economic Benefits section of https://conservationtools.org.

Download

Planting a Streamside Forest Along Spring Creek

June 22, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

Written by Clear Water Conservancy

In Autumn 2020, ClearWater Conservancy and Native Creations Landscape Services partnered with local landowners, Jodi Hakes and Michael Beck, to plant one acre of native streamside forest, or streamside buffer, along Spring Creek.

As Jodi and Michael were planning and building their dream home, practicing responsible land stewardship for their floodplain and the segment of Spring Creek flowing through their property was a top priority.

“The very reason we selected this site for our home was the natural beauty of Spring Creek, forested banks, and surrounding floodplain, so for us it was a foregone conclusion that we would learn proper stewardship of the land and its inhabitants,” the landowners shared when asked about why the project was important to them. “Partnering with Clearwater Conservancy and Native Creations has helped us tend to the land in a way that promotes the kind of habitat that our wildlife neighbors depend on.”

Before the native streamside forest could be planted, invasive plants and shrubs had to be removed first, requiring a great deal of expense and hard work. Propelled by their enthusiasm for the project, Jodi and Michael took a hands-on approach to site preparation for the incoming plants and shrubs. They hired Native Creations to remove solid shrub thicket of invasive species, including honeysuckles, privet and multiflora rose. In addition to speeding up the site preparation process, Jodi and Michael also provided matching funds for grants that make it possible for ClearWater to assist landowners with stream buffer projects.

Following site preparation, the streamside forest, or buffer, was planted with trees and shrubs to create a habitat referred to in conservation terms as a multifunctional forest buffer (MFB). MFB’s consist of native trees and shrubs that thrive in floodplains and also produce fruits and nuts that landowners can harvest for their own use or to sell. Typical native species that have value as food for people include elderberry, hazelnut, blueberry, and serviceberry.

Following the site prep and initial plantings, the project shifts into the next phase which is forest stewardship. Ongoing stewardship is needed for many years to ensure that plantings grow successfully into larger trees and a healthy mature forest. During this time plants may need to replaced, competing vegetation needs to be removed, and invasive species must be monitored and controlled as needed.

These efforts require a long-term commitment from landowners and support from conservation partners with the right blend of technical expertise, resources and funding. Pennsylvania provides funding to non-profits and small businesses for these buffers through PA Department of Natural Resources (PA DCNR) MFB grants as well as PENNVEST MFB grants.

Many thanks to Jodi and Michael for the contributions and excitement they bring to this stream buffer project. ClearWater Conservancy is grateful for their partnership and look forward to working with them for many years as their streamside forest grows!

Partners and funding sources on this stream buffer include Jodi Hakes, Michael Beck, Native Creations Landscape Services, North Central PA Conservancy and ClearWater Conservancy using PA DCNR and PENNVEST grants. We are grateful for all the partners who work with us to restore streamside forests.

Take action: SB 525 Could Boost GG by $500M

June 21, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

Senate Bill 525 was introduced late last week. It would boost the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener) by $500 million with American Rescue Plan monies. This one-time boost could make possible and accelerate new conservation, restoration, and recreation projects by nonprofits and local governments across the state.

Call or email your state senator and representative TODAY (and if not today, then ASAP this week), and urge them to advocate with their fellow legislators for SB 525’s boost to the Environmental Stewardship Fund THIS JUNE before the General Assembly wraps up the budget and leave’s town for the summer (which could happen in less than a week). Impress upon them the importance of acting now.

You might also:

Explain to them that SB 525’s $500 million boost can make new great projects happen in your community now—whether your focus is ensuring water quality; preventing flood damage; restoring streams, wetlands, and other wildlife habitat; improving outdoor recreational opportunities, or other conservation-related efforts.
Remind them that past state investments in specific conservation, restoration, or and/or recreation projects are still benefiting your community.
Tell them that many other states—red (Florida, Indiana, etc.) and blue (Michigan, California, etc.)—are using American Rescue Plan monies for these types of projects, so they will have plenty of company.
Point out that a great advantage of spending on these projects is that it doesn’t require state money for operations going forward. (Many legislators are concerned about creating new long-term operational expenses for the state when spending American Rescue Plan dollars.)

Although the above messages are more than enough, you can find more talking points to reinforce your message on the urgency of funding PA’s pressing needs.

These next few days present a brief window to greatly benefit Pennsylvanians for generations to come. Please act now to help turn opportunity into reality.

