Hilary Hirtle

Dear Growing Greener Stakeholder,

At the end of last week, the General Assembly passed a budget that maintained the status quo regarding state investments in Growing Greener-type projects. Legislators spent a little more than $1 billion of the state’s $7.3 billion in American Rescue Plan dollars, none of it on natural infrastructure; also, no action was taken on Senate Bill 525 ($500 million for a “Growing Greener III”) prior to legislators leaving Harrisburg for the summer.

It is unfortunate that legislators did not seize the opportunity to direct ARP funds into addressing PA’s tremendous stream and wetland restoration, park, trail, land conservation, and other natural infrastructure needs, but there is still opportunity. When legislators return to Harrisburg in late September, the Growing Greener Coalition will advocate for the passage of Senate Bill 525 and use of ARP funds for natural infrastructure.

In the meantime, you can help build an important foundation for advocacy success: Invite your legislators and aides to visit state-funded stream restoration, park, preserve, trail, and other natural infrastructure projects that are benefitting their constituents and discuss with them the great new projects organizations (or local governments) could achieve with a boost in state investments. If they cannot make it to a site visit, at least visit them in their district offices.

(For some pointers on organizing a site visit, refer to Hosting Legislators.)

Also, if your Senator cosponsored SB 525, now is a good time to thank them for doing so and encourage their continued leadership in the fall. Here are the cosponsors:

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.

 

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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:

1. 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.
2. Remind them that past state investments in specific conservation, restoration, or and/or recreation projects are still benefiting your community.
3. 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.
4.  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

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:

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.

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, these investments will support:

• 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]

 

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[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 documenting the benefits in the Economic Benefits section of https://conservationtools.org.

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

1. Remind them that past state investments in specific conservation, restoration, or and/or recreation projects are still benefiting your community.
2. 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.
3. Ask them to press their legislative leaders to take this once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in these projects.
4. 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.)