Andy Loza
Chair, Growing Greener Coalition
Executive Director, WeConservePA

Change PA’s Narrative

June 21, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

Open Letter to
Members of the General Assembly and Governor Wolf

June 21, 2021

The pandemic has caused many to revisit priorities, assumptions, and ways of doing things. On a personal level, Americans have dramatically increased their outdoor recreating, often resulting in the doubling or more of park, preserve, and trail visitation. And many are starting to take advantage of suddenly having more flexibility than ever before on choosing where to live.

On a policy level, it is crucial for state government to recognize that the future of Pennsylvania’s economy and finances depends substantially on having swimmable and fishable streams; unquestionably safe drinking water; abundant public spaces for hunting and nature-watching; and well-maintained parks and trails for families and individuals. It is crucial for state and local government coffers; it is crucial for the financial well-being of the families that live here.

If people perceive that water quality lags other states or that other states provide better recreational opportunities, more and more of them can vote with their feet. With this in mind, consider that:

25,468 miles of Pennsylvania waterways are unsafe for drinking, swimming, and fishing.
Our State Parks and Forests require nearly $1 billion in restoration and repair work and local parks and community green spaces similarly have suffered from insufficient investment.

But this does not need to be Pennsylvania’s narrative. We want leaders of established and startup businesses, graduates, and tourists to see a state that is fixing up its past messes (e.g., acidified and sediment-filled streams), responsibly addressing present problems (e.g., polluted runoff from farms and urban areas), and otherwise actively working to make Pennsylvania a more pleasant place to live, work, and play (e.g., safe and well-maintained parks).

This can be seen when the General Assembly chooses to invest in this work, and people can observe the work being done—the lasting improvements being made.

For many years, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, faced with tight budgets, has been unable to significantly boost state investments in making these improvements. Factoring in inflation, we have been moving backwards. This year presents an opportunity to break this pattern.

The Growing Greener Coalition urges the General Assembly to invest a minimum of $500 million (7%) of state government’s $7 billion share of American Rescue Plan money in green infrastructure projects that Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support, can be implemented now, and will continue to deliver value for decades to come.

Myriad small business and good-paying jobs now for all the infrastructure project work to be performed[1]; and
The jobs and economic prosperity of the future as people choose to stay or relocate into a Pennsylvania attentive to their quality-of-life concerns.[2.]

Improvements to our shared environment can drive our economy and communities to new levels of prosperity. Please take advantage of American Rescue Plan funds to make this happen.
For more information, please reach out to the people and organizations of the Growing Greener Coalition including but not limited to:

Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Shannon Gority, PA Executive Director
[email protected]

Ducks Unlimited
Nikki Ghorpade, Government Affairs Representative
[email protected]

Conservation Voters of PA
Joshua McNeil, Executive Director
[email protected]

Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds
John Dawes, Executive Director
[email protected]

Lancaster Farmland Trust
Jeffrey Swinehart, Chief Operating Officer
[email protected]

The Nature Conservancy, PA/DE Chapter
Ronald L. Ramsey, Senior Policy Advisor
[email protected]

Natural Lands
Oliver P. Bass, President
[email protected]

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Derek Eberly, Pennsylvania Field Organizer
[email protected]

PennFuture
Jacquelyn Bonomo, President & CEO
[email protected]

Pennsylvania Environmental Council
John Walliser, Senior Vice President
[email protected]

The Trust for Public Land
Owen Franklin, PA State Director
[email protected]

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
Marci Mowery, President
[email protected]

Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society
Tim Herd, CEO
[email protected]

Sierra Club PA Chapter
Jen Quinn, Legislative and Political Director
[email protected]

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Tom Sexton, Northeast Regional Director
[email protected]

The Conservation Fund
Kyle D. Shenk, Northeast Region Director
[email protected]

Trout Unlimited
Jennifer Orr-Greene, Eastern Policy Director
[email protected]

WeConservePA
Andrew M. Loza, Executive Director
[email protected]

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Cynthia Carrow, Vice President
[email protected]

Download

[2] See the numerous studies documenting the benefits in the Economic Benefits section of https://conservationtools.org.

Stabilizing Streams in Tioga County – Funding Needed!

June 18, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

Every year, Tioga County landowners lose their homes and property to stream erosion and flooding, causing tons of sediments to enter the county’s waterways. Such events and processes alter the composition and energy of streams, compromising their water quality. These changes bear a toll on the health of aquatic habitats and local communities that depend on this water for consumption and domestic purposes.

Attempting to address these stream-related hurdles, the Tioga County Conservation District established the Streambank Stabilization Cost-share Program to stabilize eroded streams that traverse, or neighbor threatened properties. For seven years, the conservation district worked with partners and contractors to implement structures that change the flow, slope, and energy of high-risk streams to reduce erosion and flooding. Such projects comprise anchoring logs and mudsills to stabilize the streambank, establishing natural structures to harbor aquatic habitats, and planting vegetation along the banks to hold soil in place.

The Tioga County Conservation District has completed more than 20 stream stabilization projects under this program, reducing sediment runoff and lessening the disastrous effects of flood events. But now, the conservation district fears it might not be able to continue such crucial projects due to a lack of funding. The Royal Dutch Shell, which had provided half of the program’s funding until last year, terminated sponsorship when they sold their Pennsylvania assets. The conservation district had already been dealing with limited funds even with financial support from Shell, asking landowners to cover 50% of the project’s cost to spread funding and allow for the completion of more projects, costing approx. $10,000. Now the whole program is compromised.

Without the Streambank Stabilization Cost-share Program, Tioga landowners would face higher risks during flood events, losing more homes, businesses, and properties than in previous years. Thousands of sediments would continue flowing into Tioga waterways and downstream, making downstream communities more susceptible to flooding while impairing their water quality and hindering recreational fishing and other forms of tourism. Funding these types of projects is crucial for the health of Pennsylvania waterways and, with that, the safety and wellbeing of Pennsylvanians. Green infrastructure projects like the Streambank Stabilization Program are not expenditures; they are cost-effective, sustainable investments that return countless benefits to local and downstream communities for decades to come.

Now is the time for Pennsylvania to invest in clean water and conservation

June 17, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

A note from Oliver Bass, President of Natural Lands

Water is central to Natural Lands’ work preserving open space and caring for nature across eastern Pennsylvania, whether at our network of 43 nature preserves or on more than 400 other permanently preserved properties. Often, land’s ecological value is based on the streams and rivers that run through it, and we know that every acre saved as open space means cleaner drinking water and additional natural flood prevention for those downstream.

Pennsylvania is faced with a unique opportunity. The recent passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides the Commonwealth with $7 billion in federal funds. Natural Lands and our colleagues across the state are advocating that a portion of this money—at least $500 million—should be invested in our state’s water resources which in turn support jobs, contribute to a vibrant recreation economy, and supply our drinking water.

We are fortunate to live in a water rich state with 86,000 miles of streams. With that abundance of resources, however, comes the responsibility to invest—and it is an investment that garners wide, bipartisan support in poll after poll across the state. In the fall of 2020, a poll commissioned by Conservation Voters of PA and the Growing Greener Coalition showed that nearly 90 percent of voters support funding for Pennsylvania’s land, water, and wildlife, even during the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, one-third of Pennsylvania’s streams are polluted—unsafe for drinking, swimming, and fishing. Municipalities face huge costs for municipal storm water management. Farmers badly need help to design and implement conservation practices like forested stream buffers to keep soil and nutrients on the land instead of running into the water. Lack of investment in flood prevention leaves many Pennsylvanians highly vulnerable to loss of property and life.

Funding these needs out of the American Rescue Plan is a great fit. These are capital investments, not expenditures that have to be repeated (and supported out of the state general fund) after the federal money is gone. Dedicated funding mechanisms like the Clean Streams Fund and a reinvigorated Growing Greener III program, which have been put forth in recent months through co-sponsor memoranda, could help us capitalize on this opportunity and make lasting change.

American Rescue Plan dollars applied to green infrastructure would support myriad small businesses and good-paying jobs with them. Projects involve surveyors, appraisers, legal services, engineers, planners, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and heavy equipment operators, among others. Supplies and equipment are needed from nurseries, lumber yards, quarries, building material suppliers, hardware stores, equipment manufacturers, and equipment rental businesses.

Increased investments for our water resources are required. Now is the time to act. If you agree, please take a moment to contact your state senator and representative and ask them to support the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds in this year’s budget.

find my legislators

Funding Green Needs

June 17, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

In the next few days, legislators are choosing how to spend the state’s $7 billion in American Rescue Plan funding, and they have plenty of choices. If any of these dollars are to be invested in conservation, restoration, and outdoor recreation projects, it’s crucial that they hear from as many of you and your friends and associates as possible. Call or email your state senator and representative TODAY (and if not today, then ASAP), and urge them to use $500 million or more (7%) of American Rescue Plan funds for these projects that will help communities now and for decades to come.

Remind them that past state investments in specific conservation, restoration, or and/or recreation projects are still benefiting your community.
Explain to them that American Rescue Plan money can make new great projects happen in your community now—whether your focus is ensuring water quality; preventing flood damage; restoring streams, wetlands, and other wildlife habitat; improving outdoor recreational opportunities, or other conservation-related efforts.
Ask them to press their legislative leaders to take this once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in these projects.
Tell them that a great advantage of spending on these projects is that it doesn’t require state money for operations going forward. (Many legislators are concerned about creating new long-term operational expenses for the state when spending American Rescue Plan dollars.)

Although the above messages are enough, you can find more talking points to reinforce your message on the urgency of funding PA’s pressing needs.

This is a momentous opportunity to benefit Pennsylvanians now and for generations to come. Please act now to make the opportunity reality.

Andy Loza
Chair, Growing Greener Coalition
Executive Director, WeConservePA

Restoring the Mahoney Creek Watershed

June 15, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

Mahoney Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River that winds through Northumberland and Schuylkill Counties. With coal mining continuing since the 19^th century within the region, the Mahoney Creek watershed has been heavily affected by acid mine drainage. According to the US EPA, acid mine drainage (AMD) mainly comes from abandoned coals mines and is caused when water flows over or through sulfur-bearing materials forming solutions of net acidity.

As a whole, the US EPA notes that AMD degrades more 4,500 stream miles within the mid-Atlantic region, resulting in loss of aquatic wildlife, and restricted use for recreation and public drinking water.

A $165,434 grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener) is enabling the Mahanoy Creek Watershed to restore Mahoney Creek through the design of the Packer 5 Mine Drainage Treatment Project. This project will begin to address the effects of the acid mine drainage affecting Mahoney Creek and lead to restoring better water quality within the region.

Make PA a Leader with ARP

June 14, 2021 // by Hilary Hirtle

Open Letter to
Members of the General Assembly and Governor Wolf

June 14, 2021

Across America, state legislatures are choosing to invest American Rescue Plan dollars in the green infrastructure that secures and improves the economic, environmental, and public health and safety of their communities. The Pennsylvania General Assembly should be a leader too by reinvesting at least $500 million (7%) of the state’s ARP money in green infrastructure. Actions of other states include a broad range of green infrastructure spending:

Florida will invest $300 million in land and easement acquisitions to conserve natural and working lands and $500 million to address flooding and sea-level rise. Another $59 million will be spent to restore the Everglades and $25 million to restore water quality from springs. This is all in addition to another $658 million on other water-related infrastructure. An equivalent investment level in Pennsylvania would be $900 million (adjusting Florida’s spending proportionately downward to account for PA’s smaller population).
New Hampshire will invest $22.6 million in state park infrastructure. This would be $205.5 million if proportioned to PA’s larger population size. (This is in addition to ($50 million—$467 million PA-adjusted—for water investments.)
Among Indiana’s investments are $25 million ($47 million in PA-adjusted terms) for conservation land acquisition and another $60 million ($113 million, PA-adjusted) for trails.

Pennsylvania lawmakers have the enthusiastic support of Pennsylvania voters—Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike—to invest in green infrastructure. Polling from last fall[1] found that 87% of likely voters agree that even with [what was then] a tight budget, we should still find the money to invest in protecting Pennsylvania’s land, water and wildlife; that protecting water quality and land in Pennsylvania is critical to keeping the state’s economy strong (90 percent agree); and that it is more important than ever to have parks, preserves, and other public spaces where we can safely enjoy the outdoors (91 percent agree).

The American Rescue Plan provides a unique opportunity to boost investments in projects that Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support, can be implemented now, and will continue to deliver value for decades to come. From nature-based solutions that prevent flooding and stream degradation (for example, riparian forest buffers on farms and wetland restoration), to rehabilitation of the parks and trails that underpin a large part of the Commonwealth’s tourism and outdoor recreation economies, American Rescue Plan dollars can make a tremendous difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians.

Our various green infrastructure needs are immense but the economic payoff in addressing them is huge. American Rescue Plan dollars applied to green infrastructure would support myriad small businesses and good-paying jobs with them. Projects involve surveyors, appraisers, legal services, engineers, planners, drafters, environmental remediators, hydrologists, geologists, agricultural consultants, horticulturalists, architects, landscape architects, landscapers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, heavy equipment operators, painters, roofing contractors, fencing installers, paving contractors, material delivery, sign makers, archaeologists, and arborists. Supplies and equipment are needed from nurseries, lumber yards, quarries, building material suppliers, hardware stores, equipment manufacturers, and equipment rental businesses.

Investing in Pennsylvania’s environment makes strong fiscal sense. It is well established that state environmental investments provide tremendous rates of return—whether the measure is job creation and economic activity, avoided costs (such as public health and flooding), net tax revenues, or the wellbeing of people and communities.[2]

For more information, please reach out to the people and organizations of the Growing Greener Coalition including but not limited to: